The 2018 Golden Globe Race will start from Plymouth on Saturday June 30, 2018. The Race marks the 50th anniversary of Sir Robin Knox-Johnston’s victory in the Sunday Times Golden Globe solo non-stop round the world Race back in 1968/9. There is one Irish entry in the 2018 and room for more, with five places still to fill.  As Afloat.ie reported previousluy, short–handed Irish sailor Gregor McGuckin (30) has declared for the marathon race.

THE START PROGRAMME

The Golden Globe Race is all about anniversaries. Today, Saturday April 22 marks the 48th year since Sir Robin Knox-Johnston won the Sunday Times Race and became the first man to sail solo non-stop around the Globe. 

Thursday June 14 2018 will be the 50th anniversary of Sir Robin’s start in that race from Falmouth aboard his 32ft yacht Suhaili. The 30 skippers competing in the 2018 Golden Globe Race will join hundreds of other yachts in Falmouth Harbour with a sail-past salute to Sir Robin. Other historic yachts joining the commemoration include Sir Francis Chichester’s famous Gipsy Moth IV, Sir Alec Rose’s Lively Lady, a replica of Sir Chay Blyth’s original Golden Globe race yacht Dytiscus III and Joshua, which Frenchman Bernard Moitessier sailed in the original Sunday Times Race.

That night, the Royal Cornwall YC will host a Suhaili gala dinner where Sir Robin will be guest of honour.

Friday 15th June 2018 will see the Golden Globe yachts and historic fleet take part in the SITraN Challenge charity race from Falmouth to Plymouth, timed to finish in Queen Anne’s Battery Marina early that evening. SITraN (Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience) is the nominated charity for the GGR and is one of the world leading centres for research into Motor Neurone Disease, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease. From basic neuroscience research to novel therapies and clinical trials - their aim is to improve the lives of patients with neurodegenerative disorders and their families worldwide. These diseases are affecting more and more people. See www.Sitran.org

Richard Gates, Falmouth Town Manager says: Falmouth looks forward to hosting the Parade of Sail recognising Sir Robin Knox-Johnston’s significant achievement 50 years ago, in partnership with the Royal Cornwall Yacht Club and the Golden Globe Race. Next year promises to be a great spectacle out on the water. “

Plymouth has strong historic links not just with single-handed sailing, but the original Golden Globe Race. The City hosted the first Observer single-handed transatlantic race (won by Francis Chichester) in 1960, was the start and finish port for Chichester’s successful one-stop solo circumnavigation via Sydney, Australia in 1966/7, and also hosted four of the nine competitors in the Sunday Times race - French competitors Bernard Moitessier (Joshua) and Loic Fougeron (Captain Browne), Commander Bill King (Galway Blazer II) and Lieutenant Commander Nigel Tetley (Victress) when they set out on this 30,000 mile odyssey around the five Great Capes.

The Race village will open on Saturday 15th June with a parade of sail led by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston’s Suhaili followed by Joshua, Dytiscus III, Lively Lady and Gipsy Moth IV, Entry to the Race village will be free and the attraction will be open to visitors from June 15 to the start on Saturday June 30.

Visitors will have the opportunity to meet the skippers, look down on their yachts, take a sail aboard Gipsy Moth IV, Joshua and Lively Lady, and view Suhaili and Dytiscus III on display in the marina. In addition, the Royal Western YC is to host an exhibition on the history of singlehanded sailing, and the National Marine Aquarium, which will form part of the Race Village, is planning special interactive exhibits for children, focused on climate change and the effect this is having on Coral reef health and marine bio-diversity.

Cllr Ian Bowyer Leader of Plymouth City Council says: “ We are delighted that Plymouth has been chosen as the host city for the Golden Globe race. This is a true adventure of a lifetime and I am really proud that Plymouth will be able to provide a spectacular backdrop to this event. The City has a proud and illustrious past in ocean racing which we are continuing to support and celebrate.”

John Lewis, The Royal Western Yacht Club’s Oceanic Race Director says: “This is great news for Plymouth and the Club which is the home of Single Handed Oceanic racing. We very much look forward to welcoming the competitors, their families and friends, before they start their epic voyage around the world. Plymouth continues to build on its enviable reputation to host major international sailing events”

Education programme

Climate change and sustainment of the planet's marine ecology are subjects close to the hearts of all the competitors and form a major part of a school education programme that will involve the National Maritime Aquarium, the McIntyre Adventure Marine Discovery Centre and the Open University.

