Image: On April 22nd 1969 Sir Robin Knox-Johnston sailed into Falmouth at the end of his epic adventure and world first solo non stop circumnavigation in the Sunday Times Golden Globe. Image: Bill Rowntree / PPL
Sets Sail from Les Sables-d'Olonne on September 6
On 16th Sept 2025, one year before the start of the McIntyre Golden Globe 2026, a press conference was held in Les Sables d'Olonne to announce that the race will set sail for the third time from the city in September 2026.
Non-stop around the world, single-handed, without electronics
In 1968, nine skippers set sail on the first solo, non-stop race around the world. After 313 days, only one sailor succeeded in completing the feat of circumnavigating the globe: Robin Knox-Johnston, who, at the age of 29, became the first man to accomplish what many considered impossible
Another skipper became legendary during this first edition: Bernard Moitessier.
After rounding Cape Horn, while leading the race on his boat “Joshua,” he decided not to cross the finish line and continued on toward the Indian Ocean “to save his soul.” He sailed around the world one and a half times without stopping to reach the tranquility of the islands and wrote “The Long Way,” the book that continues to inspire so many adventurers.
In 1989, a new solo, non-stop round-the-world race was organised: the Vendée Globe.
2018 – 50 YEARS LATER
In 2018, 50 years after the first edition, Don McIntyre decided to revive the Golden Globe Race, and naturally turned to the town of Vendée Globe.
The project seemed crazy: a solo, non-stop round-the-world race, under the same conditions as in 1968.
No technology on board, navigation by sextant, on boats similar to Suhaili, Sir Robin’s 32-foot vessel. Mayor Yannick Moreau saw it as the ancestor of the Vendée Globe, a complementary event to the Everest of the seas, and decided to host the race.
Eighteen sailors of thirteen nationalities set sail with one goal: to beat Sir Robin Knox-Johnston’s record of 312 days and thus make history. Only five participants will finish the race.
Jean-Luc Van Den Heede, one of the world’s greatest sailors, holds the record. At the age of 73, it was Jean-Luc Van Den Heede, skipper from Les Sables d’Olonne, who achieved the feat and won the 2018 Golden Globe Race.
With six circumnavigations of the globe under his belt, this “wolf of the seas” set a record, which he still holds, by completing the GGR in 211 days.
2022 – 2023 THE RACE RETURNS
In 2022, 16 adventurers set sail from Les Sables d’Olonne for the third edition of the GGR. Tens of thousands of spectators gathered on the channel to cheer them on.
The race was followed around the world, and after 235 days at sea, Kirsten Neuschäfer crossed the finish line in first place.
A new legend is born: she becomes the first woman to win a solo round-the-world sailing race. Only three participants will finish the race.
Extreme and demanding, the GGR has earned its stripes and is now one of the must-see offshore races.
Kirsten has been recognised around the world for her performance in the GGR.
Awards
Rod Stephens Seamanship Trophy (Cruising Club of America) 2022: for her role in rescuing sailor Tapio Lehtinen, whose boat sank during the Golden Globe Race.
Blue Water Medal (Cruising Club of America) 2023: in recognition of her perseverance, skill, and 235 days of sailing during the Golden Globe Race.
Rolex World Sailor of the Year (female) – World Sailing Awards 2023: for her achievement in the Golden Globe Race, including the rescue, and for demonstrating exceptional performance.
Seamaster Award (boot Düsseldorf) 2024: award for her “historic performance” – her victory in the Golden Globe.
Cape Horn Award (Trans-Ocean, Bobby Schenk Prize) 2023: for her achievement in the Golden Globe Race, including rounding the capes and her rescue.
The Duchess of Kent Trophy (Cruising Association) presented in January 2025: in recognition of her historic victory in the Golden Globe and the rescue of Tapio Lehtinen.
SA Sports Awards – Sportswoman of the Year (South Africa) 2024: Kirsten is named “Sportswoman of the Year” in the SA Sports Awards.
