solo round the world yacht race 2022

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Solo Act: Kirsten Neuschäfer Wins the Golden Globe Race

• By Theresa Nicholson
• September 11, 2023

When Kirsten Neuschäfer decided to compete in the 2022-23 Golden Globe Race, she searched for a fast, safe and stable boat. She studied designs with a good ballast-to-weight ratio, and sought out a hull and rig that could withstand a hard beat to windward. 

She found Minnehaha in Newfoundland and knew that the tough, sturdy Cape George 36 was the one. The quick cutter with a generous sail plan met all of the official requirements—a production boat with a full keel, less than 36 feet long, designed before 1988—and a few requirements she had set for herself. 

“I wanted a super-secure boat for the Southern Ocean, which was fast as well,” Neuschäfer says. “ Minnehaha suffers a little in light airs, but I knew I had a good chance of surviving. It was clear to me that the GGR was a bit of a race of attrition.”

Her instincts, along with detailed preparation, hard work and a bit of luck, served her well. Eight months after 16 skippers set out from the west coast of France to race solo 30,000 miles eastbound around a Southern Ocean course, Neuschäfer and Minnehaha caught one last whisper of wind off Les Sables d’Olonne, ghosted over the line, and sailed into history.

“I didn’t actually know that I’d won until the boats came out to meet me,” the South African sailor said of her historic finish. “I knew I was very close to Abhilash, so I was pushing hard. I knew we were very close.”

Indian skipper Abhilash Tomy battled the same light airs that Neuschäfer faced near the end of the race and arrived a day after, taking second place. Austrian Michael Guggenberger finished third, as the final skipper to complete the race in the racing class.

The Golden Globe Race is a nonstop, solo, unassisted round-the-world race with the start and finish line in Les Sables d’Olonne. Competitors are required to sail small boats using paper charts, VHF radio, sextants and celestial navigation. No modern weather-routing software is allowed, nor satellite communication, electronic instruments and autopilots. 

The route takes the sailors south through the Atlantic before heading east to Cape Town, South Africa, and around the Cape of Good Hope. After crossing the Indian Ocean and keeping Tasmania to port, sailors traverse the storm-plagued Southern Ocean and round Cape Horn. The ­final stretch leads north through the Atlantic and back to Les Sables d’Olonne.

Of the 16 skippers who started the 2022-23 race, 11 retired and two others made a single stop, moving them out of competition and into the Chichester Class. Neuschäfer’s victory made her one of only three people to win the race—and the first woman ever to win a solo circumnavigation yacht race.

“ Minnehaha suffers in light airs, but I knew I had a good chance of surviving. The GGR is a race of attrition.”

The race is based on the 1968-69 Sunday Times Golden Globe Race, won by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston aboard his 32-foot Bermudan ketch, Suhaili . Knox-Johnston was the only skipper to finish; in doing so, he became the first person to solo-circumnavigate the globe nonstop. Nine others retired, one was dismasted, and one committed suicide. The race was run once more in 2018, on the 50th anniversary of the original race. Eighteen sailors set out, and five ­finished. French sailor Jean-Luc Van Den Heede won the 2018 edition. 

More people have gone into space than have sailed singlehanded around the world. The small nature of the club means that the sailors, while competing, still look out for one another’s health and safety.

During the first dash south down the Atlantic in the 2022-23 race, Neuschäfer relayed to the race committee the VHF-radio mayday call of fellow sailor Guy DeBoer, who’d hit rocks near the Canary Islands. After a night spent grinding over the rocks, DeBoer abandoned his boat the next morning with the help of a local rescue team.

Two months later, 450 miles southeast of Port Elizabeth, South Africa, Tapio Lehtinen’s Gaia 36, Asteria , flooded after taking on water from astern, and sank in less than 20 minutes. Lehtinen had just enough time to activate his EPIRB, put on his survival suit, and swim to his drifting life raft. “I gave Asteria a last standing salute as she went down,” the Finnish skipper said. Neuschäfer, the closet sailor to his position, altered course and hand-steered through the night to assist in his rescue. 

“The emergency handheld GPS showed Tapio’s coordinates,” Neuschäfer says. “I followed the track, but it was very difficult to spot a small, orange life raft. I was able to reach him on the VHF, but the early morning light was behind him, and I couldn’t see him. He fired off a flare, and I approached him on a beam reach. He’d been waiting 24 hours and was ready. He threw me a line, and I caught it on the first try, pulled him in, tied the life raft to Minnehaha , and helped him aboard.”

The two sailors shared a glass of rum. An hour later, Neuschäfer managed Lehtinen’s dangerous transfer from Minnehaha to bulk carrier Darya Gayatri , a freighter that had responded to the emergency call as well. “When I saw he was on board, I was just relieved for him,” she says.

Neuschäfer’s own heavy-weather plan focused on mitigating risks and staying true to strategies she’d set. When a low-pressure system approached on her way south to Cape Horn, she set a warp off her stern and held on for 12 hours until the storm blew over. In strong winds north of the Falklands, she hove-to, knowing that beating to windward in the extreme conditions risked damage to her boat. 

By this time in her life, she was no stranger to adventure. Neuschäfer’s early years had led her from South Africa to a set of jobs in Europe, followed by a solo trans-Africa biking trip, where she pedaled the continent north to south in her 20s. Her later experience working for Skip Novak on his Pelagic Expeditions exposed her to the wind and weather systems of the Antarctic Peninsula, Patagonia and the Falklands, and built her familiarity with the Southern Ocean.

