And they’re off!
A loud blast from the horn of a French naval vessel marked the start of the 3rd Golden Globe Race.
The round-the-world race got underway with no incidents or collisions, in clear skies and close-hauled in a 10 knot wind.
Sixteen solo sailors, with an average age of 52½ – are now heading out into the Bay of Biscay in their small but rugged yachts, without the aid of modern (post-1968) materials or equipment.
Ahead of them: 30,000 miles of ocean on a non-stop east-about route that takes them down the Atlantic to the Cape of Good Hope, through the Southern Ocean, past Australia & New Zealand, across the Pacific to Cape Horn and back up the Atlantic to Les Sables d’Olonne.
On the way they are a number of waypoints where they can drop off film, be interviewed, and wave to friends and family as they pass – no physical contact allowed!
First though, they have to round Cape Finistere on the northern tip of Spain, and the weather doesn’t look ready to cooperate.
It may take them a few days before they can begin to stretch their legs but for now we can safely say they’re off and on their way
The competitors are…
The Golden Globe 2022
| Sailor | Nationality | Boat | Age |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jeremy Bagshaw | South Africa | Olleanna | 59 |
| Ertan Beskardes | UK | Lazy Otter | 60 |
| Guy de Boer | USA | Spirit | 66 |
| Simon Curwen | UK | Clara | 62 |
| Arnaud Gaist | French | Prenom Fei of Shanghai | 50 |
| Michael Guggenberger | Austria | Nuri | 44 |
| Damien Guillou | French | PRB | 39 |
| Ian Herbert-Jones | UK | Puffin | 52 |
| Pat Lawless | Ireland | Green Rebel | 52 |
| Tapio Lehtinen | Finland | Asteria | 64 |
| Kirsten Neuschäfer | South Africa | Minnehaha | 39 |
| Mark Sinclair | Australia | Coconut | 63 |
| Elliott Smith | USA | Second Wind | 27 |
| Abhilash Tomy | Goa,India | Bayanat | 43 |
| Guy Waites | UK | Sagarmatha | 54 |
| Edward Walentynowicz | Canada | Nah’s Jest | 68 |
| Average age: | 52½ yrs |
While they will have only a rough idea of their position and progress, relying on just their compass, log and sextant, they are being tracked continuously by satellite.
So over the next 8/9 months race officials can oversee the race in detail, and the public can watch the drama unfold on the race website