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Published on April 27th, 2023 | by Assoc Editor

Golden Globe: Kirsten Neuschäfer Wins

Published on April 27th, 2023 by Assoc Editor -->

(April 27, 2023) – The Golden Globe Race competitor Kirsten Neuschäfer, a South African whose life as a sailor has practically defined the word “adventure,” today won the 2022-23 edition, becoming the first woman to win a solo round-the-world race.

British solo sailor Simon Curwen crossed the finish line after 234 days and 22 hours of racing. Curwen is the first solo skipper to complete the course. However, he is not eligible to win the event, which is a non-stop race, as he had to put into Puerto Montt in Chile to make repairs to his windvane system. This demoted him to ‘Chichester’ class, although he resumed racing after making repairs ashore.

Neuschäfer finished in Les Sables-d’Olonne, France, where she began nearly eight months and some 30,000 miles ago, crossing the line to a massive hero’s welcome. In sharp contrast to the rough conditions she experienced during much of her voyage, Neuschafer, aboard her 36-foot Minnehaha, spent the last few hours with almost no wind, inching into the harbor.

In her 36-foot Cape George cutter Minnehaha, Neuschäfer not only won, she took line honors as well, without needing the 35-hour time allowance she earned by rescuing fellow sailor Tapio Lehtinen when his boat sank south of Cape of Good Hope.

She was first to round Cape Horn, and though the leg up the Atlantic saw her lead diminish, she never stopped pushing herself or her boat.

In ocean-racing terms, it was a photo finish for the final week, with GGR veteran Abhilash Tomy, racing his Rustler 36, Bayanat, at times within 45 miles of Neuschäfer. In the end, she pulled away; when she crossed the line, Tomy was about 135 miles behind, predicted to take second place.

This would be a redemptive and fantastic finish for Tomy as well, after suffering a terrible injury in the 2018 race. While sailing strongly in third place, he was rolled and dismasted in the southern Indian Ocean, suffering back injuries that left him unable to move his legs. He was rescued three and half days later; after arriving home in India, he underwent surgery to have five vertebrae fused and titanium rods placed in his spine.

This edition of the Golden Globe Race started on September 4, 2022, with 16 competitors, all men, except for Neuschäfer. At the time of her finish, only three competitors (herself, Tomy, and Michael Guggenberger, who was still 1,800 miles to the finish) remained in the running. Two more (Simon Curwen and Jeremy Bagshaw) were racing in the Chichester class, a class for those disqualified for making a stop but who wanted to continue to the finish anyway. Curwen finished just ahead of Neuschäfer on April 27.

Harkening to the original Sunday Times Golden Globe Race of 1968, won by Sir Robin Knox Johnston, today’s GGR requires that vessels are production boats between 32 and 36 feet, designed before 1988, with a full-length keel and rudder attached to their trailing edge. The racers must navigate with sextant on paper charts and use no electronic instruments or autopilot.

Neuschäfer’s Cape George cutter, launched in 1988, was built by Cape George Marine Works in Port Townsend, Washington. She has sailed it with obvious verve, skill, and real joy. The GGR boats must be production boats designed before 1988 and between 32 and 36 feet long.

The rescue of Lehtinen happened last November some 450 miles southeast of South Africa in the southern Indian Ocean, when his 36-foot Gaia, Asteria, sank in a gale. Neuschäfer was the closest sailor to him, 95 miles away, and was able to reach him in fewer than 24 hours, taking him aboard Minnehaha from his life raft and later transferring him to a merchant ship that had been diverted to the scene. (For this rescue, she earned the 2022 Cruising Club of America’s Rod Stephens Seamanship Trophy.)

Neuschäfer grew up sailing and has made it her profession since 2006, training others and delivering boats. But she has taken her profession in directions that have been far from ordinary. According to her bio on the GGR site, her longest solo delivery was from Portugal to South Africa, “with only a windvane as self-steering, on an old and maintenance-intensive 32-foot ferro-cement sloop.”

She has spent many seasons in Antarctica, working with Skip Novak on his Pelagic Expeditions and with National Geographic film crews. Even off the water, her life has been one of singular adventure and challenge, including, at age 22, cycling alone from Europe to South Africa, over 9,000 miles.

Neuschafer’s closest rival, Abhilash Tomy, an Indian navy commander, is about a day behind her. Another competitor, Austrian sailor Michael Guggenberger, is not expected to finish for several more days.