“You need a great deal of self-sufficiency on these expeditions,” she says. “You need to know which tools and spares to bring. You need to be able to do all kinds of troubleshooting, refit the boats, change out a propeller, or fix a rig under difficult weather conditions.”

Neuschäfer had also done several long-distance ­deliveries, including taking a Leopard catamaran from the South Africa factory to Australia, and completing a singlehanded delivery from Portugal to South Africa on what she calls a labor-intensive boat. “This, that and the next thing needed to be done, and I discovered that I can solve problems out at sea,” she says.

As she followed the 2018 Golden Globe Race, she liked its spirit of adventure. “There are a lot of reasons to decide not to do something,” she says. “Having succeeded and followed my heart in other decisions, I knew that the GGR was something I should do.”

Her plans were nearly derailed early when she left her boat in Newfoundland and flew to South Africa, and then COVID-19 restrictions kept her from returning to Canada. She was eventually able to get back to Newfoundland and sail to Prince Edward Island, where she spent a year preparing for the race. She fell in love with the people there and made lifelong friends. Several were present at the Golden Globe Race finish line in Les Sables d’Olonne.

For her part, Neuschäfer makes light of the fact that the race dubbed a “Voyage for Madmen” was won by a woman. “I entered as a sailor,” she says. “I competed as a sailor and won as a sailor. On the same token, it’s a male-dominated race. If what I did inspires someone, then good will come of it, and I’m happy for that.”

Neuschäfer clearly has inspired the sailing world. On the final night of her race, as Minnehaha made its way up Les Sables d’Olonne channel, thousands of supporters lined the harbor walls, cheering and waving flares. Neuschäfer’s smile lit up the night. When she reached the dock, a friend handed her a bottle of champagne, which she sprayed into the air. Dressed in her sailing bibs and bare feet, she stepped off her boat and onto dry land for the first time in 235 days, and hugged her mother. 

Theresa Nicholson is CW ’s senior editor.

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South African sailor wins solo round-the-world race in P.E.I.-refitted boat

Kirsten neuschäfer crossed finish line in france with islanders watching from afar.

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Kirsten Neuschäfer, the South African sailor who had her fibreglass boat rebuilt in Prince Edward Island two years ago, has sailed it to victory in the 2022 Golden Globe Race, making her the first woman to win a solo around-the-world event.

After 235 days at sea, Thursday saw her hit the shore of Les Sables d'Olonne, France, the start and finish port for the competition.

Neuschäfer began competing last September aboard her 36-foot Minnehaha, which she had spent months refurbishing at harbour in Summerside with the help of Island contractors and suppliers.

On Thursday night, a couple of dozen Islanders gathered in Summerside to watch her win.

• How a sailor is getting ready to go it alone, around the world, with help from P.E.I.

Among them was P.E.I. musician Lennie Gallant, who met and became friends with the South African sailor after she arrived on the Island. He wrote a song titled On the Minnehaha , dedicated to her and her boat.

"When she crossed the finish line, the place erupted and we had champagne, and we were all so excited," Gallant said.

"I believe — and a lot of people believe — a big reason that she won was all the work that people put into that boat."

• LISTEN | Lennie Gallant's On the Minnehaha:

At a press conference Thursday in Les Sables d'Olonne, Neuschäfer thanked those who helped get the Minnehaha ready for the race, particularly local carpenter and mechanic Eddie Arsenault in the P.E.I. community of Baltic.

"I learned a lot from Eddie because he taught me a lot. He taught me how to fix things," she told reporters. "Without him, … the boat wouldn't have been what it is."

CBC News reached out to Neuschäfer's team, but was unable to get an interview due to the large number of media requests she's receiving at the moment.

Darren Cousins is seeing first-hand how the sailor has been overwhelmed by attention since she won the race. Cousins, who runs Twin Shores Campground with his wife Susan Cousins in Darnley, P.E.I., is in Les Sables d'Olonne and was among those watching her cross the finish line yesterday.

<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GGR2022?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GGR2022</a> Kirsten Neuschäfer (39) - "MINNEHAHA" officially became the first woman to win a round the world race by the three great capes, including solo &amp; fully crewed races, non-stop or with stops, &amp; the first South African sailor to win a round-the-world event! BRAVO <a href="https://t.co/o2ZFajQSoX">pic.twitter.com/o2ZFajQSoX</a> &mdash; @ggr2022

Back in 2021, he offered Neuschäfer a space to refit her boat. She soon became friends with the family, having meals together most days. Towards the end of her time on the Island, she was staying in the family's spare room.

"She's basically become our adopted daughter over all this time span," Susan Cousins told CBC's Maritime Noon on Friday. "She's a part of the family for sure."

Cousins was at the news conference when Neuschäfer told reporters about coming back to the Island at some point.

"She's on record … saying that it's very important to come back to P.E.I. to see her P.E.I.family," he said.

This version of the Golden Globe Race was first held in 2018. It's a retro event meant to mimic the original 1968 race by the same name.

The non-stop race prohibits the use of GPS, cellphones or any automatic identification systems. (They are allowed a satellite phone for safety reasons.) Sailors rely on traditional navigational tools — charts and sextant — to find their way.

