# GGR Founder Don McIntyre explains why windvanes are now considered safety equipment.

# Hydrovane failure! What happened, why and what can GGR do to make sure it does not happen again.

# Damien Guillou PRB in touch with the leaders and racing again in 6^th Place.

Dateline: Les Sables-d’Olonne, Wednesday, 26th of October 2022

Deep in the Southern Ocean battling 12 mtr seas and 70kt winds in a GGR yacht, you need to know your self-steering gear will keep working. If it fails you are seriously struggling to keep the odds in your favour that you will still be smiling when it blows over!  

In the late 70’s I set sail from Adelaide, South Australia for a three-year Pacific cruise in my Duncanson 29 SKYE. I fitted a Plastimo NAVIK windvane which was expensive to import, but I knew from watching the first Mini Transat’s (with Jean-Luc Van Den Heede!) that a good self-steering system was very important.

700 miles later, sailing through Bass Strait, a 5mm bolt holding the Navik wooden quadrant slipped out, rendering it inoperable in the middle of the night. With 35kts and 4-meter seas I could not fix it. I hand steered for 16 hours, unable to leave the helm to change hanked sails for fear of rounding up. I was over canvased and, on the edge, until we made anchorage. It taught me a few important lessons I never forgot. I now spanner check “things” before and during a major passage.

A few years later I was working with Englishman David Scott Cowper on his two solo circumnavigations to beat Sir Francis Chichester’s E/W and Sir Chay Blyth’s W/E solo records and met Nick Franklin the builder of the Aries Wind Vanes. I became the Aries Windvane distributor for Austral Asia and found myself in Sydney to service all Aries windvanes in the 1982 BOC Challenge, the second ever solo around the world race 14 years after the original 1968 Golden Globe. I met Sir Robin Knox Johnston, saw all the windvane issues and so the story goes….etc etc…

In the past 45 years I have sailed with QME, Navik, Hasler, Fleming, Aries original, Aries Lift Up, Monitor, Windpilot, Hydrovane, Sailomat and South Atlantic windvanes. I am aware of virtually every commercial windvane sold in the world. None are perfect, but some are far superior to others. Some are more suited to certain situations and types of boats for various reasons of size, power, design and the voyage itself.

The critical nature of windvanes in the 2018 Golden Globe sailing solo in the Southern Ocean was clear for all to see. Monitor windvane “break tubes” were breaking far too easily. Three Beaufort windvanes suffered the same catastrophic structural failures. The knock-on effect of a windvanes breaking and forcing a skipper to hand steer, or “heave too” in bad weather while effecting repairs can lead to disastrous consequences. That was clearly the case in GGR 2018.  

As a result of these experiences, as organiser, I decided windvanes must now be assessed and reviewed as Significant Safety Equipment. To mitigate this risk, the GGR now allows “sealed” (their use activates a penalty) electric Auto-pilots as a safety back up and all windvanes must be “Approved” before allowing a particular brand into the GGR. To achieve that approval, a manufacture or entrant must submit a comprehensive proposal to show why they believe, on GGR style boats, in the Southern Ocean for 30,000 miles, the unit will keep operating. Various brands are now approved, one, only after proposing to make GGR specific modifications. GGR now investigate all GGR windvane incidents as a matter of safety protocol. After speaking to Hyrdovane and the sailors affected, here are our findings.

Three GGR entrants have problems with Hydrovane units in this edition to date. Two minor and one serious. Two were caused through lack of onboard observation / maintenance with bolts coming loose. It happens to all machinery that moves constantly, (just like my Navik!) This is an operator issue.

Hydrovane has a strong reputation with most GGR entrants. 12 of the 16 GGR entrants chose Hydrovane. Two fitted Aries and two Windpilot. Hydrovane representatives offered free inspections and service to all Hydrovane units at the GGR village prior to the start. Damien Guillou did not take up this offer.

On 6th September, three days after the start, one mounting bolt on Damien’s Hydrovane broke the head off. It broke in tension when the main load was actually in sheer. This suggested it may have been either, over tightening or the head not seated flat on the contact surface. He fitted another support arm, replaced the bolt and Nyloc nuts were visually marked to show any movement. He set sail six days behind the fleet and is is currently heading to Cape Town now in 6^th place, a few hundred miles behind the leader.

On 20^th October, Damien’s main stainless steel rudder shaft broke. This shaft is made of 1.25” (32mm) Super Duplex Ferrinox 255 stainless steel, 3 x stronger than 316 stainless steel. This material has been used by Hydrovane since 2009 in all units and no breakage has yet been reported, although, under heavy load – ex. a whale, a dock or caught in a drogue line, some shafts have been bent, but none broken.

For easy removal, the Moulded Rudder is fitted onto the lower 12.7cm(5inches) of this Rudder shaft and a removable 6mm (1/4inch) retaining pin is slipped through the rudder and passing through a tight fitting 6mm hole in the shaft, 6.35cm (2.5inches) up from the bottom.