2022 GGR entrants to date current positions: 1. Kirsten Neuschäfer (39) / South Africa / Cape George 36 – “MINNEHAHA” 2. Abhilash Tomy (43) / India / Rustler 36 – “BAYANAT” 3. Michael Guggenberger (44) / Austria / Biscay 36 – “NURI”

2022 GGR Chichester Class: 1. Simon Curwen (63) / UK / Biscay 36 – “CLARA” 2. Jeremy Bagshaw (59) / South Africa / OE32 – “OLLEANNA”

Event details – Entry list – Tracker – Facebook

Finish times will be adjusted as race organizers have issued credit for helping with the rescue of Tapio Lehtinen: • Kirsten Neuschäfer: 35 hours + 30 litres of fuel • Abhilash Tomy: 12hrs

2022 GGR Class: 1. Kirsten Neuschäfer (39) / South Africa / Cape George 36 – “MINNEHAHA” 2. Abhilash Tomy (43) / India / Rustler 36 – “BAYANAT” 3. Michael Guggenberger (44) / Austria / Biscay 36 – “NURI”

2022 GGR Chichester Class: * 1. Simon Curwen (63) / UK / Biscay 36 – “CLARA” (will stop to repair windvane) 2. Jeremy Bagshaw (59) / South Africa / OE32 – “OLLEANNA” (stopped in Hobart to clean hull) * Competitors shift to this class by making one stop.

Retired Edward Walentynowicz (68) / Canada / Rustler 36 (dropped out, Sept. 8) Guy deBoer (66) / USA / Tashiba 36 (ran aground, Sept. 16) Mark Sinclair (63) / Australia / Lello 34 (retired in Lanzarote, Sept. 22) Pat Lawless (66) / Ireland / Saga 36 (retired in Cape Town, Nov. 9) Damien Guillou (39) / France / Rustler 36 (retired in Cape Town, Nov. 14) Ertan Beskardes (60) / UK / Rustler 36 (retired in Cape Town, Nov. 16) Tapio Lehtinen (64) / Finland / Gaia 36 Masthead sloop (sank off Cape Town, Nov. 18) Arnaud Gaist (50) / France / BARBICAN 33 MKII-long keel version (retired near Saint Helena, Dec. 9) Elliott Smith (27) / USA / Gale Force 34 (retired, Dec. 20) Guy Waites (54) / UK / Tradewind 35 (stopped in Cape Town to clean/paint hull; retired in Hobart after losing his liferaft, Feb. 10) Ian Herbert Jones (52) / UK / Tradewind 35 – “PUFFIN” (rolled/dismasted northeast of Cape Horn, April 10)

About the 2022 Golden Globe Race On September 4, 2022, the third edition of the Golden Globe Race started from Les Sables d’Olonne, France. Sixteen skippers will face eight months of isolation sailing 30,000 miles before finishing in Les Sables d’Olonne. Along the route there are several marks of the course and media requirements.

In 1968, while man was preparing to take his first steps on the moon, a mild mannered and modest young man was setting out on his own record breaking voyage of discovery. He had entered the original Golden Globe. Nine men started that first solo non-stop sailing race around the World. Only one finished. He was 29 year old Sir Robin Knox Johnston. History was made. Navigating only with a sextant, paper charts and an accurate and reliable time piece, Sir Robin navigated around the world.

In 2018, to celebrate 50 years since that first record breaking achievement, the Golden Globe Race was resurrected. It instantly gained traction with adventurers, captivated by the spirit and opportunity. Eighteen started with five finishers.

To embrace the original race, competitors must sail in production boats between 32 and 36 feet overall and designed prior to 1988 that have a full-length keel with rudder attached to their trailing edge. Additionally, sailors have limited communication equipment and can use only sextants, paper charts, wind up clocks, and cassette tapes for music.

Source: Sail Magazine, GGR

Tags: Golden Globe , Kirsten Neuschafer

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This race is a nonstop sail around the world. Cassette tapes are allowed, but no GPS

Scott Neuman

South African sailor Kirsten Neuschafer, the only woman in the 2022 Golden Globe Race. All but three of her 15 competitors in the grueling months-long competition have been forced to drop out. Aida Valceanu/GGR/2022 hide caption

South African sailor Kirsten Neuschafer, the only woman in the 2022 Golden Globe Race. All but three of her 15 competitors in the grueling months-long competition have been forced to drop out.

Somewhere in the Southern Pacific Ocean, Kirsten Neuschafer is alone on her boat, Minnehaha, as she tries to outmaneuver the latest storm to cross her path as she approaches Cape Horn.

Instead of sailing directly for the tip of South America, she's spent the past day heading north in an effort to skirt the worst of the oncoming weather. The storm is threatening wind gusts up to 55 miles per hour and seas building to 25 feet.