• South African sailor on P.E.I. prepares for race around the world
• Sailor who spent time prepping boat on P.E.I. makes at-sea rescue

The race started out last fall with 16 skippers, but when Neuschäfer was close to the finish line, she was among the three sailors still remaining in competition. Behind her were India's Abhilash Tomy and Austria's Michael Guggenberger.

At one point during the race, Neuschäfer made a heroic at-sea rescue . In November, she deviated from her course to save Finnish competitor Tapio Lehtinen, whose boat was sinking due to high waves in the Indian Ocean.

Because the detour was for the purposing of helping another sailor, the incident gave Neuschäfer some bonus hours that could have guaranteed her first place even if she were not first to cross the finish line in France. 

With files from Island Morning

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Kirsten Neuschäfer Wins 2022 Golden Globe — First Woman to Win a Solo Round the World Race

The race is based on the 1968-69 Sunday Times Golden Globe Race which saw Sir Robin Knox-Johnston become the first person to circumnavigate the globe, sailing solo on his boat Suhaili without stopping.

Sailors in the race sail solo, non-stop, in yachts designed before 1988 without electronic instruments or autopilots.

As one of 16 competitors to start the race, Neuschäfer was the only female. By the time she crossed the finish line, only two other sailors were on course to complete the race without stopping. 

Neuschäfer had no idea she was leading throughout much of the race.  She was tired but jubilant as she celebrated a hard-fought victory. Once crossing the finish line, her Cape George 36 cutter, Minnehaha was towed up the channel to the pontoon as thousands of people cheered and applauded her incredible achievement.

“I feel very emotional and honored,” said Neuschäfer after finishing the race. “I am never going to forget the welcome. I want to thank my fellow skippers as without them, there would have been no race.”

Kirsten Neuschäfer wins the Golden Globe Race 2022

Kirsten Neuschäfer Wins 2022 Golden Globe — First Woman to Win a Solo Round the World Race — 4 Comments

Pingback: Kirsten Neuschäfer Wins 2022 Golden Globe — First Woman to Win a Solo Round the World Race - Walrus Neat

No mention of her also diverting to rescue the Finnish competitor from his liferaft east of the Cape of Good Hope. She deserves extra praise for that!

See – https://www.facebook.com/cruisingworld/photos/a.456212112781/10163060569722782/

She has also been awarded the CCA Rod Stephens award for exemplary seamanship…

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Golden Globe Race 2022 Day 237: Abhilash Tomy's Remarkable Comeback

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Golden Globe: Kirsten Neuschäfer becomes first woman to win solo round the world race

• Helen Fretter
• April 27, 2023

Kirsten Neuschäfer has become the first woman ever to win a solo around the world race, finishing first in the Golden Globe Race, having successfully rescued a fellow competitor from his liferaft on the way.

South African solo skipper Kirsten Neuschäfer has won the Golden Globe Race , crossing the finish line off Les Sables d’Olonne at around 2100hrs today after 235 days of racing. In doing so Neuschäfer has become the first woman ever to win a solo around the world race, and she does so having successfully rescued a fellow competitor from his liferaft off South Africa.

She drifted over the line in zephyr light winds this evening in the evening light, having contended with racing through the Southern Ocean, around the three Great Capes, in her Cape George 36, Minnehaha , with huge spectator fleet welcoming her.

“This is amazing, it’s a once in a lifetime experience,” she said on the dock.

“I didn’t know if I’d win it. I was convinced I’d finish it, but after the Doldrums I thought that’s finished [the chance of winning] for me. I was quite overwhelmed [to learn I’d won] I thought I was going to come in 3rd after Simon [Curwen] and Abhilash [Tomy].”

On being the first woman ever to win a solo around the world race, she said: “I’m very happy, but I entered as a sailor and being a woman is just secondary.”

Kirsten Neuschäfer on her Cape George 36 Minnehaha” Credit: Kirsten Neuschäfer / GGR2022

Neuschäfer went into the race as one of the hotly tipped skippers to watch, and has either held – or duelled for – the lead since Simon Curwen pulled into Chile in late January.

Her nearest competitor, Abhilash Tomy, is some 100 miles behind her, the pair having raced up the Atlantic in a remarkably close match – all the more remarkable given that neither knew each other’s position. In fact, until she saw the large spectator fleet welcoming her outside Les Sables d’Olonne, Neuschäfer did not even know she was in the lead.

Neuschäfer is one of just three skippers racing around the world solo, two more – including Simon Curwen, who crossed the line earlier today – were in ‘Chichester ‘ division (named after Sir Francis Chichester’s 1966-67 solo circumnavigation which included a stopover in Sydney).

Before entering the Golden Globe Race, Neuschäfer worked for legendary skipper Skip Novak , both crewing and skippering his expedition yachts in high latitudes. This gave her invaluable experience of sailing in the deepest Southern Oceans.

Kirsten Neuschäfer arriving in Les Sables d’Olonne as winner of the Golden Globe Race 2022/23. Photo: GGR2022

Her preparation for the race was complicated by covid lockdown, and having bought her 1988 Cape George cutter in Newfoundland she spent a winter in Prince Edward Island near Nova Scotia putting the boat through a thorough refit. 

She then delivered it solo home to Cape Town, practising her celestial navigation on the way, and then to France. Once gathered alongside the other Golden Globe Race competitors, Minnehaha quickly proved itself as one of the fastest boats in the fleet.