In the 2018 GGR, Jean-Luc VDH was concerned about the 6mm diameter pin holding the Rudder on. He thought it may not be strong enough. He fitted one similar sized bolt with nut instead in the same hole. Sailing down the Atlantic, his bolt broke. He replaced it with the original pin which lasted for the rest of the voyage. The other GGR2018 Hydrovanes had no pin problems. 

Damien fitted his original Hydrovane in 2021 and was happy with all sea trials. Just before the start he purchased a second unit to be used for spares. This unit included a new High-Performance Blade available from January 2022. Damien made modifications to his Hydrovane including to the rudder attachment for the new Blade. The original Blade was kept as a spare. He said the new rudder seemed a little loose on the shaft and may be better secured with two bigger bolts rather than one small pin on the shaft. 

The single 6mm hole was replaced by two larger 7mm holes (Pictures appear to show threads cut into the hole increasing the diameter and changing the structure of the hole) into the shaft, above and below the original 6mm hole. The original 6mm pin was discarded. To assist with alignment when sliding the rudder up onto the shaft, Hydrovane fit a Keyway Knob. First a hole is drilled well into the front edge of the shaft. The Keyway Knob is then inserted (See Picture)

Damien drilled and threaded the new top hole through the shaft around the same plane as this Keyway Knob. As a result, the exact cross section of the shaft at that point, is penetrated from three sides which may have weakened the shaft. This is also close to the area of “greatest load” on the shaft from the rudder, where the shaft is starting to exit the rudder. Damien has confirmed this is where the shaft snapped, across the new top hole.

There are thousands of Hyrovane rudders currently in use. The new blade rudder shaft hole is exactly the same as previous blades.  Rudder bore hole – 32.00 +/- 0.1 . Shaft OD – 31.64 +0.00/-0.03. The difference or clearance is – 0.36 mm. 

Experience has shown that after a circumnavigation there will be a tiny bit of slop, but not enough to worry about. Hydrovane have been using a 1.4inch/6mm pin for over 50 years during which the entire system has been upgraded time and again. The pin got a new ring and an upgrade of material over that time, but it is still the same 6mm diameter. Hydrovane are reluctant to make it thicker and weaken the shaft. 

The rudder in the shaft does have a little jiggle and similarly the entire drive train also jiggles Hydrovane have experimented with tightening the parts only to discover that a little play is needed and not a problem. In the 1980’s I had the same discussion with Nick Franklin the builder of Aries who did exactly the same for bearing and linkages. The proof is in the millions of sea miles done annually. Circumnavigators have no reason to do anything to their rudder holes after 28000 miles. This was the case for Hydrovanes in the 2018 GGR. They just continued sailing.

Damien recovered the rudder secured by a safety line and reported a small crack on the top leading edge which “may” be damaged from the break. The Hydrovane rudder is mounted directly in line with the Yacht’s main rudder. Some believe this may increase vibration caused by the yacht’s rudder turbulence, but I doubt that is the case. The Hydrovane rudder is protected by the keel and the yachts rudder, so it is unlikely to have been hit by an Unidentified Floating Object.

From the information currently available, the new top bolt hole may have weaken the rudder shaft, contributing to the ultimate failure -break of the shaft at that point.

Tapio Lehtinen , Elliot Smith and Ian Herbert Jones are all sailing with the new high performance rudder and standard 6mm securing pin reporting no problems. The new rudder blade is the same foil shape of the old rudder, with an updated top handle arrangement and new construction materiel, but the shaft and shaft hole are all exactly the same. 

The GGR fleet is just about to enter the Southern Ocean with 22,000miles to go. Damien dismantled the Hydrovane fitting the original spare rudder shaft and on October 23^rd went over the side successfully fitting the original spare blade. This spare original shaft and blade was also modified, but only by drilling out the original 6mm hole to 7mm, threading it and fitting two machine screws from each side to hold the blade. This slight increase in the original hole, while not recommended by Hydrovane, is not as severe as the previous broken shaft.

Damien, who has made a spectacular comeback since his re-start in Les Sables d’Olonne, has obviously pushed the boat and gear hard. He is delighted with the repair, happy to be back in the game with the original system that he has tried and tested over many miles, in tough conditions before the start, winning the Prologue in the process, and absolutely in touch with the leaders.

As a result of these events, all entrants with Hydrovanes will be reminded to check all bolts regularly. It will be a requirement for the 2026 GGR that any modification to any windvane must first be shared with the manufacturer and GGR for comment.  NOTE: Hydrovane is a supporting partner of the GGR and responded to specific questions.

Entries open for Golden Globe Race 2026 with a revised Notice of Race!

With the success of the Race Village in Les Sables d’Olonne, the improved coverage of the race, reaching out to a wider and more diversified audience, there is already strong interest in the next edition of the GGR.

A fully reviewed Notice of Race, with new approved designs and a limit of seven boats of the same type is now available in English on the GGR Website .

A major improvement for entrants over 2022 is the overhauled Conformance Section that will help entrants to tick off all requirements concerning the skipper and boat preparations as well as branding and registration processes. It includes a clear explanation of the philosophy of the race. 