Her plan, she explains over a scratchy satellite phone connection, is to get away from the eye of the storm. "The closer I get to the Horn," she says, "the more serious things become, the windier it becomes."

But there's no turning back. That's because Neuschafer is battling to win what is possibly the most challenging competition the sailing world has to offer — the Golden Globe Race. Since setting off from the coast of France in September, Neuschafer, the only woman competing, has left all rivals in her wake. Of the 16 entrants who departed five months ago, only four are still in the race, and for the moment at least, she's leading.

The race is a solo, nonstop, unassisted circumnavigation, a feat first accomplished in 1969, the same year that Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin set foot on the moon. Since then, more people have traveled to space than have done what Neuschafer is hoping to accomplish.

The race is a throwback in most every way. Unlike its more famous cousin, the Vendée Globe solo nonstop race with its purpose-built vessels made for speed, Golden Globe entrants sail low-tech boats that wouldn't look out of place in any coastal marina. And they do so without modern electronic aids — no laptops or electronic charts, radar or sophisticated weather routing. To find their position at sea, participants instead rely on navigating by the sun and stars and simple speed calculations.

Racers don't do it for the money. The prize of 5,000 pounds (about $6,045) is the same as it was in the 1960s and is not even enough to cover entry fees. The real lure is the challenge.

"The single-handed aspect was the one that drew me," Neuschafer, who is from South Africa, says of her decision to enter.

"I really like the aspect of sailing by celestial navigation, sailing old school," she says, adding that she's always wanted to know "what it would have been like back then when you didn't have all the modern technology at your fingertips."

Satellite phones are allowed, but only for communication with race officials and the occasional media interview. Each boat has collision-avoidance alarms and a GPS tracker, but entrants can't view their position data. There's a separate GPS for navigation, but it's sealed and only for emergencies. Its use can lead to disqualification. Entrants are permitted to use radios to communicate with each other and with passing ships. They're allowed to briefly anchor, but not get off the boat nor have anyone aboard. And no one is allowed to give them supplies or assistance.

The race motto, "Sailing like it's 1968," alludes to the fact that it's essentially a reboot of a competition first put on that year by the British Sunday Times newspaper. In it, nine sailors started, and only one, Britain's Robin Knox-Johnston , managed to complete the first-ever nonstop, solo circumnavigation, finishing in 312 days. Despite leading at one point, French sailor Bernard Moitessier elected to abandon the race in an effort, he said, to "save my soul." Yet another, British sailor Donald Crowhurst , died by suicide after apparently stepping off his boat.

Bringing the race back in 2018 for its 50th anniversary was the brainchild of Australian sailor and adventurer Don McIntyre, who describes the competition as "an absolute extreme mind game that entails total isolation, physical effort ... skill, experience and sheer guts."

"That sets it apart from everything," he says.

For sailors, it's the Mount Everest of the sea

Neuschafer, 40, is a veteran of the stormy waters she's presently sailing, having worked as a charter skipper in Patagonia, the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and Antarctica. Although she's been around Cape Horn before, this time is different, she says.

Previously she's been around "the Horn" when she could choose the conditions. But nonstop from the Pacific, with limited weather information, "I'd say, it's a notch up on anxiety. It's almost like ... trying to reach the peak of Everest," she says.

Finnish sailor Tapio Lehtinen's boat sank in November off the southern tip of Africa. He was rescued with the help of fellow racer Kirsten Neuschafer. Aida Valceanu/GGR2022 hide caption

Finnish sailor Tapio Lehtinen's boat sank in November off the southern tip of Africa. He was rescued with the help of fellow racer Kirsten Neuschafer.

Probably the most harrowing moment so far in this year's race came in November, when Neuschafer sailed 100 miles, staying at Minnehaha's helm through the night to rescue Finland's Tapio Lehtinen — one of the finishers in the 2018 race. She plucked him from a life raft some 24 hours after his boat, Asteria, sank in the southern Indian Ocean.

For the rescue, race officials broke protocol and allowed her to use GPS and gave her a time credit on the race. "I basically sailed throughout the night and by morning I got within range of him," she says.

Spotting Lehtinen's tiny life raft amid 10-foot waves was far from easy, Neuschafer says. "He could see ... my sail [but] I couldn't see him, not for the life of me." She later managed to transfer him to a freighter.

That incident reinforced for her how things could change at any moment. In the Golden Globe, she says, "a large proponent of it is luck."

The days can be serene, but also isolating

The drama of such days at sea is offset by others spent in relative peace. A typical day, if there is such a thing, starts just before sunrise, she says, "a good time to get the time signal on the radio so that I can synchronize my watches," which she needs for accurate celestial navigation.