While Simon Curwen stole an early lead on the fleet, Neuschäfer, along with Tomy and Finnish skipper Tapio Lehtinen became a pack of three as they entered the Southern Indian Ocean. Then, on November 19, Lehtinen notified race control that his boat had suddenly sunk, and he was in a liferaft. Race organisers raised the alarm with fellow competitors and Kirsten Neuschafer, then in 3rd place, was nearest, around 105 miles south-west.

Neuschäfer made best speed to Lehtinen’s last known position, hand-steering through the night, and 24 hours after he abandoned ship Minnehaha arrived at his position. She executed a textbook solo recovery, 

Lehtinen described the manoeuvre: “She furled in the genoa, lowered the main, started the engine and approached the raft to windward of me so I could throw the throwing line to her, which she put around a winch and pulled me alongside.

“I was able to climb onboard Minnehaha with her help. It was great!”

Fellow Golden Globe Race skipper Kirsten Neuschafer was the first on the scene, rescuing Tapio Lehtinen from his liferaft before he was transferred to the Darya Gayatri. Credit: Anglo Eastern

The pair shared a hug, chocolate and a tot of rum, meanwhile a bulk carrier, the Darya Gayatri approached. Neuschäfer then manoeuvred Minnehaha into the lee of the carrier ship – an incredibly skilful piece of positioning with the ever present risk of clattering her own rig into the ship’s high sides. Once throwing lines were secured, Lehtinen got back into the liferaft and transferred to the ship. Neuschäfer continued on with her race. She was awarded 35 hours of redress for the rescue. 

The remainder of Neuschäfer’s race was not without drama – damage to her spinnaker pole meant she was limited in her headsail selection, and with very limited weather data she had a grindingly slow passage north through the Atlantic. 

However, her win today makes history as the first female skipper ever to win a solo round the world race. Women have won in crewed around the world races – in the last edition of the Volvo Ocean Race, two female crew, Caroline Brouwer and Marie Riou were part of the winning Dongfeng Race Team. In the 2017/18 Clipper Round the World Race Wendy Tuck skippered the winning boat, while Nikki Henderson skippered the boat in 2nd.

Most famously, Ellen MacArthur set a solo non-stop around the world record in 2004, having finished 2nd in 2000/01 Vendée Globe – a finish place yet to be matched by another female skipper. Clarisse Cremer currently holds the record for the fastest solo non-stop around the world time for a female sailor, completing the last Vendée Globe in 87 days, 2 hours and 24 minutes. But none have won a solo around the world race.

Neuschaffer’s time may be considerably slower, but the Golden Globe Race is inarguably one of the toughest sporting events in existence and the skill she demonstrated throughout places her name firmly alongside the greats of ocean racing.

Neuschafer was greeted by Catherine Chabaud, the first female sailor to race solo non stop around the world without assistance. Credit: GGR2022

As Samantha Davies, Vendée Globe and Ocean Race sailor posted: “This is just amazing! So happy to have followed this crazy race and see an incredibly talented female skipper come in to win overall, with a 24h time bonus for having saved a fellow competitor during the race. Just incredible seamanship! I am in awe.”

Yachting Monthly

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Jeremy Bagshaw: the final finisher in the 2022 Golden Globe Race

• Katy Stickland
• June 9, 2023

South African skipper Jeremy Bagshaw has finished the 2022 Golden Globe Race after weeks of punishing north-easterly winds and a broken forestay left him crawling towards the finish line

Jeremy Bagshaw is the fifth finisher in the 2022 Golden Globe Race. He ran out of food the day before he crossed the line. Credit: Ville des Sables d'Olonne Credit: Ville des Sables d'Olonne

Jeremy Bagshaw endured plenty of unfavourable weather in the 2022 Golden Globe Race.

Not only has he sailed through more storms than any other entrant, but weeks of north-easterly headwinds winds coupled with the failure of a forestay at the bow chain plate when sailing back up the Bay of Biscay meant he had a painfully slow run into Les Sables d’Olonne.

Just days before crossing the finish line, he tweeted: “Today is the 18th consecutive day of sailing close-hauled! #sailingwith frustration. But it’s better than no wind at all.”

Although there was evidence that the South African skipper’s humour was still intact! “Time seems to slow nearer the finish, like on Xmas eve when we were kids!”

Olleanna is a long keeled OE32, and was the smallest boat in the 2022 Golden Globe Race fleet. Credit: D&JJ/GGR 2022

And his determination has certainly paid off.  Jeremy Bagshaw finished the Golden Globe Race at 1633 UTC on 9 June, having spent 277 days at sea aboard his OE32, Olleanna .

One compensation for his slow finish is that his solo circumnavigation around the world was faster than Sir Robin Knox-Johnston’s 312 days in the original Golden Globe Race .

But unlike Sir Robin, his race was made with one stop, which put him in the Golden Globe Race’s Chichester Class.

Fellow Chichester Class entrant, Simon Curwen was the first to cross the line in the race, hours ahead of  the 2022 Golden Globe Race winner Kirsten Neuschafer .

Second placed Abhilash Tomy arrived less than 48 hours later, followed on 12 May by third place Michael Guggenberger .

Jeremy Bagshaw campaigned in the race aboard the OE32, Olleanna , which was the smallest boat in the 2022 Golden Globe Race fleet.

The vessel had previously been raced by Norwegian Are Wiig in the 2018 race before it was dismasted in the South Atlantic. Wiig built a jury rig and sailed the boat 400 miles to Cape Town.