For the record, you could enter the 2026 GGR with a budget below €100,000. Should you sell the boat after the race, it could cost you less than €45,000. You need time to know what you are doing, and why you want to face this challenge. You could also spend E300,000? But it is open to everyone.

Keep the dream alive!

Picture Above: PRB’s windvane stainless shaft snapped at the rudder level. Damien has all the spares onboard but needs flat seas to repair. Photo Credit: Nora Havel/GGR2022

# Simon Curwen’s close call stuck up the mast and Damien Guillou breaks his windvane. 

# Tapio in the lead, but is he really? Next gate favours eastern positioned yachts.

# South Atlantic high reshuffles cards for the leaders, northern yachts with less route to go.

# No weather charts mean sailors rely on a barometer and wind direction to find the all important South Atlantic High.

# Afterguard making good progress in heavy winds with Michael and Elliott breaking personal records.

Cards are reshuffled and more breakage as the South Atlantic starts testing boats and sailors on their way to the Southern Ocean, and the next film drop in Cape Town.

The southern hemisphere has not been overly welcoming, and the fleet has been consistently in confused seas over 4 metres and winds averaging 15 to 20 knots with occasional gusts to 40.  Boats and sailors have taken a toll with several sailors injured, and a few boats needing repairs.

Damien Guillou (FRA) called Golden Globe Race control today to advise that the stainless steel rudder shaft of his wind vane broke at the top of the rudder. The Rudder was secured by a safety line so was not lost. Damien continues sailing upwind for now without self steering. He has a complete spare rudder shaft which will need replacing. He must remove the main transmission gear of the unit, pulling the broken shaft out and then sliding a new shaft in before replacing the main gear. Not an easy job! Then he will have to go over the side to replace the rudder. 

He says he can do it, but the conditions are not favourable at the moment. This type of damage is very unusual for a Hydrovane unit and the local agent has suggested it may be the first such break in the history of the units. All but two of the GGR entrants use the same gear. It is a mystery break as this shaft is very strong. It is the second windvane problem Damien has experienced. He returned to the Les Sables d’Olonne to repair and strengthen the mounting system, setting off six days behind the fleet.   

Damien was disappointed and wondered if the break was caused by driving too hard? It may be many days before conditions improve to allow a repair. He knows he is approaching the high-pressure system and will aim for flat waters for repairs, or alternatively to Tristan da Cunha. 

He also knows where Kirsten and Abhilash are, and how he is doing compared to them, very eager to get back in the game. In real terms he has only gained 70 miles on the leader (currently 480 miles ahead) since Cape Finistere weeks ago, but passed many of the slower boats. In the next few days however his fortunes may change, with the wind shifting more north allowing him to turn east for Cape Town and saving him a few days sailing south which the current leaders have had to do. 

Simon Curwen (UK) who was the first to exit the doldrums, broke his genoa halyard early in the Southern Ocean and decided to shelter from the wind and seas off the coast on Trindade island. There he went up the mast  to repair, to no avail, hurting himself in the process. He finally decided to continue with his removable forestay to Cape Town and look for shelter there and repair before heading into the Indian ocean.

I got a bit bashed, there’s not enough shelter behind this small island! I was hove-to and got up the mast for a couple of hours. On the way down my bosun’s chair started falling apart, I had to cut myself free and free-climb my way down the rest of it.

Simon told Don during his weekly call.

Abhilash Tomy (IND) who kept in touch with the lead all week had a gas leak which is now repaired, and Pat Lawless (IRL) had a solent halyard snap last night in 40 knots squalls. He switched sails as explained in his daily tweet, and will repair his halyard later when the conditions ease. Ertan Beskardes (UK) still can’t store power in his batteries but is happy to be sailing in fresh winds. Ian Herbert-Jones (UK) repaired his mainsail battens and Elliott Smith (USA) is suffering major deck/hull leaks from starboard on this long, windy port tack to Trindade

The South Atlantic High is playing tricks on the lead of the fleet. While Simon and Abhilash had to go all the way down below 30° south to find easing winds, enabling a more easterly route towards Cape Town, it hasn’t been the case for those following!

Tapio Lehtinen, 250 miles north of Simon, took a more easterly route right after Trindade, getting closer to Cape Town, stealing first spot from Simon and leading the fleet towards South Africa! Damien Guillou (FRA) did the same trick another 250 miles back and took 4th position stealing both the spots of Kirsten Neuchäfer (RSA) and Abhilash Tomy (IND) places in the process!

Tapio told us during his weekly call.

It’s great here, the sailing conditions couldn’t be better, I don’t understand why we don’t always sail in this latitude! I know that the high pressure is approaching and conditions might be tricky later on, but for the moment It’s absolutely perfect weather!

Tapio Lehtinen (FIN)

Today the leaderboard is showing Tapio 1^st, Simon 2^nd, Pat 3^rd , Damien 4^th,  and to the west of them Abhilash 5^th and Kirsten 6^th , but this is only half of the story.