"Then ... I'll have a cup of coffee and a bowl of cereal, and then I'll wait for the sun to be high enough that I can take a reasonable [sextant] sight." A walk around the deck to see if anything is amiss and perhaps a bit of reading — currently it's The Bookseller of Kabul by Norwegian journalist and author Asne Seierstad — before another sight at noon to check her position.

Or perhaps some music. It's all on cassette, since competitors aren't allowed a computer of any kind. As a result, she's listening to a lot of '80s artists, "good music that I ordinarily wouldn't listen to," she says.

The isolation was more difficult for American Elliott Smith, who at 27 was the youngest entrant in this year's race. He dropped out in Australia due to rigging failure.

Elliott Smith, a 27-year-old originally from Tampa, Fla. A rigging failure forced him to quit in Australia. Simon McDonnell/FBYC hide caption

Elliott Smith, a 27-year-old originally from Tampa, Fla. A rigging failure forced him to quit in Australia.

Reached in the Australian port city of Fremantle, the surfer-turned-sailor from Florida says he doesn't entirely rule out another try at the race in four years. But for now, he's put his boat, Second Wind, up for sale. He seems circumspect about the future.

"It was really obvious that I stopped enjoying the sailing at some point," he confides about the rigors of the race. "There were moments ... where I found myself never going outside unless I had to. I was like, 'I'm just staying in the cabin. I'm just reading. I'm miserable.' "

Smith says there were days when he would see an albatross, but was too mentally exhausted to appreciate the beauty of it. "I was like, 'This is so sad, you know?' Like, I've become complacent [about] something that most people would never even try, you know?"

Neuschafer, too, has had her share of frustrations. The latest was a broken spinnaker pole, which keeps her from setting twin forward sails on the 36-foot-long Minnehaha — her preferred setup for running downwind.

She's looking forward to finishing in early spring. But first, she still has to traverse the entire Atlantic Ocean from south to north.

"I'll get off and enjoy feeling the land beneath my feet." After that, she says, "the first thing I'd like to do is eat ice cream."

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Accor ceo shares wisdom about entering america’s cup sailing race.

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On a balmy September Sunday I sat with Sébastien Bazin at Barcelona Harbor in the Catalonia region of northeastern Spain. The Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup sailing races had kicked off and he was there to watch the beginning events. Bazin has been Chairman and CEO of the Accor Group for the past 11 years, with 300,000 employees, 300 million clients and 47 brands. He spoke about why, four years ago, Accor purchased the Orient Express brand, and why it is now sponsoring the French sailing team in the Americas’ Cup. He began by telling about his life before taking his current position.

French and New Zealand race teams off the port of Barcelona, Spain

“I was an investment banker in private equity in America for seven years. Started in Los Angeles, then New York, San Francisco, back to New York, and then London.

“When you ask people about the brand Orient Express, they talk about literature, movies, Agatha Christie. The Orient Express brand is not a product. It's not a bag, watch or car. It is a feeling.

“And when you start with an experience, you usually win. Then you have to link it to products. I decided to go into three verticals. Hotels in Rome, Venice and Istanbul. The second vertical, the train. We found the original. Then, a large vessel. We are building today a 720-foot sailboat. Silenseas. It will be extraordinary.”

The Orient Express Silenseas now being constructed will become the world’s largest megayacht. It will a cost approximately a billion U.S. dollars and will be propelled by a hybrid propulsion system that will include wind—harnessed by three massive glass polyester sails on 328 foot tall masts—as well as an engine running on liquefied natural gas. It will be ready in mid 2026.

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“We begin commercializing in four months—in December. 110 guests. Only 54 cabins. We could have made 200, but I cut it by three-fourth. A luxury experience.

“My vision was very simple. We need to go to movable luxury assets. If you get rich, you don't want to go to the product, because that's a constraint. You want the product to come to you. There are only two products that can do that easily—a train or boat.”

The America’s Cup racing events now taking place off the coast of Barcelona last until October 27th and will determine which single team will face the defending champion—Emirates Team New Zealand. Eight double ‘round robin’ events conclude today, where each one of all of the six teams will have raced every other team twice, with the top four teams qualifying to move to the semi-finals.

This year the teams are Emirates Team New Zealand, Ineos Britannia (United Kingdom), Alinghi Red Bull Racing (Switzerland), Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team (Italy), NYYC American Magic (U.S.A.) and Orient Express Racing Team (France).

While we spoke, a crane behind Bazin lifted the Orient Express Racing Team AC75 class yacht and placed it in the harbor.