Olleanna has a tiller comb, allowing Jeremy Bagshaw to step away from the tiller. Credit: Katy Stickland

Bagshaw bought the long keel double ender and spent months refitting Olleanna , including installing a new Sparcraft mast, which had additional reinforcing and strengthening, oversize cockpit drains and reinforced points for clipping on.

He would later be thankful for these alterations, given the number of storms he sailed through during the race.

The worse was a Force 10 storm at 36° south just off the Brazilian coast while he was making his way back up the Atlantic .

Jeremy Bagshaw chose to sail under bare poles during heavy weather , rather than deploy warps or a drogue, letting his Wind Pilot windvane steering ‘do the driving’.

A competitive racing sailor, he pushed towards the front half of the fleet on leaving Biscay at the start before dropping back slightly; he was the 10th entrant through the Lanzarote gate.

Jeremy Bagshaw carried out a lot of the work himself to prepare Olleanna for the 2022 Golden Globe Race. Credit: Macmedia2021/ Simon McDonnell

But he was soon fighting towards the front, moving up to 6th place having taken a western route around the Cape Verde islands.

However, from here Olleanna ‘s progress slowed considerably; 2cm-long gooseneck barnacles now covered 70% of the hull.

Jeremy Bagshaw had painted his hull with Coppercoat antifouling ahead of the race. He managed to clear the barnacles from the hull but they were to return again and again.

He was the 8th skipper through the Cape Town gate, before he moored at Simon’s Town in False Bay to remove the crustaceans. Under race rules, competitors are allowed to moor or  anchor  if needed, but are not allowed to receive any outside physical assistance.

At the time, he feared the barnacles would return, telling Yachting Monthly that he would be ‘devastated’ if they did.

Jeremy Bagshaw believes he first picked up the gooseneck barnacles in the Cape Verdes. Despite cleaning them off, they returned which meant Olleanna had to be hauled out in Hobart. Credit: D&JJ/GGR 2022

He believed he picked up the crustaceans while sailing through the Cape Verdes.

‘I was absolutely mortified by the coverage, and the extent and the depth of barnacles,’ he said.

And return they did.

By the time Jeremy Bagshaw reached Hobart, he had no option but to haul out Olleanna ; he did not have enough food or water onboard to continue sailing in the race at such slow speeds.

This put him in the Chichester Class for entrants who make one stop in the 2022 Golden Globe Race.

Continues below…

Kirsten Neuschafer wins 2022 Golden Globe Race and makes history

Kirsten Neuschafer has become the first woman to win a solo, round the world yacht race after winning the 2022…

Abhilash Tomy takes second place in the 2022 Golden Globe Race

Abhilash Tomy has come second in the 2022 Golden Globe Race, after battling equipment failure in the latter half of…

Michael Guggenberger is third in the 2022 Golden Globe Race

Austrian skipper Michael Guggenberger has come third in the 2022 Golden Globe Race, having been one of the most prepared…

Jeremy Bagshaw: Golden Globe Race 2022 skipper

A life long sailor, Jeremy Bagshaw has spent much of his time sailing and racing double handed. He shares how…

With the Coppercoat antifoul abraided, and fresh supples onboard, Jeremy Bagshaw resumed racing, determined to complete a solo circumnavigation of the world.

Olleanna was also performing ‘better than ever’, with the boat reaching speeds of 8-10 knots in favourable wind.

Despite several Pacific storms – one which ripped away the boat’s sprayhood during a knockdown – Jeremy Bagshaw rounded Cape Horn on 15 March 2023, the 5th of the race skippers to sail pass the milestone.

Jeremy Bagshaw strengthened the mast of Olleanna ahead of the start. Credit: Simon McDonnell

‘I’ve had pretty rough weather on the way down. I lost my inflatable danbuoy, a wave broke my dodger, my external sat phone antenna and the wooden vane of my windvane. Unfortunately it was squally, rainy and cloudy at the horn so I did not see much. The weather lifted for 10 minutes so I could just see the lights. Earlier in the day I could see Hermite Island for an hour. I am now looking forward to being at 34 south, my favourite latitude, the one of Cape Town and Punta del Este,’ he said on sailing past Cape Horn.

Jeremy Bagshaw continued up the Atlantic, riding out more foul weather at 45°S, which he described as ‘dreadful’.

‘It was a miserable, malicious and spiteful sea, smashing over the transom, not big, just over 4 metre but incredibly powerful,’ he noted.

Jeremy Bagshaw is pleased with the performance of his Windpilot self-steering gear, especially in heavy weather. Credit: Katy Stickland

By early May, he was just over 1,000 miles from the finish.

Weeks later, he contacted Golden Globe Race HQ to report the failure of his forestay at the bow chain plate. He removed the furling drum from the forestay and took all of his duplicated spinnaker and jib halyards to the bow to secure the mast.

Eager to preserve the mast until the finish, Jeremy Bagshaw decided to sail more cautiously under mainsail and staysail, a strategy which was severely hampered by weeks of north-easterly winds, making progress painfully slow.

He also reported that he was running low on water, and resorted to drinking canned vegetable juice. The South African skipper also ran out of food the night before his arrival.

Jeremy Bagshaw was greeted on his arrival by fellow 2022 Golden Globe Race skippers Simon Curwen, Mark Sinclair and Arnaud Gaist .

It took him hours to sail the last few miles to the finish due to a lack of wind; at one point, he was within 400m of the finish line but became becalmed. Olleanna then drifted 2.1nm away.

