Golden Globe Race route: changes for the 2022 edition

The Golden Globe Race route will include four mandatory film drop points during the 2022 edition of the Around the World Sailing Tour.

The changes were confirmed at a press conference, held just under six months before the start of the event on September 4, 2022 in Les Sables d’Olonne, France.

23 skippers are currently preparing for the solo non-stop round the world race, without assistance, without GPS and without modern electronics on board.

It is considered by many to be the longest sporting event in the world.

During the Golden Globe Race 2022, sailors will have to circumvent four compulsory crossing points: Lanzarote in the Canary Islands, Cape Town in South Africa, Hobart in Australia and Punta del Este in Uruguay.

During the 2018 Golden Globe Race, competitors simply had to travel to the gates of Lanzarote and Hobart.

This modification to the Golden Globe Race route will allow skippers to drop off their recorded videos and photos at these four gates without coming into contact with anyone and without mooring, allowing them to share their stories.

The original 1968-69 Golden Globe Race was won by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston – he was the only finisher.

50 years later, retro racing is revived by Australian sailor Don McIntyre. 17 skippers crossed the start line, with French offshore legend Jean-Luc Van Den Heede taking the crown.

Some skippers from the 2018-19 race are returning for 2022.

These include Turkish-British sailor Ertan Beskardes and Finnish sailor Tapio Lehtinen, who finished 5th in the 2018-2019 edition after 322 days at sea.

Australian Mark Sinclair is already heading to the start line.

Continued below…

The skipper, nicknamed Captain Coconut after his Lello 34, left Adelaide for France in December, exactly three years after stopping his 2018 race.

Barnacle growth on the hull of his yacht Coconut and lack of water were the reasons for the “pause” of his run, and Sinclair hopes to complete his one-stop circumnavigation of the globe in April. He has already passed Cape Horn and is going up the Atlantic towards the equator.

Other skippers will experience the Golden Globe Race for the first time.

American Elliott Smith is the youngest sailor to participate. The 27-year-old pilot, who started sailing less than four years ago, is still preparing his Gale Force 34, Second breath.

Others are already on the water, testing and modifying their tactics before the start of the race.

Irishman Pat Lawless and South African Kirsten Neuschafer have already taken their yachts offshore, testing their storm tactics and boats for the rigors of the Southern Ocean.

Some registered skippers have already experienced offshore racing.

Briton Simon Curwen is a veteran of the Mini Transat and was the first non-Frenchman to finish the race in 2001.

Frenchman Damien Guillou is backed by PRB, sponsor of two Vendée Globe winning campaigns.

He took part in the Tour de France à la Voile and in the Figaro Bénéteau class as well as in IMOCA sailing with Jean Le Cam and Bernard Stamm.

Guillou prepared Jean Le Cam’s boat for the 2016 Vendée Globe and Kevin Escoffier’s Imoca PRB for the Vendée Globe 2020.

Others have already circumnavigated the world, such as the Briton Ian Herbert-Jones, former crew member of the Clipper Race and Guy Waites, second in the Clipper Round the World Race 2017-18 before becoming the skipper of dare to lead in the 2019-20 edition.

Others are veteran offshore racers.

Robin Davie, who sails from her home port of Falmouth, Cornwall, has sailed around the world solo three times in the BOC Challenge Around Alone Race in 1990, 1994 and 1998.

For others, it is unfinished business.

New Zealander Graham Dalton, the older brother of America’s Cup winner Grant Dalton, will aim to sail around the world solo and win.

The 68-year-old has taken part in two editions of the Velux 5 Oceans – in 2003 his yacht was dismasted near Cape Horn, while in 2007 he finished the race but ran out of time.

He will take part in the 2022 Golden Globe Race in a Rustler 36 – the same boat in which Jean-Luc Van den Heede won the 2018 edition.

But he can get his money’s worth.

David Scott Cowper is undoubtedly the most experienced skipper in the race.

The multiple solo circumnavigator was the first person to circumnavigate the globe solo in both directions and to circumnavigate the globe solo via the Northwest Passage.

He completed six transits through the Northwest Passage and completing the 2022 Golden Globe Race would bring his number of circumnavigations to seven.

There is no doubt that this will be an exhilarating race to follow. www.yachtingmonthly.com/goldengloberace

---

Did you enjoy reading The Golden Globe Race route: changes for the 2022 edition?

A subscription to Yachting Monthly magazine costs about 40% less than the cover price.

Print and digital editions are available through Magazines Direct – where you can also find the latest offers.

YM is packed with information to help you get the most out of your time on the water.

• • • Take your seamanship to the next level with tips, advice and skills from our experts
    • Unbiased in-depth reviews of the latest yachts and equipment
    • Cruising guides to help you reach those dream destinations

follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

---