Accor CEO Sébastien Bazin and the Orient Express Racing Team AC75 class yacht

When Bazin politely mentioned that he needed to depart for Istanbul in seven minutes, we focused our remaining conversation on the America’s Cup race. Bazin recalled when the now Orient Express Team Leader, Stephan Kandler, phoned him.

“Stephan called me and he said, ’Sébastien, I have only 10 days to register. Otherwise, we won't be able to participate in the America's Cup.’ He then came to see me with Quentin [Quentin Delapierre—skipper of the AC75 racing monohull]. I realized that may be my opportunity to get Orient Express to shine and be visible even before I have my own product. So that three-year lag that I was facing got filled by an adventure, and probably with the elegance, charm and visibility that I wanted. You add to this the risk, audacity, performance and competitiveness. And being amongst countries that include Italy, America and Switzerland—it's probably where we belong. They know exactly what they're doing. Look at their eyes; you cannot say no.

“It's where we can showcase what the Orient Express is, what competitive sailing is, and invite a lot of our guests to come here and have a wonderful experience that money cannot buy.”

Orient Express Racing Team founders - Stephan Kandler (right) and Bruno Dubois

Bazin takes the entry of the Orient Express Racing Team into the America’s Cup seriously, but understands that skill can be eclipsed by weather. His experience in the world of wine—he formerly worked with Colony Capital when they purchased Chateau Lascombes in Margaux, Bordeaux—impacted his respect for uncontrollable vagaries.

“The greatest challenge is to mix two things that usually are not mixed together. Human capital, expertise and professionalism are dependent on mother nature and technology. A lot of what is decisive is not how you drive the boat but what you master, including technology and hydraulics. What I love so much is that it's a pretty humble exercise. You're competing against the best of the best. Don't be obnoxious, don't be arrogant. Just play your strengths. Respect the other teams.

Orient Express Racing Team AC75 class yacht racing

“Participating is really showing the best of France. The rest—if it comes—we might deserve. It might be luck. Of course, sure we fight. I just want to make sure we've done everything we could to win, but then accept that you win some races, lose some others, and the guy in front of you might be better that day. I like this notion where you don't control everything.

“I was here in early May. When the boat came out of the hangar, I cried. I didn't see a sailboat. I saw a painting. Absolutely beautiful in terms of color, design, elegance. You see the charm.

“Attending the America's Cup is a privilege. Thank God for being there and participating. It's just a chance in life. When they came to see me a year and a half ago, I said, ‘Guys, if you really have the technology, if you have the team, if you have the vision and ambition—I'll back you.’ I checked whether they had it in their eyes.”

“They had it.”

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Golden Globe Race – Tapio Lehtinen: ‘Within two minutes the water had gone from knee to waist height; I knew I had to leave the boat’

• Katy Stickland
• November 21, 2022

Golden Globe Race skipper Tapio Lehtinen gives his account of the sinking of his Gaia 36 and his rescue from the southern Indian Ocean

Tapio Lehtinen doesn’t know why his Golden Globe Race yacht, Asteria , sank in the southern Indian Ocean.

The Gaia 36 was 450 miles south east of Port Elizabeth in South Africa when she began rapidly taking on water, forcing the singlehanded sailor to abandon ship for his liferaft ; 24 hours later – on 19 November 2022 – he was rescued by fellow race skipper, Kirsten Neuschafer before being transferred to the bulk carrier Darya Gayatri. The Hong Kong-registered vessel is now on its way to Rizhao in China.

Tapio Lehtinen managed to leave Asteria for his liferaft within 5 minutes, and then watched the yacht sink. Credit: GGR 2022/Etienne Messikommer

‘Everything happened so quickly. I was sleeping in my bunk when I woke up around 0830. I woke up to a big bang. Although I was sleeping, I do react to the movement of the boat and I am 99% sure we didn’t hit anything. The bang came from the deck or inside the boat. I felt no impact. I have a safety net on top of the bunk so it took around 20 seconds to crawl out of my bunk and put my feet on the floor, and it was already knee deep in water. The water was rushing rapidly from the stern of the boat forward into the cabin,’ Lehtinen told Yachting Monthly from the bulk carrier Darya Gayatri.

The 64-year-old offshore sailor managed to grab his survival suit and his grab bag containing his communications equipment and make his way on deck.