Read in depth interviews with all of the five finishers in the 2022 Golden Globe Race in the Summer 2023 issue of Yachting Monthly – out on 22 June 2023

Final positions of the Golden Globe Race 2022 skippers

Kirsten Neuschafer , (South Africa), Cape George 36 cutter, Minnehaha – FINISHED 1st Abhilash Tomy , (India), Rustler 36, Bayanat – FINISHED 2nd Michael Guggenberger , (Austria), Biscay 36, Nuri – FINISHED 3rd

Chichester Class:

Simon Curwen , (UK), Biscay 36, Clara – FINISHED 1st (Chichester Class) Jeremy Bagshaw, (South Africa), OE32, Olleanna – FINISHED 2nd (Chichester Class)

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 Arnaud Gaist , (France), Barbican 33 Mk 2, Hermes Phoning Elliot Smith ,  (USA), Gale Force 34, Second Wind Guy Waites (UK), Tradewind 35, Sagarmatha Ian Herbert-Jones (UK), Tradewind 35, Puffin

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Global travel and lifestyle magazine, golden globe round-the-world yacht race 2022.

Mark Nicholls heads to the French resort of Les Sables d’Olonne for the start of the Golden Globe single-handed round-the-world yacht race.

Les Sables d’Olonne has all you expect of a French harbour town: narrow alleys, a quaint fisherman’s quarter, wonderful seafood restaurants and long stretches of sandy beach.

A salty aroma wafts along the channel that links the sea to the expansive quays where row after row of yachts and motorboats are moored.

This is, after all, the capital of single-handed round-the-world yacht racing, a claim to fame this resort on the west coast of France cherishes.

Intrepid sailors

Set on the Atlantic coast, it is the departure and finish point for two of the most challenging round-the-world races; the Vendée Globe, and the Golden Globe.

The latter is a throwback to racing in days past, with the vessels skippered by intrepid sailors deprived of the sophisticated technology of the sleek Vendée Globe yachts, and instead setting off with little more than a sextant, compass and paper maps to guide them.

The circumnavigation for these 35-footers does take a little longer – around 250-300 days compared to 80 days for Vendée Globe entrants.

Perilous weather

While at sea, Golden Globe competitors are unassisted and have little contact with the outside world, land, or family and friends, and only receive warnings of the most perilous weather conditions.

Founder and Race Chairman Don McIntyre points out:

“These guys are totally isolated, it is a unique challenge, they are on their own.”

As a result, the 16 vessels and skippers – including one woman Kirsten Neuschäfer from South Africa – have to pass stringent safety requirements and have proven sailing ability just to make it to the start line and receive the coveted “green card” to compete.

Traditional skills

The vessels have to be designed before 1988 and meet strict dimensions of 32-36 foot yet be robust enough to withstand navigation through the world’s treacherous oceans.

British skipper Ian Herbert-Jones tells me a couple of days ahead of departure:

“It’s a victory just to make it to the start line.”

He has been preparing for the race for three years but his yacht Puffin, a 35-foot Tradewind built in 1986, has a pedigree and was one of five finishers from the 18 starters in the 2018 race, which was only the second time the Golden Globe was staged since 1968, when yachting legend Sir Robin Knox-Johnson, now 82, won.

As the official starter for 2022, Sir Robin is delighted with the ongoing revival of the race:

“It is a great event because we are hanging on to traditional sailing skills.”

Coastal jewel

Round-the-world yacht racing has put Les Sables d’Olonne on the map as a coastal jewel in the Vendée region of pleasant towns and villages, natural landscapes and an irresistible cuisine, with a big focus on seafood.

Sailing remains a huge aspect of the resort, with the quay crammed with vessels of all shapes and sizes. But with its lovely ambience, fish markets, and narrow alleys lined with shops and bars, the appeal of Les Sables d’Olonne is far wider, and is also a steppingstone into the Vendée’s relaxed way of life.

Set in a south facing bay, its sandy beaches are ideal for swimming and surfing, while inland are forest areas and marshlands where hiking, cycling and horse-riding are popular.

Salt marshes

The salt marshes surrounding the coastal town underpinned its wealth and importance as a trading centre in centuries past, but today are popular for leisure activities.

A little way inland are the shallow waters of the former salt producing areas, which are popular for canoeing or stand-up paddle boarding and make for a pleasant hour or two passing through small channels.

Elsewhere, the raised paths of the saltpans have become routes for walking, cycling, venturing off on e-scooters. With fat tyres suitable for the terrain, they are quite different to city centre rental scooters, but are an exhilarating way to traverse the landscape or head off further into routes through forested areas.

Sardines and tuna

With a long-standing maritime heritage, Les Sables d’Olonne remains the fourth biggest French fishing port.

Its origins lay in whaling before a shift to cod fishing in the 17 th century and in more recent times to sardines and tuna, which underpins much of its industry today.

It is no surprise that seafood is central to the menus of the resort, but you can also shop for it in the covered markets of the town.

Moules mariniere are a favourite in many quayside eateries, such as Restaurant les Patagos in Port Olona, or if you are feeling hungry, plump for one of the magnificent seafood platters at the Fleur de Thym restaurant with an array of whelks, oysters, prawns, langoustines and crab. The markets are also great places to buy fresh bread, fruit and vegetable, meat and other produce.

