(Dec 2022 and Jan 2023)
The Golden Globe Race is a solo, non-stop, unassisted, round the world race in small vintage yachts using 1960’s technology. Don McIntyre developed this race to repeat as closely as possible the conditions of the original Golden Globe Race of 1968, which was won by Robin Knox-Johnson, in Suhaili, the only boat to finish the race.
Four years ago Alex and I became seriously addicted to following a yacht race, which is interesting since neither of us are racers. We are familiar with the design of the boats because they are essentially 32-36 ft cruising yachts, although extensively refitted to strengthen them and make them safe for the Atlantic then months of Southern Ocean fronts, lows and storms.
In the 2018 edition there was plenty of drama and excitement. Eighteen boats started the race, 6 returned to France. Five entrants retired for personal reasons, three retired due to gear breakage and five retired losing their masts. At times the fleet was spread over thousands of nautical miles, and at times it was a close competition.
We were hooked – we followed the progress of the fleet on a YB tracker site and got to know the individual personalities through weekly safety calls made to the race organisers. The race has a mandatory “gate” at Kingston Beach where the entrants are required to stop for at least 90 minutes to drop off films and letters and be interviewed, but nothing is allowed to be passed them and nor are they allowed ashore. We were fortunate enough to go out on the water to greet each of the entrants with a welcome sign as they came through Hobart, including interviewing Mark Sinclair on Coconut, the last boat in the previous race, which came through three years later after a long stop in his home town of Adelaide!
Four years later
In September 2022 the second edition of the race began. This time 16 boats made it to the start line. As of writing, three entrants retired for personal reasons, four retired due to gear breakage (mainly windvane steering, but also one bowsprit broke), one boat ran aground, one sank, and one had to stop in Cape Town to remove barnacles, leaving six boats in the race.
Alex and I wanted to greet each of the entrants as they arrived at the Hobart gate. This meant being ready to go out in Rusalka at any time of the day, on any day. As it happened, the first few arrivals were just in time for the holidays, so our plans for relaxed Christmas in a quiet anchorage were scuppered!
CLARA
First to arrive (24 December 2022) was the Englishman, Simon Curwen on Clara, a Biscay 36 cutter. It was a bright, sunny Christmas eve afternoon and several boats came out to the Iron Pot to meet him. The GGR team were in a borrowed big red RIB, which unfortunately had a catastrophic engine failure mid-Derwent and had to be towed in by Simon’s support team on a DSS launch.
Eagerly awaited, Simon arrives in the Derwent River.
MINNIHAHA
Because of the RIB breakdown, we volunteered to take the GGR team and film crew out on Rusalka to meet the second boat which was due to arrive sometime on Christmas day. We slept on board in the marina overnight hoping that Santa could find us there. In the morning, over coffee and presents we decided we had enough time to drive home, water the garden, cook the Christmas turkey and have lunch before the next boat arrived, but our home oven died one hour into roasting the turkey and so we quickly packed up and raced back to the boat. At 3:30 the bird came out of the boat oven, was wrapped up tight in alfoil and layers of towels and stowed in the aft cabin just five minutes before the GGR team (Don, Jane Jane, a cameraman and boom operator plus gear) arrived ready to set off.
We (with Don dressed as Santa) greeted Kirsten Neuschäfer from South Africa, on Minnehaha, a Cape George 36 cutter, at Dennes Pt and then sailed in to Kingston where Kirsten rafted up to us for the interview on Christmas Day, 25 December 2022. After the interview she did a little work on her boat and set off around 8 pm. It was a long day -we finally got home at 10:30 pm and opened up our turkey to find it hot and beautifully cooked, so we had a late Christmas supper.
Kirsten made a graceful entrance.
BAYANAT
Thank goodness no boats arrived on Boxing Day – we needed a rest! But on the 27th Dec 2022. the third entrant, Abhilash Tomy from India was due to arrive on Bayanat, a Rustler 36. We were hosting Don and Jane Jane again (this time without the film crew) and it was a hot and windless day, meaning that Bayanat was slow coming up Storm Bay. We bobbed around near the Iron Pot for many hours waiting, hoping that Abhilash might choose to use some of the 25l of diesel that they are allowed to motor up the Derwent! He finally arrived around 5:30pm, accompanied by Odalisque which carried his support team and sponsors. Abhilash picked up the new public mooring in Kingston Beach and decided to stay overnight to get some sleep and wait for some wind.
NURI
We thought we might miss greeting the fourth boat to arrive as our grandson was visiting for the New Year weekend, but when we saw that he would arrive in the night we decided we could sneak out for the night. Michael Guggenberger (Capt. Gugg) from Austria arrived on Nuri, a Biscay 36 ketch around 3 am (3rd January 2023). We stayed to watch the interview take place and then made our way sleepily home, arriving at 6:30am, in time to have a 1 hour nap before taking our grandson and his parents to the airport!
OLLEANNA
We had a 2 week break waiting for the last two boats to arrive. South African Jeremy Bagshaw on Olleanna, an OE32’ arrived on 16 January 2023. He had been struggling with a load of barnacles slowing him down and was low on water and food (and without a working engine) and so decided to stop in Hobart, resulting in him dropping out of the rankings and into Chichester class.
For arrival in Australia, Hobart he was directed by Customs into Kings Pier in town. With his engine not working he was towed by dinghy to a pontoon.
PUFFIN
We met the final contestant, Englishman Ian Herbert Jones on Puffin, a Tradewind 35, as he sailed up a blustery Storm Bay two days later (18 January 2023). He was very happy to see us – the first people/boat he had seen since leaving South Africa on the 24th November!
In winds in the 20's, gusting 30 kt, we raced to catch up with him.
The story continues, as each of the boats sails on to Cape Horn and back up the Atlantic to the finish in France.
And then there is……
Golden Globe Race 2026