Tapio Lehtinen’s liferaft was securely on deck when the accident happened. Credit: Nora Havel/GGR 2022

‘I realised I had to leave the boat. I grabbed my survival suit and communication grab bag and got to the deck. Once my survival suit was on, I got the liferaft in the water and then I went back to the companionway to get the other two grab bags, which had food, water and medication in them but, by then, the water was already up to deck level. Everything was floating inside and I realised I would need to dive to get my two grab bags, which I decided not to do in a sinking boat. I knew Abhilash [Tomy] and Kirsten were close to me, and I had 100% confidence and trust in Don’s [Don McIntyre – race chairman] ability to coordinate a rescue. I knew I would not spend more than a day in the raft,’ added the 64-year-old lifelong skipper.

Tapio Lehtinen had already cut the line securing the liferaft to the sinking boat and had tied a quick release knot which could be easily undone.

‘Whilst I was in the companionway, the knot opened and the raft started drifting away. It was about 2-3 metres from the boat. I made a leap from the boat to the raft and luckily I made it. Asteria took 20 minutes to fully sink. When I saw the top of the mainsail I stood up in the liferaft to make the last salute to my friend, which was a pretty emotional moment,’ said Lehtinen, who completely rebuilt the 57-year-old boat for the 2018 Golden Globe Race; he came fifth in the race, having sailed around the world in 322 days due to gooseneck barnacle growth on the boat’s hull.

Tapio Lehtinen in his survival suit. All of the skippers underwent sea survival training before the race start. Credit: Nora Havel/GGR

Lehtinen made further modifications for the 2022 race, including fitting new electrics and a Hydrovane windvane steering system, having found the Windpilot difficult to keep on course in the 2018 race, partly due to the fact it was connected to the boat’s rudder.

The Hydrovane steered with its own rudder blades, which reduced yaw, and enhanced Asteria ‘s  performance; it also meant the boat’s rudder could be used as a trim tab, improving upwind sailing performance.

‘I re-entered the race as I felt Asteria deserved another chance and I was super happy with the boat and everything was working fine; it was great to sail the boat without the problems of the first Golden Globe Race. I felt totally safe, and had 100% trust in the boat. I was so looking forward to the next 100 days ahead of me It is totally unbelievable that the boat sank on such a beautiful summer day.’

Continues below…

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Tapio Lehtinen said he had time to reflect on the loss of Asteria whilst spending 24 hours in the liferaft, and has now ‘got over the disappointment’, and that he was lucky not to need rescue in stronger winds.

He said the liferaft ‘turned out to be luxury’, and with his dry suit on underneath his survival suit, he was ‘warm and comfortable’.

‘The only thing missing in the liferaft was a Gideon’s Bible and a bathroom, other than that everything was great. I trusted I would be rescued within 24 hours. The first day was light winds and the wind started picking up through the night to a Force 4. I only had one wave break into the liferaft.’

Fellow Golden Globe Race skipper, Kirsten Neuschafer was the first to reach Tapio Lehtinen. Credit: Nora Havel/GGR 2022

Tapio Lehtinen had plenty of wildlife for company; 20 black Giant Petrel gathered around the liferaft, with the dominant bird even touching his finger with their beak.

Albatross also kept him entertained as he waited for rescue.

‘I put my head out [of the raft] and two albatross were next to each other, looking like they were kissing each other with their beaks. It was very romantic. They were there for 20 minutes. Eventually they went off and in the morning a wondering albatross also came within 1-2 m of the raft. I got to see him taking over and gliding right over me. I have never seen an albatross taking off from the water before, it was so close. It was like a jet engine. Just before Kirsten arrived, a sea turtle turned up and come next to the raft. The sea life was expectational. ‘

Tapio Lehtinen said the rescue operation was smooth, with ‘no panic’ due to the compulsory sea survival training before the race start, and the strict rules surrounding the equipment in the grab bag, which included a YB3 Tracker-Texting device, satellite phone, personal locator beacon (PLB), and GMDSS VHF.

Modifications were made to Asteria before the 2022 race, including the installation of Hydrovane windvane steering. Credit: Katy Stickland

‘It [the rescue] went like an instructional film. It was great to get onto Kirsten’s Cape George 36 cutter. First we had a big hug and then a glass of rum and we had time for a nice chat. We saw Darya Gayatri approaching. It took them around half to three-quarters-of-an-hour for the ship to turn, so its side was against the wind so Kirsten could manoeuvre the boat to the lee of the ship, which is 230m long. We couldn’t get too close as there was still a 3-5 metre swell. We got to within 30m of the ship and then they threw a line to Minnehaha, which we caught and tied it to the raft. They then pulled me in the raft alongside [the ship] next to the rope ladder and then I climbed up the ladder and then they pulled the liferaft up to the deck,’ explained Lehtinen, who gave Neuschafer his dry suit as a thank you for the rescue as she didn’t have one; he hopes it will provide her with extra protection in the Southern Ocean .

