2018 Golden Globe Race

2018 Golden Globe Race

Event title
Edition	2nd
Event details
Venue	Les Sables-d'Olonne
Dates	1 July 2018 – Summer 2019
Yachts	'Retro' fibreglass 32-36ft
Competitors
Competitors	22
← 1968

The 2018 Golden Globe Race is a sailing race around the world which started on 1 July 2018 from Les Sables-d'Olonne, France. This year's race celebrates the 50th anniversary of the original Sunday Times Golden Globe Race and features yachts similar to those used at that time. Except for safety equipment, no modern technology is allowed.

Retro sailing

Entrants are limited to sailing similar yachts and equipment to what was available to Sir Robin Knox-Johnston in the original race in 1968–69. That means sailing without the use of modern technology such as satellite based navigation aids. Safety equipment such as EPIRBs and AIS are carried however the competitors can only access the technology in an emergency.

Competitors could apply to have their class of boat approved, providing it was in accordance with the following rules:

• Of fibre reinforced plastic construction.
• Designed prior to 1988 and have a minimum series of 20 yachts built from one mould.
• Have a hull length of between 32 ft and 36 ft. Bowsprits, wind vanes and outboard rudders, boomkins, pushpits and pulpits are not measured.
• Have full-length keels with rudders attached to the trailing edge.
• A minimum design displacement of 6,200 kg.

Twenty-two classes were approved, with one exception to the rules made for a wood-epoxy Suhaili replica.

Route

File:2018 Golden Globe Race route.png

The route of the Golden Globe Race

The race started on 1 July 2018 in Les Sables-d'Olonne and will lead around the world eastward, leaving Cape of Good Hope, Cape Leeuwin and Cape Horn to port. There will be several "film gates" along the route, where the skippers can be interviewed as they sail past without stopping and where they can pass over films and letters.

Entrants

There are 18 entrants from 13 different countries who entered the race. Of those, six have chosen the class-compliant but relatively modern Rustler 36. A further 17 had expressed interest but subsequently retired.

Sailor	Yacht	Type
Abhilash Tomy	Thuriya	Suhaili replica
Antoine Cousot	Métier Intérim	Biscay 36
Are Wiig	Olleanna	OE 32
Ertan Beskardes	Lazy Otter	Rustler 36
Francesco Cappelletti	007	Endurance 35
Gregor McGuckin	Hanley Energy Endurance	Biscay 36
Igor Zaretskiy	Esmeralda	Endurance 35
Istvan Kopar	Puffin	Tradewind 35
Jean-Luc Van Den Heede	Matmut	Rustler 36
Kevin Farebrother	Sagarmatha	Tradewind 35
Loïc Lepage	Laaland	Nicholson 32
Mark John Sinclair	Coconut	Lello 34
Mark Slats	Ohpen Maverick	Rustler 36
Nabil Amra	Liberty II	Biscay 36
Philippe Péché	PRB	Rustler 36
Susie Goodall	DHL Starlight	Rustler 36
Tapio Lehtinen	Asteria	Benello Gaia 36
Uku Randmaa	One and All	Rustler 36

Type	Entrants	Hull speed (Gerr)*	Sail area/displacement ratio
Rustler 36	6	6.7	13.4
Biscay 36	3	6.9	14.6
Tradewind 35	2	5.8	12.3
Endurance 35	2	6.4	16.8
Benello Gaia 36	1	6.4	14.0
Lello 34	1	7.5	13.4
Nicholson 32	1	6.1	14.3
OE32	1	7.4	13.8
Suhaili replica	1	6.6	14.7

* Adjusted for displacement per Dave Gerr's formula

The race

The race started as planned at 10:00 GMT on 1 July 2018, with the competitors passing a rolling gate between Robin Knox-Johnston's Suhaili and Bernard Moitessier's Joshua, two veterans of the 1968 race, with Sir Robin firing the starting cannon on Suhaili. Francis Chichester's Gipsy Moth IV was also in the starting regatta.

Of the 18 entrants, only Francesco Cappelletti failed to make the start line, and officially withdrew on 5 July. He plans to sail around the world independently, but still being tracked by the organisers of the GGR. Ertan Beskardes retired on 5 July, after deciding that being unable to communicate with his family removed the enjoyment from the race. Kevin Farebrother retired on 15 July at the Canary Islands mark, after becoming 'disillusioned by solo sailing and lack of sleep'. Also at the Canaries, Antoine Cousot had to stop to repair his windvane gear, demoting him to the 'Chichester' class. Nabil Amra retired to the Canaries on 17 July, also due to broken windvane gear. Istvan Kopar put in to the Cape Verde islands on 23 July, planning to replace his windvane, but in the event proceeded without assistance.

Antoine Cousot retired at the end of August due to a broken windvane and injuries. Philippe Péché was relegated to the Chichester class on 11 August after making a satellite phone call following the failure of his tiller.

Are Wiig was dismasted on 17 August, 400 nm off Cape Town.

Abhilash Tomy was dismasted and injured on 22 September. Gregor McGuckin elected to abandon his boat to be rescued with Abhilash after also being dismasted.

On 5 December 2018, Susie Goodall's boat was flipped end-over-end, dismasted, and swamped during a storm while in the Southern Ocean around 2,000 nautical miles (3,700 km; 2,300 mi) west of Cape Horn. She was rescued by the cargo ship Tian Fu on 7 December 2018.

Sailor	Cape of Good Hope	Storm Bay Tasmania gate	Cape Horn	Finish
Jean-Luc Van Den Heede	23 August	5 October	23 November
Mark Slats	27 August	21 October	2 December
Uku Randmaa	31 August	27 October	19 December
Istvan Kopar	9 September	4 November	1 January
Tapio Lehtinen	9 September	7 November
'Chichester' class (one stop)
Sailor	Cape of Good Hope	Storm Bay Tasmania gate	Cape Horn	Finish
Igor Zaretskiy	13 September
Retired (in order of retirement)
Francesco Cappelletti	Did not start, officially retired 5 July 2018
Ertan Beskardes	Retired on 5 July 2018 due to inability to communicate with his family. Put in to A Coruña.
Kevin Farebrother	Retired on 15 July 2018, 'disillusioned by solo sailing and lack of sleep'
Nabil Amra	Retired on 17 July 2018 due to broken windvane, put in to Tenerife
Antoine Cousot	Retired on 24 August 2018 due to broken windvane and injuries
Philippe Péché	Retired on 25 August 2018 due to broken windvane, put in to Cape Town
Are Wiig	Retired on 27 August 2018 after capsizing and dismasting while repairing his windvane
Abhilash Tomy	Retired on 24 September 2018 after dismasting near Île Amsterdam
Gregor McGuckin	Retired on 24 September 2018 after dismasting near Île Amsterdam
Loïc Lepage	Retired on 21 October 2018 after dismasting 600 miles south-west of Perth (was already in 'Chichester' class)
Susie Goodall	Retired on 5 December 2018 after dismasting 2000 miles west of the southern tip of South America
Mark John Sinclair	Retired on 12 December 2018, put in to Adelaide on 5 December for haulout due to severe barnacle/mussel growth, but concerned he would reach Cape Horn too late in the season.

External links

• Official website