The tracker is calculating the distance to the next waypoint to the east in South Africa, but for now you need to go south for a commanding position. The leaderboard does not take the meteorological reality into account. In the next four days the reality will start to show and the leaderboard will change

Don McIntyre, Founder and President of the GGR

Simon Curwen (UK) and Tapio Lehtinen (FIN) who are further south and east are the first ones to get easing winds and alter course, making headway towards Cape town, meanwhile the west position of Abhilash Tomy (IND) and Kirsten Neuschäfer (RSA) penalises them in the distance to the next mark in Cape Town, and with Damien Guillou (FRA) who kept a straight route as easterly as possible right after rounding Trindade.

With the high-pressure system moving northeast quickly, it means that the latest to round Trindade will be able to cut corners and take a shorter route towards Cape Town. This is especially true for Damien Guillou, Ertan Beskardes (UK), Michael Guggenberger (AUT) and Jeremy Bagshaw (RSA). After them, the situation will be different and harder to predict.

None of the entrants have been able to print a decent Weatherfax chart so relying on their on-board tool and observations, looking how the barometric pressure rises and the wind direction and strength is easing to position the South Atlantic High.

I’ve given up on Rio after trying so many times, but I am starting to get weather forecasts from South Africa, so I may be able to get some weatherfax from them at some point.

Kirsten Neuschäfer (RSA) told us today

With their limited access to information, the sailors know where they are and can position themselves compared to the others as they talk to on the SSB radio. 

North of the Trindade mark, sailors have been doing well and curiously enjoying their wet, upwind ride South after suffering for so long in the doldrums. Ian Herbert-Jones (UK) is delighted with the progress and has definitely felt the pressure coming from Arnaud Gaist (FRA) who briefly overtook him while exiting the doldrums.  Elliott Smith (USA) has been consistently posting daily averages over 140 miles, breaking his own personal record of 159 miles on monday, and possibly working on his 7-day record, but more importantly back to his normal self after a very tough doldrum experience.

Guy Waites (UK) and Jeremy Bagshaw (RSA) are still in rough conditions, with 20 knots gusting to 40 on the nose and 4 to 5-metre waves in confused seas. They are happy at sea, all systems working and feeling comfortable but both feel their boats a bit more sluggish than they should, a sign that barnacles are back as Jeremy explains in his call and Guy in his tweet.

Good look underneath in a brief calm, Sagarmatha is covered in a field of goose barnacles.

Guy Waites (UK)

Currently rounding Trindade, Ertan Beskardes (UK) is also in good spirits despite adverse conditions and unaware he is 7th to Kirsten in a favourable position. Further west Michael Guggenberger (AUT) is having a blast on his ketch-rigged Nuri:

What I found out spending time with Nuri, is how little sail can you fly and get the best speed out of it. I am sailing the boat very differently compared to 10 days ago. I put as little sail as possible to stay very upright and get very good speed out of it, it’s surprising how good this works.

Captain Gugg told us today.

He may have made the most important discovery of the race so far, and has been consistently breaking his 7-day personal record this week  with 1024 miles -the 4th best week in the fleet since the start- and breaking his personal 24-hour record with 155 nm, only  9 miles shy of Simon’s personal best!

Most of the sailors will be through the Trindade mark in the next 7 days, but the Southern Atlantic weather system still has a few surprises in stock for the fleet over the next few days.

Expect more changes in front of the fleet!

Picture Above: Jeremy Bagshaw’s well-sailed Olleanna, the smallest boat of the fleet, has been holding her own against bigger, faster boats. Photo: Nora Havel/GGR2022

• Wet windy trades on the nose with confused seas for the GGR fleet.

• Tight group of four in pursuit of leader Simon Curwen, with Kirsten Neuschäfer going coastal.
• Big decisions ahead with a possible 900 mile diversion into the roaring 40’s rounding the South Atlantic High .
• Doldrum depression and frustration for Elliott Smith with three broken compasses.
• Boat speed and Fleet design comparisons put the Rustler 36 in its place?  

Following weeks of upwind sailing out of Europe, and a nerve-racking doldrum experience, the fleet was desperate for beam reaching trade winds to Trindade and on to Cape Town.  Instead, some have been sailing upwind in confused seas and low 30° temperatures since crossing the equator, not a friendly welcome to the South!

Simon Curwen (UK) is holding his lead over the rest of the fleet, albeit with a broken genoa halyard that will require a stop at Trindade for repairs, since the sea state does not make mast-climbing a viable option. The man of the week is Abhilash Tomy (IND) who has consistently posted the best performance all week, including several best 24-hour distances, and taking the absolute 7-day distance fleet record, gaining 210 miles over Simon!

The first five entrants will converge towards Trindade over the weekend, but they cannot turn left to Cape Town, blocked by strong easterly winds. To try would take them into headwinds for a slow and painful 2600-mile crossing to Cape Town. On paper, the best route to Cape Town for centuries has been to go South of the South Atlantic high and shoot downwind towards the Cape of Good Hope into the Indian Ocean.