He said he ‘never imagined’ he would need to be rescued, and fellow Golden Globe Race skippers could ‘trust that whatever happens, that they are in the best possible hands’ in the event of an emergency.

Tapio Lehtinen now has a three week voyage aboard the Darya Gayatri, which is expected to dock in Rizhao, China on the 6 December 2022.

Tapio Lehtinen came 5th in the 2018 Golden Globe Race. Credit: Christophe Favreau/PPL/GGR

A veteran of the 1981-82 Whitbread Round the World Race, Lehtinen is leading his own team Tapio Lehtinen Sailing in the 2023 Ocean Globe Race (OGR), a retro Whitbread Race, to mark the 50th anniversary of the original 1973 Whitbread. Like the Golden Globe Race, the OGR is being run by Don McIntyre.

The team, made up of young Finnish sailors, will be racing on board the Swan 55 Galiana .

‘I now have time to focus on the Ocean Globe Race; it is very valuable for me, psychologically, that I have the next project in the pipeline. It makes it easier to leave the disappointment behind. I have plenty of time to walk around Darya Gayatri , which even has a gym. My aim is to walk 2km after every meal so I stay fit for the Ocean Globe Race. The crew on the ship are taking splendid care of me and I’ve had some lovely Indian meals. Life is smiling,’ added Tapio Lehtinen.

A feature on  Galiana  and Tapio Lehtinen Sailing will be published in the January 2023 issue of  Yachting Monthly , out on the 8 December 2022.

Current positions of the Golden Globe Race 2022 skippers on 21 November 2022 at 1000 UTC

Simon Curwen , (UK), Biscay 36, Clara Kirsten Neuschafer, (South Africa), Cape George 36 cutter, Minnehaha Abhilash Tomy , (India), Rustler 36, Bayanat Michael Guggenberger , (Austria), Biscay 36, Nuri Jeremy Bagshaw, (South Africa), OE32, Olleanna Elliot Smith ,  (USA), Gale Force 34, Second Wind Ian Herbert-Jones (UK), Tradewind 35, Puffin Arnaud Gaist , (France), Barbican 33 Mk 2, Hermes Phoning Guy Waites (UK), Tradewind 35, Sagarmatha

Edward Walentynowicz , (Canada), Rustler 36, Noah’s Jest Guy deBoer , (USA), Tashiba 36, Spirit Mark Sinclair (Australia), Lello 34, Coconut Pat Lawless , (Ireland), Saltram Saga 36 , Green Rebel Damien Guillou , (France), Rustler 36, PRB Ertan Beskardes , (UK), Rustler 36, Lazy Otter Tapio Lehtinen, (Finland), Gaia 36, Asteria

Enjoyed reading Golden Globe Race – Tapio Lehtinen: ‘Within two minutes the water had gone from knee to waist height; I knew I had to leave the boat’?

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Latest News: 2026 Golden Globe Race – Two years to go!

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2026 Golden Globe Race – Two years to go!

Nothing compares to the GGR – 29 entrants signed up and the countdown begins.

• 29 sailors from 12 countries, including two women and the first Generation Z entrant, have signed up for the unique and gruelling Golden Globe Race (GGR).
• The Golden Globe Race, which began in 1968, was the first solo, non-stop voyage around the world. It remains a race that truly defines the meaning of being “unassisted.”
• Organisers are seeking a title naming partner to secure the Golden Globe Race’s long-term future beyond 2030.

The countdown has started for the fourth edition of the Golden Globe Race, set to commence on September 6, 2026. With just two years remaining, 29 passionate sailors from 12 countries, including two women and the race’s first Generation Z entrant, have signed up for this unique and gruelling challenge. Only one provisional entry remains before a waitlist is initiated.

The Golden Globe Race, which began in 1968 as the first solo, non-stop around-the-world sailing race, remains a defining event in the sport, epitomizing the essence of an “unassisted” voyage. The race organisers are currently seeking a title naming partner to ensure the event’s future beyond 2030.

The first Golden Globe Race saw nine sailors set sail on a daunting solo non-stop journey around the world, unsure if it was even possible. After 312 gruelling days, only one sailor returned: 29-year-old Robin Knox-Johnston , aboard the weather-beaten 32-foot Suhaili . Knox-Johnston , an exceptional sailor, accomplished what many considered impossible, thus beginning the legend of the Golden Globe Race — one sailor facing the near-impossible alone.

