French skipper Damien Guillou has become the first competitor in the 2026 Golden Globe Race to pass the longitude of the Cape of Good Hope, as a succession of powerful storms and further withdrawals underline the demands facing the solo round-the-world fleet.
Guillou, sailing the Rustler 36 Solarem, reached the milestone on 3 November, nearly two months after the race started from Les Sables-d’Olonne on 6 September. His progress brings a reminder of Ireland's Pat Lawless, who had been challenging him for the lead before retiring on 17 October following a Solent stay failure aboard Silvermines Hydro.
The Kerry sailor had reduced the gap to just 47 nautical miles in the days before his retirement. Subsequent reports revealed that failed fastenings in his steering gear had compounded the rigging problem, making continuation into the Southern Ocean impractical.
Three storms in ten days
Race organisers report that three severe weather systems have affected different parts of the fleet over the past ten days, with some forecast gusts reaching 70 knots or more. Israeli skipper Daniel Pinsky reported hand-steering his Baba 35 Exodus under bare poles in winds exceeding 60 knots, before climbing the mast to recover a lost storm-jib halyard.
British competitor Henry Wootton, aboard Privateer, has faced repeated heavy following seas, including one that sent water through the companionway. Swiss sailor Etienne Messikommer reported seas larger than any he had previously encountered aboard Bernard.
Head injury forces another withdrawal
American skipper Guy deBoer has also been ruled out following a violent fall below decks aboard Spirit. On 4 November, race management said medical advice meant he could not continue, even in the non-competitive Chichester Class. He remained aboard while organisers assisted with weather information and considered a safe destination.
French sailor Louis Kerdelhué had previously retired in Recife after an exhausting passage through the Doldrums. Of the 16 sailors who started, the organisers' latest newsletter says 12 remain in the main race.
Southern Ocean challenge ahead
Further back, Italian Andrea Lodolo has been forced to sail west to avoid an unfavourable low-pressure system, while Canadian Isa Rosli has spent hours in cold water removing barnacles from the hull of Olleanna.
Although Guillou has crossed the Cape of Good Hope's longitude, this is only an early milestone in the circumnavigation. The Indian Ocean, Australian waters, Pacific and Cape Horn remain ahead, with around 20,000 nautical miles still to cover for much of the fleet.
The race is sailed in traditional long-keel yachts using paper charts, celestial navigation and windvane self-steering, without modern electronic navigation aids. The latest conditions show why finishing, rather than simply holding a strong early position, remains the central challenge.