That’s on paper though…  The centre of the current High lay today around 10°W 40°S, a whole 1200 miles south of Trindade Island and will be pushed East leaving a trail of light winds behind. Meanwhile a low-pressure system will push North mid next week. In short, it’s a mess with unstable winds and difficult predictions for the sailors.

To get to the bottom of the high and ensure downwind conditions, sailors would have to push South to the roaring 40’s, another 1200-nautical mile, or an extra 10 ten days. Weather information will be vital. Weather fax maps (should they get one off the coast of Brazil), barometric pressure and wind direction can help to make their critical decision on when to turn left. Even then, they have no guarantee of finding the conditions they are looking for.

Don McIntyre, Founder and President of the Golden Globe Race:

It’s decision time next week for the leaders, they all know the best way is to get around the South Atlantic High, it’s what we did in the BOC Challenge and what other Round The World Races are doing, but where is it? Conditions are very unstable and the high is not very strong. The speed of the GGR yachts cannot compensate fast changing systems, there will be a lot of surprises and opportunities between Trindade and Cape Town.

The leaders will not be favoured by those unstable conditions. It opens an opportunity for Damien Guillou (FRA), now working his way between the mid-fleet pack and the five leaders. His strategy for sure is to get south of the high and slingshot to South Africa. So far, he is not impressed with the southern hemisphere conditions:

The Southern Trade Winds have not kept their promise: I’m upwind in very unpleasant, confused and crossed seas, so I’m trying not to get too close-hauled to keep the boat going through the waves. I can’t open the hatches because of the waves, so the heat is unbearable inside. I’m looking forward to downwind sailing, but I would settle for a beam reach!

Only Kirsten Neuschäfer (SA) has taken a closer coastal route to get the current along the coast of Brazil and is not planning to see Trindade. She has spent more time in the South Atlantic than the rest of the fleet combined on Skip Novak’s Pelagic which could well make a difference there:

I am a bit more West than I would have liked, but I’m happy with my position, although I’m sad I might not see Trindade. I have not received weather information since the Canaries and saw very few boats. I will try to get a Weather fax map in Rio to get a position for the South Atlantic high and will try to wing it! 

Guy Waites (UK) is leaving the northern hemisphere with gooseneck barnacles hanging on but celebrating his equator crossing with Champagne, offered by French friends he thanked in a heartfelt tweet . Now, only three boats remain in the Northern hemisphere. Ian Herbert-Jones (UK) on Puffin is in good spirits despite slow progress and failing mainsail batten luff cars. He has accepted his doldrum experience will be longer than expected. Arnaud Gaist (FRA) is managing the doldrums well, mentally and sailing wise, closing the gap to the fleet and may not be the last sailor to cross south. Watch this space!

Elliott Smith (USA) on the other hand went down both in the rankings and in morale after another week of slow progress East of the fleet, a dramatic change from the enlightened experience he had between France and the Canaries.

He shared his frustration on the weekly satellite call, and despair at finding his two spare compasses were broken during transportation in their package, while his main compass is not functioning correctly. He is now relying on a handheld compass for the next seven months!

Fortunately, Elliot is the first of the three tailenders to get a small low-pressure system crossing their route from East to West before the weekend, bringing sustained southerlies and possibly their lucky escape through the equator!

The variable conditions from the strong headwinds in the Bay of Biscay, trade winds towards the African coastline, and light, shifty winds in the doldrums have shown that very different boats can lead to similar performances.

The first lesson we have from this comparison of the best performing yachts is that maximum waterline length in a fleet competing in real time is important. All the leading yachts are at 36 feet LOA but LWL varies. Tapio’s Gaia 36 LWL increases as soon as he moves with his low aft overhang. Kirsten has the longest and Simon is performing better than the boat should (preparation, skipper skills and sails make a difference).

Smaller yachts like the Tradewind 35, Lello 34, Barbican 33 and OE32 have not been able to follow the pace of the larger yachts with longer dynamic LWL, never posting a 24-hour distance over 160 nm. Guy Waites shared earlier with the GGR Race Control that while in racing mode, his Tradewind 35 could not keep up with the pace of Ertan Beskardes‘s Rustler 36 in a more cruising mode and had to take a different option.

The fastest boats in the fleet, posting the most 24-hour distance records are Kirsten Neuschäfer’s Cape George, Tapio Lehtinen’s Gaia, and Abhilash Tomy/ Damien Guillou’s Rustlers all over 170 miles/day and have rather different features. The Cape George being by far the heaviest but most powerful yacht which has the potential to run away in the Southern Ocean! The Rustler is more nimble with a better sail area/ displacement ratio, and the Gaia having the lowest sail area but narrower with less wetted area and a better, heavier, deeper keel.

Interestingly neither Simon Curwen’s Biscay and Pat Lawless‘ Saga who have consistently sailed at the front of the fleet have not posted any of the top speeds and have never sailed over 165 miles in 24 hours. They are however easier to sail fast and have better average speeds, as well as doing well in heavy conditions.