Maritime heritage

If you are inspired and want to further absorb this maritime heritage, wander the older district of Chaume with quiet back streets with small fisherman’s houses, churches, murals on walls, or pop into a traditional side street café.

Walk on further and you find yourself along the channel that connects the sea and the harbour entrance, dominated on the rocky shoreline by the Priory of St Nicholas, defended by iron cannons pointing out to sea.

While the resort is separated by channels, they are criss-crossed by river buses, linking each part of the town.

Carefree ambience

Head off in another direction into the centre, where the Notre Dame Church is hemmed in, and you come out at the covered market with all its produce.

Wander round and cut through to the promenade and walk barefoot on the beach or take a refreshing sea swim.

Sunday mornings brings out the locals; promenading, swimming, performing yoga and tai chi on the beach, or walking, as a form of group exercise through the pull of the waves.

Yet in contrast to this carefree coastal ambience, the levels of activity were picking up within the Golden Globe race village.

Final preparations

As the clock ticked towards departure, skippers made final preparations, conducted interviews, and said farewells.

While some had rousing send-offs, others slipped quietly from their berths for the months of solitude, lack of sleep and physical and mental challenges that lay ahead.

It posed the question, why do it?

For some, it was a one-off, once-in-a-lifetime challenge; others saw it as one adventure in a career of further ocean-going racing exploits; while some were seasoned racers wanting to stretch their skills to the limit.

Landmark goals

For Ian Herbert-Jones, 52, from Shropshire, there was the personal challenge, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, to sail single-handed around the world unassisted.

Having said farewell to his wife Sally, 21-year-old twin sons Thomas and Owen, and daughter Emma, 16, he remained acutely aware of the psychological challenge of not being able to contact family and friends.

A former soldier and now a sales director with a software company, he aims to complete the race but has also set landmark goals; getting to Cape Town or Australia, whilst meeting the risks of sailing in the Southern Ocean with high fierce winds, the 50-foot waves, and the possibility of capsizing.

Emotional farewells

With cabins crammed with food and other bare essentials, and a reliance on rainwater capture to drinking water, it was just after 1.30pm on the afternoon of Sunday, September 4 th , that Puffin and the other vessels left the shelter of Port Olona.

It was to be a last contact with home, loved ones, support crews and supplies, until the end of the race, possibly 300 days away.

From emotional farewells on the quayside, and the harbour walls of Les Sables d’Olonne lined with well-wishers, the competitors were followed out into the open sea for the official start by a flotilla of press boats, small vessels and official craft, as well as two French Navy ships just out to sea.

Returning to Les Sables d’Olonne

As the clock ticked on to 4pm local time, a blast from the horn of the naval vessel signalled the start of Golden Globe 2022.

The race has a high attrition rate as the small vessels battle some of the most ferocious seas and weather conditions on earth, but among the skippers there is this huge desire to complete the race and return to Les Sables d’Olonne.

Funnily enough, that’s my goal too.

Having discovered the resort and its attractions, I also made a vow to return, though not with a single-handed 250-day round-the-world yacht journey in between.

Mark Nicholls flew easyJet from London Gatwick to Nantes with a 90-minute transfer to Les Sables d’Olonne. There are also good rail connections with Paris.

Accommodation: The Originals Boutique Admiral’s Hotel , close to the marina.

Paddle boarding at Terrasse des Salines: www.lessalines.fr

E-scooters: www.libert-e-trott.com

Vendée Tourism: www.vendee-tourism.co.uk

Les Sables d’Olonne: www.lessablesdolonne-tourisme.com

Golden Globe Challenge at-a-glance

The Golden Globe Challenge originally took place in 1968 as the first solo, non-stop, round-the-world race and was won by Robin Knox-Johnston. It was revived in 2018 on the 50 th anniversary and won by 73-year-old Jean-Luc Van Den Heede after 212 days at sea. The third edition retains the core, solitary, ethos of the earlier editions without technical assistance and GPS and using the same equipment as the first race in 1968. But it allows for greater interaction with competitors with five points of passage where the skippers can transmit photos and videos.

The 2022 skippers include Guy Waites, Ian Herbert-Jones, Ertan Beskardes and Simon Curwen from the UK; South African skipper and the only woman, Kirsten Neuschäfer; Pat Lawless from Ireland; Abhilash Tomy from India; American sailors Guy de Boer and Elliott Smith, at 27, the youngest competitor; and Canadian Edward Walentynowicz, at 69, the oldest.

Boats must be production models, designed before 1988 and be no longer than 35 feet.

For more information or to follow the race, please visit: www.goldengloberace.com .

Mark Nicholls is an award-winning freelance travel writer and author, based in the UK and has written for a range of national titles, specialist magazines and international websites and operated as a war correspondent in locations such as Iraq and Afghanistan.

Photographs by Mark Nicholls

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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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Who is Kirsten Neuschäfer and Where is She Sailing?

By: Zeke Quezada, ASA women on the water

The Golden Globe Race is currently winding down, and the sailors are headed back to Les Sables-d’Olonne, France. In fact, they are a few days out from returning.  The race is fairly basic in nature as it began in  Les Sables-d’Olonne, France, on September 4th, 2022, and the contestants sail solo, non-stop, around the world, via the five Great Capes and return to Les Sables-d’Olonne.  The Golden Globe Race is a true test of endurance, skill, and courage.  The challenges faced by the sailors are what make this race so unique and revered. 

16 sailors began and currently, 3 are left.

One of them is Kirsten Neuschäfer.