As part of this, each skipper will nominate a school in their region of the world to partner with a school in Plymouth and will host classes from these schools at the Race Village prior to the start.

Nicola Murray, Head of Discovery and Learning says: “The National Marine Aquarium is a charity created to support and promote healthy oceans. Our world-class education programme facilitates curriculum based learning for 30,000 students annually, linking an array of subjects to the marine world. We work with Pre School to PhD students. The Golden Globe Race is an incredible event and our team are really excited about developing the Learning Programme and the opportunities it offers Britain’s Ocean City and students around the globe.”

Other attractions

During the 15-day build-up to the start from Plymouth, The Golden Globe Race will be holding a series of lectures presented by famous sailors, and host an Ocean Adventure Film Festival (Now open for international entries) which will include little seen historic footage, recording the pioneering days of sail together with a short film competition shot on Kodak Super8 film – the same stock that the Golden Globe Race fleet will be shooting on.

In addition, Plymouth City Council will be holding its famous Plymouth Jazz and Blues festival in the Race Village, playing the best music from the Swinging Sixties.

Start day – Saturday June 30, 2018 coincides with Plymouth Armed Forces Day so there will be plenty to keep visitors occupied once the race has started. Plymouth Armed Forces Day has a spectacular and exciting programme of entertainment, with air displays, parades, demonstrations, competitions and activities for the whole family.

Don McIntyre, the Golden Globe Race Chairman says: “Plymouth’s enthusiasm for the 2018 Golden Globe Race is fantastic. We are all excited to be partnering with this vibrant Ocean City and with so many new and exciting elements coming together for the Race Village and start day, we are looking forward to attracting spectators from across the UK, Europe and the world. June 30t will see 30 Hero’s embark on a voyage the likes of which the world has never seen."

ENTRY LIST – 5 PLACES UP FOR GRABS

This past winter has seen some entrants inevitably drop out but their places were eagerly filled by those on the Wait List. One of the fallers is Australian Shane Freeman who was forced to abandon his Tradewind 35 yacht Muska after being capsized and dismasted in fearsome seas some 600 miles west of Cape Horn. Mercifully, Freeman was rescued by a passing ship, and though no longer a competitor, he hopes to have a role to play supporting other competitors and the Race.

This has left a very strong list of 25 entrants including new names Izabel Pimentel from Brazil, Mark Slats from the Netherlands and Mike Smith from Australia. It also gives the opportunity for five more to fulfil lifelong dreams of sailing around the world. “The Race is limited to 30 entrants, and since we have received more than 150 tentative enquires, I don’t think it will be long before our list is full again.” Says Don McIntyre, the GGR Chairman. “I know a few sailors around the world who are losing sleep this week deciding whether to join the GGR Family and change their lives for ever. It is a case of first-come, first served.”

With just two years to go before the start of the 2018 Golden Globe Race (GGR) from Falmouth UK on 16th June, Kevin Farebrother from Australia, Lionel Regnier from France bring the entry list to 30 + 7 on wait list.

2016 Golden Globe Race Skipper/Press Conference

As Afloat.ie previously reported, Race founder Don McIntyre says: "With French skippers dominating the entry list, we thought it appropriate to hold the 2016 Golden Globe Conference during the Paris Boat Show between 3-11th December. The date and programme will be announced in July, along with the Final Notice of Race.

The Race in numbers
- The course: 30,000 miles with 4 rendezvous gates - 30 entrants plus 7 on wait list.
- Competitors represent 15 countries (some entrants remain confidential until sponsorship is announced)
- America (4) Australia (3) Brazil (1) Britain (5) Estonia (1) France (7) Germany (1) Ireland (1) Italy (2) New Zealand (1) Palestine (1) Switzerland (1)
- Oldest competitor: Jean-Luc van den Heede (FRA) 71.
- Youngest competitors: aged 26: Roy Hubbard (USA) Susie Goodall (GBR) Neree Cornuz and Eduardo Raimondo (ITA)

Like the original Sunday Times event, the 2018 Golden Globe Race is very simple. Depart Falmouth, England on June 16th 2018 and sail solo, non-stop around the world via the five Great Capes, and return to Falmouth. Entrants are limited to use the same type of yachts and equipment that were available to Robin Knox-Johnston in the first Sunday Times Golden Globe Race.

Ireland will have an entry in the 2018 Golden Globe Race, the solo, non-stop around the world race. 