In the end those designs are giving the famed Rustlers a run for their money, but the better all-round performance in all points of sail and wind conditions make them an easy choice. Having said that, GGR 2018 winner Jean-Luc Van den Heede shared with us before the start that he would probably choose a Gaia 36, if he were going around one more time, which is no other than a long-keel Swan 36…

Picture Above: Michael Guggenberger on his yacht ‘Nuri’. Picture Credit: Andre Rodrigues

# 13 sailors are still racing, Simon Curwen first across the Equator, others in the doldrums physically and psychologically. 

# Sailors suffering from isolation, injuries, lack of information and lack of wind

# Leaders hit the trade winds opening a gap with the rest of the fleet

# Kirsten, Tapio and Damien are the fastest, but will it be enough?

One month at sea and what a month it’s been! 

Starting with a rough exit of the bay of Biscay, testing sailors and boats to the limit, with Damien Guillou’s (FR) PRB returning for repairs, Edward Walentynowicz (CAN) pulling the plug on his GGR campaign, Guy deBoer (USA) grounded in Fuerteventura and Mark Sinclair (AUS) mooring his Coconut in Lanzarote for good. Now thirteen sailors battle the doldrums seeking tradewinds and a fast passage south.

Simon Curwen (UK) crossed the equator last night knowing he was still in the lead, and planned a proper “crossing the line” celebration with Neptune.

We’re going to eat together and I’m going to open a bottle of champagne. We have to celebrate this. It is a British tradition. You have to offer something to Neptune, the god of the seas…

Simon, who does not have the fastest boat, took the lead in Cape Finisterre on September 9th and has held it ever since. The experienced solo sailor seemed unfazed by the ordeal as he saw his lead melting below 100 miles in the doldrums. His experience campaigning his J/105 Voador short-handed for 15 years, and  many years racing his Classe Mini 6.50  before that, has certainly come in handy. 

First into the tradewinds, he is now trucking at 5 knots on a direct route towards Trindade Island in his South, the next rounding mark which he should reach in 10 days. He remains in good spirits, enjoying his time at sea. 

I’m quite happy to be alone with myself. I have music and books to read… Friends gave me tapes and I took things I listened to when I was 20. Like Led Zeppelin and the Beatles. It’s good to listen to this music again. (…) So far, it’s going well. I’m not bored at all. There’s always work to be done… I spend two hours a day on the charts and the sextant, to do the calculations. I also have to look after the sails before heading south. And sometimes you spend an enormous amount of time just looking at things…

( Listen to Simon Curwen’s this phone recording from GGR Soundcloud Chanel here )

Not all the fleet, however, has been dealing equally well with the lack of wind, lack of communications, lack of information and prolonged isolation. Don and the GGR team at Race Control have felt it during the scheduled weekly satellite safety calls. Entrants can only call Race Control, not family and friends. Some demoralised GGR sailors called to chat, share their frustrations and trump the isolation after a month alone. A few are questioning why they are there, others if it is even possible to continue with severe lack of family contact. 

The entrants, who felt overloaded with public and media attention in the weeks leading to the start, now welcome the weekly safety and media calls as a change in their routine and only chance to chat to the outside world.

The GGR skippers are having slightly more contact with the outside world than their 1968 counterparts. Part of this is safety, like the compulsory daily tweet to race management, but also to help share their experience at sea with the public and GGR followers, like the newly introduced weekly media calls where a news organisation can call them for an exclusive interview.

Don McIntyre, Founder and President of the Golden Globe Race.

The difference with 1968 is that back then people did not have the constant noise and fast communications of today, so did not miss it. Sailors were even worse off back then and could not communicate other than throwing letters and films on passing ships, or going into specific places like the Canaries, Cape Town, Australia or New Zealand. The Golden Globe Race is re-creating those letter and film drops.

The instant communications and gratifications we have in the modern world, makes the isolation of entrants all the more intense, and sometimes painful, which is why we allow the voluntary calls to GGR Race Control.

Don added

When the mind is strong, sometimes it’s the body that gives-up. Guy Waites (UK) who had an otherwise good week of sailing is facing swelling legs and ankles due to the humidity and lack of walking exercise. Michael Guggenberger (AT) is also looking after his swollen feet, as well as hands and knees, damaged by the humidity and hard work.

I’m dancing a lot on board to keep fit and cure my ailments!

Michael Guggenberger (AT) told us

Pat Lawless (IE) thinks he broke a rib when shoved across the cockpit.

I had an accident, the mainsheet caught me in the shoulder and threw me inside the cockpit, it was four days ago and I have had a sore rib since. The shoulder must have a torn ligament, but it’s slowly improving.

Pat Lawless (IE)

When your mind and body are fine, sometimes it’s the boat that is causing problems as South African entrant Jeremy Bagshaw found out.

Jeremy is happy at sea and has not hurt himself since climbing the mast in Les Sables d’Olonne, but was finding Oleanna sluggish as Damien was catching up. During a calm he decided to dive on the hull to check the coppercoat antifouling only to discover with horror that 70% of his hull was covered with gooseneck barnacles!