Today, there are ten around-the-world yacht races, but the Golden Globe Race stands out. It is not about speed, technology, fame, or fortune. Instead, it is about the fundamental human drive to push oneself toward an impossible dream. It’s about a single sailor in a simple, practical, affordable, and sustainable yacht, completely disconnected from the world, navigating alone for around nine months. This is the essence of the GGR.

The GGR is a game that does not come any harder. Only the toughest and smartest prevail. The challenge has proven to be soul destroying at the same time as hugely uplifting. Entrants are volunteers in this game of chance and skill against the elements. The voyage is epic, long and lonely. It is about finishing at all costs, yet history suggests only 20% will. Those that don’t finish are stand apart winners for trying. The other events stake their claim to fame in various ways, but there truly is nothing on the planet as mentally demanding and personally challenging as the GGR. 58 years of history rides with them around the world and once again in 2026, the world will be watching these extraordinary men and women!  

The second 50th Anniversary edition of the GGR, which sailed from Les Sables d’Olonne, France , in 2018, was won by Frenchman Jean-Luc Van Den Heede . In 2022, the third edition saw South African woman Kirsten Neuschäfer become the first woman to win, earning massive international recognition. The final media valuation for the 2022 GGR was €213 million, thanks in part to strong support from host port and logistics partner Les Sables d’Olonne .

Looking ahead to 2026, the organisers are searching for a naming rights partner to secure the GGR’s long-term future and are exploring potential host ports for a SITraN prologue race to the start. In 2022, the prologue was held in Gijón, Spain. Founder and Organiser Don McIntyre highlights the race’s global appeal:

The Golden Globe has significant brand recall worldwide, establishing itself as a major global event that generates compelling human stories. These stories resonate not just with sailors but also with non-sailors and families. For a title partner, the GGR offers unique raw material centred around strong individual characters on a grand journey that begins now and spans nearly four years. This journey promises an extraordinary return on investment at a fraction of the media valuation. We are waiting for your call.

Spotlight on Entrants: A New Generation of Sailors

Nineteen-year-old Frenchman Louis Kerdelhué has purchased the Biscay 36 NURI , the yacht that Michael Guggenberger sailed to third place in the 2022 GGR. He will be the first Generation Z sailor to cross the 2026 start line at the age of 21. Inspired by the 2022 edition, Louis decided to join the GGR despite his limited ocean sailing experience. He has since passed his YachtMaster Offshore exam and is eager to face the challenges ahead, stating:

When I first heard about the GGR, I read all the books — Robin Knox-Johnston ‘s A World of My Own , Jesse Martin ‘s Lionheart , Robin Lee Graham ‘s Dove , Bernard Moitessier ’s The Long Route — and it solidified my decision. While I dread the doldrums, I look forward to the storms and wilderness of the Southern Ocean. It’s incredibly exciting!

Mathys Delmere , 26, also from France, recently sailed around Cape Horn and has entered the GGR. With a lifelong passion for the sea, Mathys has sailed on old Breton ships and participated in offshore races, including the 2023 Ocean Globe Race. Reflecting on his decision, Mathys says:

These OGR stages were incredible, and the human adventure on board was extraordinary, reinforcing my desire to participate in the GGR. It embodies the essence of being a sailor: feeling alive and interpreting the elements. I am now finishing my officer training, looking for partners, and planning the refit of Petrel . The race has already begun, and my journey to become a sailor continues.

Joel Harkimo , 36, from Finland, will sail the Rustler 36 One and All , which Uku Randmaa sailed to third place in the 2018 GGR. Joel , who began sailing in his youth and has extensive ocean experience, is following in his father’s footsteps. Joel says:

Since I was young, I dreamed of following in my father’s footsteps. He sailed around the world three times, and now it feels right for me to take this step. This race is the perfect challenge for me, blending adventure and tradition. While the rough conditions and loneliness will be tough, they are a part of achieving this dream.

For 63-year-old Australian sailor Mike Smith , the 2026 GGR will be his third attempt, and he is determined to make it. Building his own boat, a Suhaili replica, Mike reflects on his motivations:

I can be stubborn and enjoy challenging myself, taking calculated risks to achieve personal satisfaction. The GGR will expose me to the raw power of the ocean and wind, and I have no aspirations for podium glory. My goal is to complete the race and keep my feet firmly on the ground.

All 29 entrants have compelling backstories, and their journeys will undoubtedly captivate the world. Check out on our website here .

Don McIntyre GGR Chairman and Founder

Don McIntyre is the founder and underwriter of the goldengloberace.com the oceangloberace.com and the minigloberace.com . Follow him at mcintyreadventure.com .

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