Irish sailor Gregor McGuckin has declared his interest in the race that will have 25 entrants. 

The 24 men and 1 woman – Britain’s Susie Bundegaard Goodall –  have each paid an initial A$3,000 entry fee, though some names remain confidential until sponsorship announcements are made later this month. Other entrants hail from America, Austria, Brazil, Italy, Norway, Palestine, Russia and Switzerland

McGuckin (30) swapped his hiking and climbing boots for sailing gear at the age of 18 and never looked back. For many years he combined both skills teaching at outdoor adventure centres at home and abroad before gaining his Ocean Yachtmaster ticket. Since then he has made several Atlantic and Indian Ocean crossings. Now with more than 35,000 sea miles under his belt, McGuckin is currently skippering a 62ft yacht in the Caribbean.

Background to the Golden Globe Race - Stepping back to the golden age of solo sailing

As Afloat reported previously, just like the original Sunday Times event, the 2018 Golden Globe Race is very simple. Depart Falmouth, England on June 14th 2018 and sail solo, non-stop around the world, via the five Great Capes and return to Falmouth. Entrants are limited to use the same type of yachts and equipment that were available to Robin Knox-Johnston in that first race. That means sailing without modern technology or benefit of satellite based navigation aids. Competitors must sail in production boats between 32ft and 36ft overall (9.75 - 10.97m) designed prior to 1988 and having a full-length keel with rudder attached to their trailing edge. These yachts will be heavily built, strong and steady, similar in concept to Robin's 32ft vessel Suhaili. 

In contrast to the current professional world of elite ocean racing, this edition travels back to a time known as the 'Golden Age' of solo sailing. Suhaili was a slow and steady 32ft double-ended ketch based on a William Atkins ERIC design. She is heavily built of teak and carried no computers, GPS, satellite phone nor water-maker, and Robin completed the challenge without the aid of modern day shore-based weather routing advice. He had only a wind-up chronometer and a barograph to face the world alone, and caught rainwater to survive, but was at one with the ocean, able to contemplate and absorb all that this epic voyage had to offer. 

This anniversary edition of the Golden Globe Race is a celebration of the original event, the winner, his boat and that significant world-first achievement. Competitors in this race will be sailing simple boats using basic equipment to guarantee a satisfying and personal experience. The challenge is pure and very raw, placing the adventure ahead of winning at all costs. It is for 'those who dare', just as it was for Knox-Johnston. They will be navigating with sextant on paper charts, without electronic instruments or autopilots. They will hand-write their logs and determine the weather for themselves. Only occasionally will they talk to loved ones and the outside world when long-range high frequency and ham radios allow.

It is now possible to race a monohull solo around the world in under 80 days, but sailors entered in this race will spend around 300 days at sea, challenging themselves and each other. The 2018 Golden Globe Race will be a fitting tribute to the first edition and it's winner, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston.

Safety

The yachts will be tracked 24/7 by satellite, but competitors will not be able to interrogate this information unless an emergency arises and they break open their sealed safety box containing a GPS and satellite phone. Doing this however, has consequences. By breaking the seal, competitors will be deemed to have retired from the Golden Globe Race, and instead will be relegated to the Chichester Class as if they had made a stop.

Provisional entry

For these 25 sailors, this marks the initial stage towards completing all the entry requirements, which include gaining further sailing experience and preparing their boat to meet all the qualifications. Only when these hoops have been jumped will the provisional entrant become an official entry in the Race. Just prior to the start when final scrutineering and certification has been completed, will the sailor and boat together become an official competitor. Then and only then are they absolutely assured of starting in the Golden Globe Race.

#solosailor – Today marks the 46th anniversary of Sir Robin Knox-Johnston's departure from Falmouth UK back in 1968 to become the first person to sail singlehanded non-stop around the world. Of the 9 starters in that Sunday Times Golden Globe Race, Robin and his 32ft ketch rigged yacht Suhaili were the sole finishers.

Six weeks after announcing a second Golden Globe race to mark the 50th anniversary of that remarkable feat, the race organisers have received 50 serious expressions of interest from sailors in17 countries – Australia, Austria, Bermuda, Brazil, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, India, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, USA and Russia.

"The response has been remarkable" says Don McIntyre, adding. "The concept for a retro race in long-keeled monohulls like Suhaili and sailing round the world with nothing more than the equipment that was available to Robin 5 decades ago, has obviously hit a chord with many people."