I checked the hull in Spain arriving from South Africa, and again in Les Sables d’Olonne before the start, and all was fine. Two days after the Lanzarote film drop I dove in again and had seen nothing.Yesterday, just two weeks later I was shocked to discover 2 cm long barnacles colonising the hull. Fortunately I’ve been able to get rid of them all.

Jeremy Bagshaw (SA)

This is obviously a staunch reminder of Tapio Lehtinen’s (FIN) ordeal in the 2018 who discovered in the Indian Ocean that his Asteria was covered with Barnacles. He refused to dive for fear of sharks and was not allowed to scrape his hull in Australian territorial waters. He completed his round the world tour in 322 days, being last to finish, and earning the nickname of “Captain Barnacles”

Tapio is not slowed by Barnacles this time. Not only has he been challenging Kirsten’s second place all week, but he also has the second best 24-hour distance with 174.19 nautical miles! This morning, as he sat in the cockpit eating his porridge, he saw another sail a few miles away. It was Pat Lawless. A fun duel began immediately. Tapio was covering him all morning, hurting his elbow in the process but having the most fun in weeks! It shows how intense the fight is at the forefront of the fleet, even in the middle of the empty ocean.

So far only Jeremy has seen the dreaded barnacles, but other unsuspecting sailors may be impacted. The calms of the doldrums are the last place they can swim and check their hull before venturing in the southern hemisphere trade winds. Let’s hope they will!

A minority, like Simon, are happy at sea, in good physical condition and sailing fast. This definitely is the case this week for Kirsten Neuschäfer (SA) whose laconic daily tweets suggest she is not in need of communications!

It was difficult to concentrate on preparing for such a big trip while having a lot of public and media interest, as well as attending events. I’ve really enjoyed my solitude, and I’ve had some really adrenaline-fuelled moments, like helming the boat through squalls with the gennaker where it was a really a bit on the edge because we were in a situation where I didn’t have the nerve to leave the tiller, so those were pretty exhilarating moments.

said Kirsten

Kirsten, who exited the bay of Biscay in 9th position, has been consistently posting the best 24-hour distances and holds the fleet record at 174.73 nm per day, allowing her to get back to second position this morning.

I don’t know where I am in the fleet and actually prefer not knowing where the others are, and just enjoy sailing. I also enjoy not having the GPS and sailing with all the instruments off the boat.

Kirsten Neuschäfer (SA)

Another sailor not suffering mentally or physically, and working hard to get back at the front is French favourite Damien Guillou, who has been gaining places ever since he left Les Sables d’Olonne with a 6-day delay after repairing and reinforcing his windvane.  He has gone from last to 6th, leading the mid-fleet pack earlier this week, although the doldrums make the ranking change several times a day.

With people around me, I’m in a racing mindset. A cruising boat is not relaxing when you work it like a racing boat. We’ve been away for a month” Said Damien “There are at least five (six- Editor) more to go… The wind will soon change. Even if we don’t have the weather information on board, the St Helena high (a.k.a. South Atlantic high) can generate huge gaps.

Damien Guillou (FR)

Many wonder if the obvious speed, talent, hard work and determination of the Finisterian sailor that enabled his comeback will be enough to catch-up on Simon and the leaders. Michel Desjoyeaux who won his second victory on the 2008-2009 Vendée Globe, after going back to Les Sables d’Olonne, 200 miles after the start, for repairs and leaving with a 40-hour delay, gave us a hint on twitter earlier this week :

He is doing a “Desjoyeaux’, only better! If you don’t mind me saying it!

Michel Desjoyeaux

Of course we don’t, Professeur!

Picture Above: Captain Coconut Mark Sinclair, the hero of the GGR 2018 and only Chichester Class finisher pulled out  in Lanzarote. Credit GGR22/Nora Havel

# Windless holes, dead birds, dust and flying fish play with entrants’ nerves entering the dreaded doldrums.

# Entrants missing family, some hampered with repairs, most nervous about the lack of wind.

# Back of the fleet surge toward the mid fleet, Pat, Kirsten and Abhilash chasing the leaders.

# Captain Coconut retires in Lanzarote leaving the fleet of 13 heading for the equator

# Guy deBoer’s “Spirit” successfully salvaged and ready for repairs. 

A week after the fleet crossed the Lanzarote gate, Simon Curwen (UK) is leading the fleet into the Doldrums through the 10^th parallel, where the elastic fleet expands and compresses depending on the conditions.

This week, it’s been mainly compression for the leaders Simon Curwen (UK) and Tapio Lehtinen (FIN), who after making most of their time west of the stormy low-pressure system are now hitting the windless wall of the Doldrums. With the wind strengthening from the North, the back of the fleet has made good progress on the leaders, and the mid fleet pack. This benefited Damien Guillou (FR) in his chase back to the top, reducing the gap from 700 miles in Lanzarote to 500 today.