Who is Kirsten Neuschäfer?

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kirsten Neuschafer (@kirstenggr)

Kirsten has been a sailor since childhood, but turned it into a profession in 2006. From boat deliveries to crewing she built a diverse set of skills in the sailing arena.  Before the Golden Globe Race in 2018, Kirsten’s longest solo sailing trip was a delivery from Portugal to South Africa on an old and maintenance-intensive 32-foot ferro-cement sloop, using only a wind-vane for self-steering.

She joined Skip Novak’s Pelagic Expeditions and sailed the crew to South Georgia, the Antarctic Peninsula, Patagonia, and the Falklands, to capture the beauty of the Antarctic for National Geographic and the BBC. Kirsten has also embarked on other solo adventures, such as cycling from Europe back home to South Africa. Her current challenge is the Golden Globe Race 2022.

Kirsten Neuschäfer was awarded the Rod Stephens Seamanship Trophy for playing a pivotal role in the successful rescue of a fellow 2022 Golden Globe Race competitor, Tapio Lehtinen.

Find out more about Kirsten on her website: https://kirstenggr.com/

What is The Golden Globe Race

The Golden Globe Race is a solo, nonstop yacht race around the world with no assistance and without the use of modern technology. The original Golden Globe Race was the first race around the world solo without stops or any outside assistance. The race was organized by the Sunday Times newspaper in Great Britain and was held in 1968. The race was inspired by Sir Francis Chichester’s successful single-handed circumnavigation of the globe in his yacht Gipsy Moth IV.

A Few Facts About The Golden Globe Race:

• Entrants are limited to sailing similar yachts and equipment to what was available to Sir Robin in that first race.
• Competitors must sail in production boats between 32ft and 36ft overall (9.75 – 10.97m) designed prior to 1988 that have a full-length keel with a rudder attached to their trailing edge.
• The challenge is pure and very raw, placing adventure ahead of winning at all costs.
• Competitors will be navigating with sextant only.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Golden Globe Race (@goldengloberace)

The 1968 Golden Globe Race was won by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, who completed the race in just over 312 days. The race has been reborn with a round-the-world race held in 2018, attempting to capture the nature of those early intrepid sailors. The 2018 event was a success, inspiring the current edition in September 2022.

The Golden Globe Race is one of the most challenging sailing races in the world. The sailors must navigate their way around the world without any outside assistance and without using modern technology such as GPS or satellite phones. They must rely on traditional navigation methods such as sextants and paper charts. The sailors must also deal with extreme weather conditions such as storms and high seas. They must be self-sufficient for months at a time, carrying all their food and supplies on board their yachts.

Track the race at their website: https://goldengloberace.com/

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Latest News: €213 Million Golden Globe Race 2022 Media Value

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• Globe Yacht Club

The 1968 Sunday Times Golden Globe Race was the first ever around the world yacht race. The story is a classic in our time. It has been an inspiration to generations of sailors

On its 50th anniversary, Don McIntyre resurrected the memory and challenge of this great adventure with the birth of a contemporary 2018 Golden Globe Race which was a huge success. On the strength of that was born the 50th anniversary recreation of the original 1973 Whitbread Race, the worlds first fully crewed race around the world in the form of the 2023 Ocean Globe Race. With a passion for small yachts and affordable adventure, Don is organising the first ever 2024 Mini Globe Race around the world for solo Globe 5.80 one design yachts.  

For the sailors who accept any one of these epic challenges, a life changing experience is guaranteed. They will endure extreme emotion on all levels, question why and face themselves in a way that is totally raw and very personal. They may find the reason for doing it hard to explain to others, but one thing is certain, they will be part of a very exclusive group.  

They will be a member of the world’s most exclusive yacht club, the GLOBE YACHT CLUB (GYC). To be granted ‘Full Member’ status, you must enter and sail in one of the three GLOBE races. Only then are you able to fly the GLOBE YACHT CLUB BURGEE on the starboard yardarm or a pig stick from the aft most mast. 

The burgee of the GYC consists of a red cross representing the four corners of the world, or four quarters of the world corresponding approximately to the four points of the compass (or the two solstices and two equinoxes). GLOBE entrants come from the four corners of the GLOBE and sail through all of them by compass. 

The centre intercept of the red cross is important as it differentiates one of three events a GYC member has entered. A  gold  square represents a GGR sailor. A  blue  square represents an OGR sailor. An  orange  square represents an MGR sailor. If a sailor has entered two events, he will have a special two-colour square.

The gold GLOBE insignia in the top quadrant of the burgee is the ‘Official Globe Brand’ representing a circumnavigation of the Globe E-W. The sextant in the lower quadrant is used for the GGR and OGR and required in the MGR, a clear symbol of the retro aspect and serious nature of these events.

‘Associate members’ of the Globe Yacht Club are those who want to support and associate with these great sailors and Globe events. Associate Member burgees do NOT have a coloured square. Associate memberships to the GYC will be open to any sailor who has circumnavigated under sail, who can show proficiency in celestial navigation, or who is an official team member of any GLOBE event entrant. These memberships will open after the start of the 2022 Golden Globe Race.

‘GYC Flag Officers’ have exclusive GYC Flags.

The Official Globe Yacht Club House will reside on a full member’s yacht on a rotating basis for a one-year term. 

The founder of the Globe Yacht Club is Don McIntyre. Flag officers and aims and objectives will be announced on 1 August 2022.

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