The Longest Sports Event In The World
The route, starting and finishing in Les Sables-d’Olonne, covers more than 30,000 nautical miles and requires competitors to round the three legendary capes of navigation: the Cape of Good Hope, Cape Leeuwin, and Cape Horn. Competitors spend long months at sea, between 200 and 300 days without interruption, in extreme conditions, making this adventure a true test of endurance, resilience, and solitude.
Highlights of the 2022 edition
In 2022, Kirsten Neuschäfer became the first woman to win, after 235 days at sea.
A shipwreck and a heroic rescue: Finnish sailor Tapio Lehtinen saw his sailboat sink in the Indian Ocean. He was rescued by Kirsten Neuschäfer, who was also competing in the race, before being transferred to a cargo ship.
A spectacular grounding: American Guy deBoer ran aground at night on the rocks off Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands. He was rescued in the early hours of the morning by the Spanish rescue services.
A stormy dismasting: Briton Ian Herbert-Jones faced a violent storm in the Southern Ocean. His sailboat was rolled, dismasted, and severely damaged. Slightly injured, he was rescued by a Taiwanese fishing vessel.
Worldwide Media Coverage For Les Sables D’olonne
International media coverage for the image of Les Sables d’Olonne, valued at €3.6 million in 32 different countries.
A total of 240,000 visitors were welcomed to Les Sables d’Olonne, in the village, during the start and highlights of the race.
An event that confirms Les Sables d’Olonne as the capital of solo ocean racing and consolidates the city’s position as the home of the Vendée Globe.
The Rules
Qualification
To take part, it’s a race for miles: each participant must demonstrate experience, with a minimum of 8,000 miles sailed offshore, 2,000 miles sailed solo on any boat, and 4,000 miles sailed solo aboard their own GGR sailboat, under race conditions, without technology.
During the Race
The 2022 Golden Globe Race requires all competitors to use equipment that is identical, or as close as possible, to that found on board the Suhaili, the boat sailed by Robin Knox-Johnston, winner of the 1968/69 edition. Skippers will have to navigate using a sextant and nautical charts. No satellite navigation aids, electronic instruments or autopilots are permitted.
Only 22 models of production yacht are permitted to participate in the race. They must have been designed before 1988 (at least 20 copies produced from the same mould), measure between 32 and 36 feet, be constructed of reinforced polyester, have a long keel with a rudder attached to the trailing edge, and have a minimum displacement of 6,200 kg.
Skippers will be responsible for determining their own weather forecasts and keeping their logbooks, written by hand.
A unique, pure and tough challenge: a return to the golden age of solo sailing. A tribute to the traditional values of sailing.
Follow The Adventure
Competitors must bring cameras, satellite phones, and video cameras, which will be strictly controlled for the sole purpose of providing updates and allowing us to follow their adventure.
Equipment allowed on board: digital cameras and drones WITHOUT GPS. Images will be collected at the following drop-off points: Canary Islands: 20 minutes, Hobart Gate: 1 hour, and end of race: 90 minutes.
In addition to weekly safety briefings, two weekly interviews will be organized by satellite phone with any accredited media, each lasting 20 minutes.
27 Entrants, 13 Nationalities
Renowned skippers such as France’s Damien Guillou, one of the favourites in the previous edition, and Australia’s Mike Smith, determined to succeed in his third attempt.
The race will also welcome the first participant from “Generation Z,” 21-year-old Frenchman Louis Kerdelhué, as well as two young female sailors who would like to follow in the footsteps of Kirsten Neuschäfer.
Focus Skippers
Damien Guillou is about to embark on his final qualifying voyage for the 2,000-mile Golden Globe Race. A former competitor in the Golden Globe Race, he has already sailed around 17,000 miles aboard his boat.
Olivia Wyatt, one of the two female competitors, is currently sailing solo from the west coast of the United States to Cape Town in South Africa (expected to arrive in December), before heading back up to Les Sables d’Olonne for the start. Since registering for the Golden Globe Race, she has already covered around 20,000 miles.
Helga Marie, another female competitor, recently completed a round-the-world trip. She has now acquired a SAGA 36 to participate in the GGR and, despite a lack of solo sailing experience, is preparing her boat to make a double solo Atlantic crossing in order to qualify (minimum requirement: 6,000 miles solo).