There were a few changes in positions for Kirsten Neuschäfer (SA), 5th in Fuerteventura and her compatriot Jeremy Bagshaw, a close 6th then. Kirsten, spending long hours at the helm posted the best daily average with several days around 170 miles, enabling her to close on Abhilash Tomy (IND), eventually stealing 4th place from him before chasing Pat Lawless (IRL), himself catching Tapio Lehtinen (FIN), 200 miles to the east of him. 

Jeremy Bagshaw (SA) who is no stranger to bold moves and options, broke away from Kirsten last Saturday for a western route into the Cape Verde islands looking for fresh winds, which he is currently clearing, but lost 3 places in the process, falling from 6th to 9th place. He is currently sailing in fresh winds 350 miles west of Elliott Smith (USA), and now has Damien Guillou (FR) and Ian Herbert-Jones (UK)  following his track into the islands.

The doldrums are a windless belt around the equator where the NW trade winds of the northern hemisphere collide with the SE trades of the southern hemisphere. The heat forces the hot, humid air into the atmosphere where it transforms into pouring rain after cooling down.

This zone of weak, erratic winds, hot weathers, squalls and showers was feared in the ancient times where ships could stay for weeks at a time. Today the doldrums are no longer a danger, but for the GGR entrants with little outside communications, they can still play with the nerves.

Crossing the equator will be a first for many and the pinch of isolation is becoming real with several entrants sharing that they are missing family and friends. Others had quite surreal experiences such as Elliott Smith (USA) experiencing special offerings from the Saharan winds.

It was a night of storm and lightning, and the next morning I wake up and there was dust everywhere, orange dirt, four dead birds on the deck, some of them decapitated, flying fish everywhere, grasshoppers and crickets, and then a big black nasty looking locusts as big as my thumb. This is when I realised I had left the hatch open…

Elliott said on his weekly call on Wednesday, sharing how big an adventure he had taken on.

Many have ongoing problems heading in the southern hemisphere: Ertan Beskardes (UK) who experienced early electrical problems with a short-circuit and smoke, called Race Control this week reporting batteries issues, not keeping charge and that he was struggling with his power management. He had planned to stop in Cape Verde Islands for repair and continue in Chichester Class, but later decided to soldier on through the doldrums and try to solve it. He is running on minimal power now and it is obvious the batteries have been seriously damaged. He is prepared to finish the Race without power, using his emergency solar system to recharge critical safety comms.

Guy Waites (UK) has been working on his staysail cars, and spinnaker pole issues Arnaud Gaist (FR) has been working on deck fittings, preserving his sails and is shocked at some of his running rigging that is chafing excessively.Elliot Smith re-positioned and re-stitched his mainsail clew, and found most Luff slides on the mainsail battens broken. Ian Herbert Jones is frustrated at being so far behind, but realises that for him, it is all about the voyage and enjoying the journey. Kirsten Neuschäfer seems the happiest she has been since the start and feels back in the Race! Listen to her latest weekly call here 

All are taking advantage of the doldrum to maintain and prepare the yacht for future trade winds. They find solace in their regular HF radio session chats, comparing positions and passing on weather information. 

Meanwhile this week, Captain Coconut Mark Sinclair, the popular Australian sailor decided to pull into Lanzarote and retire from the GGR 2022 

I wanted to start this edition but it was a big effort to get ready and I think I am just tired. I had planned to make landfall in Cape Town and attend my son’s wedding, continuing the voyage in Chichester class, but it’s been a slow start and I am now two weeks behind schedule. I won’t be in time in South Africa, and probably not at the Hobart gate before January 31. 

Mark, a former Australian Navy commander and cartographer, also mentioned some medical follow-up and surgery and other pending issues since he has been away from home for ten month. He left Adelaïde in December 2021, crossing to Les Sables d’Olonne in 174 days, spending another 100 days full time without a break to get Coconut ready for the start with little time for anything else. 

Meanwhile in Fuerteventura, Guy deBoer (USA) has reunited with his Tashiba 36 Spirit, which has been lifted off the rocks where he landed on September 18^th. Spirit’s salvage involved building a sand road for the mobile crane and the low-bed truck to get to the boat, getting the mast off and lifting the boat onto a low-bed truck. Driving it out was easy without extra damage. Sadly, the boat has been visited in the meantime, with a significant amount of material including the Hydrovane, Watt & See generator, winches and other material were stolen for a value exceeding USD 50,000.

In Fuerteventura, a chain of solidarity formed around Guy and his injured yacht, some local friends having found a piece of land for Spirit’s repairs.

It looks like I’m sorted, the landlord is friends with the crane operator who is ready to bring Spirit to the property and set-it up. We’re now getting the wood to build Spirit’s cradle.

Said Guy deBoer. It’s a relief for the American sailor who had been frustrated in finding a solution for his boat.    

This week is all about the fleet compressing from the back as the leaders are hitting the doldrums hard, but next week should be about offerings to Neptune, and the Southern trade winds toward the next mark: Trindade Island!

Watch out for entrant onboard footage being released on GGR Youtube Here!