Golden Globe leader around Cape Horn

(February 16, 2023) – The Golden Globe Race is a human adventure of months alone struggling to get back to finish in Les Sables d’Olonne, France where it all began, and day 164 was a big one.

While Kirsten Neuschäfer (RSA) was flying around Cape Horn, just 300 miles north Abhilash Tomy (IND) was struggling in heavy weather on a dangerous lee shore, with the tiller lashed and a broken windvane unable to tack to safety. Meanwhile Michael Guggenberger (AUT) was 1000 miles to the Northwest and sailing down to Cape Horn in near perfect weather that may hold for some time.

It’s been an eventful month of February for Neuschäfer, rounding Cape Horn yesterday at 2020 UTC. She moved to first place after 150 days of racing and since had to face two storms, breaking a spinnaker pole and taking down her massive twin sail on the Cape George 36 Minnehaha.

With over 240,000 miles sailing experience, she knows this area well as a commercial skipper to Antarctica, but this is the first time she crosses the Pacific solo to get around. The famous rock was surrounded by squalls that forced her to make continuous adjustments, poling the Yankee and reducing sails when necessary. Despite all the action, she could hardly speak during her safety call because of the cold shortly before rounding.

“It feels good to be that close, it’s been very rewarding to spot the Diego Ramirez islands,” she said. “I was hoping to see the lighthouse but saw the land when the twilight came. This was really nice and felt really special. I’m looking forward to rounding the Cape, Staten Island, and the Falklands, back into the open ocean.”

In the past days heading to the Horn, the GGR 2018 veteran Tomy was more exposed to the wind and waves, describing the conditions as 60 knots sustained with occasional lulls in the 40s. His Rustler 36 Bayanat had suffered some damage but the needed repairs amid the strong weather, while waiting for the right conditions to climb the mast, meant he had sailed further east than planned and was getting close to the coast of Chile, a dangerous lee shore.

At the worst possible time while pressing toward the coast, he rang GGR control yesterday at 0852 UTC to advise his Wind Pilot wind vane pendulum rudder failed again. He had lashed the tiller and was considering all options, as he was unable to sail away from the coast and his current course was intersecting with it in about 10 hours. However, the wind was expected to drop before then.

Tomy has been facing wind vane issues since the Atlantic many months ago, and had used all his spare pendulum blades. He had been making spare blades by cutting up Bayanat’s chart table which is now gone. He first has to stay away from the lee shore, with the assistance of the Race Office providing him with his position, weather, and sea state information. He was unsure if he would be able to continue racing without a wind vane, or have to stop for spares, continuing his round the world journey in Chichester Class (for competitors that make one stop).

But many hours later, he called to report that he was able to cut a blade from the boat’s main emergency rudder, after a first try with the toilet door proved to be too weak. He hoped it would last at least a few days. He further reported that he hit his head in the tough conditions but was okay. Today at 0000 UTC, he finally tacked away just 11 miles off the coast of Chile with 250 miles to Cape Horn.

“One of the biggest challenges of the GGR is getting the planning right,” noted Don McIntyre, GGR Founder and Chairman. “That includes so many issues including the choice of equipment, the amount of spares to take, etc and that is way before the preparation which in itself is also critically important.

“Wind Vanes are one of the most important when you are on such a demanding adventure. The 2018 GGR was an epic story. The 2022 GGR is shaping up as an amazing story with so many unexpected twists and turns. Who will be the first home and how many will make it? Real adventures always have an unknown outcome!“

Guggenberger is now only 1100 miles from Cape Horn in a strong position. He continues to ride nothing but favorable weather all the way across the Pacific which looks likely to continue for the next week.

Equally for Ian Herbert Jones (GBR), who has been working hard all week with a high-pressure system that hampered his progress east, is also facing some issues, notably the lack of drinking water on board after his fresh water tanks got fouled. He still has about 3400 nm to Cape Horn and is a little apprehensive about the challenge ahead. He knows he is late in the season being the last in the fleet. His ETA at the horn is late March.

For the Chichester Class entrants, progress is not going exactly as the weather gods had planned. Jeremy Bagshaw (RSA) had to climb all the way up to 43° to keep moving only to be swallowed by the same high pressure as Jones. Both skippers will have NW to WNW winds for the rest of the week, pushing them in the right direction at last, albeit in confused seas for the next few days.

Simon Curwen (GBR), the British sailor who led the GGR for 150 days before a detour of a thousand miles to Chile to repair his broken Hydrovane moved him to Chichester Class, has completed his long list of little jobs, and was able to leave Puerto Montt on February 13. But after breaking out from the fiords, he found himself unable to progress towards Cape Horn.

The strong 30 knot southwesterlies were only allowing him to sail NW away from the Horn with negative VMG, or leading him back towards the coast. He needed to seek refuge and called the Race Office which provided him with options, and Curwen decided to moor on a buoy in a sheltered bay south of Chiloé Island where he is waiting for the southerlies to decrease before starting again tomorrow. He is less than a thousand miles from Cape Horn, but on the other side of the high pressure, meaning he may have to tack his way south.

Event details – Entry list – Tracker – Facebook

Credit for helping with 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
2. Abhilash Tomy (43) / India / Rustler 36
3. Michael Guggenberger (44) / Austria / Biscay 36
4. Ian Herbert Jones (52) / UK / Tradewind 35

2022 GGR Chichester Class:*
1. Simon Curwen (63) / UK / Biscay 36 (will stop to repair windvane)
2. Jeremy Bagshaw (59) / South Africa / OE32 (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)

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: GGR