McIntyre has received a further 150 letters from people asking for more information. The Race is limited to 30 competitors and the first names will be published on August 1st. Entries close on 31st December 2015.

The 2018 Golden Globe Race is very simple. Depart Falmouth, England on 14th June 2018, sail solo, non-stop around the world via the five Great Capes and return to Falmouth. Entrants are restricted to using the same type of yachts and equipment that were available to Sir Robin in that first race. That means sailing without modern technology or benefit of satellite based navigation aids. Competitors must sail in production boats between 32ft and 36ft overall (9.75 – 10.97m) designed prior to 1988 with a traditional full-length keel with rudder attached to their trailing edge, similar in concept to Knox-Johnston's Suhaili.

Pre-Notice of Race
The Pre-Notice of Race has now been published and lists the 32-36ft long-keeled production boats approved for the race with the addition of Suhaili replicas known as 'ERIC' designs built in wood, steel or fibreglass. The course has also been amended to include additional 'gates' in the Canary Islands, Cape Verde Islands and Falkland Islands for competitors to drop off film, and a southern boundary of 47°S in the Southern Ocean has been set after Kerguelen Island to keep the fleet clear of icebergs.

In addition, prior to the Race, entrants are now required to sail for one day under jury rig made up of two spinnaker poles and an emergency rudder system, and carry all this equipment during the race.

While no digital or satellite technology is allowed, for safety reasons, competitors will be issued with a satellite phone, and tracking system through which they can send two 100 character text messages a day directly to the race organisers. All other communications have to be made via HF radio, just as Sir Robin Knox-Johnston used during the 1968/9 Sunday Times Golden Globe Race.

For further information go to www.goldengloberace.com

#goldengloberace – To mark the 50th anniversary of the first solo non-stop circumnavigation under sail achieved by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston during the 1968/9 Sunday Times Golden Globe Yacht Race, a new Golden Globe Race is set to start from Falmouth UK on June 14, 2018 – the same day that Knox-Johnston set out on his epic voyage 50 years before.

The announcement today is significant, marking the 46th anniversary of Robin's victorious return to Falmouth in 1969, as the sole finisher in the original Sunday Times event.

The 2018 Golden Globe Race is very simple. Depart Falmouth, England, sail solo, non-stop around the world via the five Great Capes and return to Falmouth. Entrants are restricted to using the same type of yachts and equipment that were available to Sir Robin in that first race. That means sailing without modern technology or benefit of satellite based navigation aids. Competitors must sail in production boats between 32ft and 36ft overall (9.75 – 10.97m) designed prior to 1988 with a full-length keel with rudder attached to their trailing edge, similar in concept to Knox-Johnston's Suhaili.

Australian adventurer Don McIntyre, founder of this 2018 Race says: "The overriding aim is for a race where adventure takes precedence over winning at all costs; one where sailing skill and traditional seamanship, rather than modern technology and outside support, gets you round, and where the achievement truly belongs to the skipper."

McIntyre who completed his first solo circumnavigation in 1991 and more recently retraced Capt. Bligh's Bounty Boat voyage from Tonga to Kupang, West Timor in a similar open boat with minimal rations. He intends to compete in the Race with his Tradewind 35 Betty, one of 13 traditional production yacht types approved for this race.

Another entrant is British yachtsman and adventurer Chris Jacks from Liverpool. Last Autumn, he climbed the summits of 92 Wainwright mountains within 40 days – equivalent to climbing Mount Everest twice.

Two more sailors, one from Australia, the other from Germany, have so far expressed keen interest to compete and are currently finalising their plans. The 2018 Race is limited to a maximum of 20 entrants.

The challenge is pure and very raw for those who 'dare', just as it was for Sir Robin, navigating with sextant on paper charts, without electronic instruments or autopilots.

Sir Robin Knox-Johnston says: "I'm a great believer in the freedom of the individual. I think this race is a great idea, giving an opportunity for those who want to do something special with their lives. You can enter this race in an ordinary seaworthy boat and know that success will be down to personal drive and determination, and not to the biggest budget. I intend to be at the start with Suhaili to celebrate this anniversary and expect to be joined by two other yachts that competed in the original Sunday Times Race."

A prize purse of £75,000 has been budgeted for the 2018 Golden Globe Race, and all who finish before 15:25hrs on 22nd April 2019 (the anniversary of Sir Robin Knox-Johnston's finish) will receive a Suhaili trophy and a refund of their entry fee.