Image: Class40s @globalsolochallenge
Text: Margherita Pelaschier GSC
This past week in A Coruna was marked by intense rains and strong winds, weather conditions that were quite unfavorable for finalizing the last details on the boats’ preparations. The skippers are however coming together in an increasingly solid and cohesive community, thanks to the bonds of friendship that are created on the dock of Marina Coruña ahead of their great adventure. The competitors are truly embracing the spirit of the Global Solo Challenge, which also aims to unite and give the opportunity for people from many different nationalities, eleven in this first edition, to realize a shared dream of sailing around the world solo. They will navigate the approximately 26,000 miles of the route alone, but this group spirit will accompany and motivate them in their adventure, because, as an African proverb says, “alone we go faster, but together we go further.”
The next departure is scheduled for October 21st, and the three competitors setting sail are Pavlin Nadvorni on the Farr45 Espresso Martini, Ari Känsäkoski aboard the Class40 ZEROChallenge, and William McBrien on the Class40 Phoenix.
Ari Känsäkoski, a Finnish skipper, in addition to being a sailor and a sailing coach, is also an interior designer and architect with a passion for eco-sustainability. This is why he named his GSC project and his boa ZEROChallenge, to promote recycling principles and carbon emission reduction in both sports and lifestyle. These days, he and his team are installing additional solar panels, a task made even more challenging by the adverse weather conditions.
William MacBrien arrived this morning at Marina Coruña after delivering the boat from Caen, where he had completed refit work at the V1D2 shipyard on his Class40 Phoenix. The journey, amidst autumn depressions, posed an added challenge for the Canadian sailor, who has only a few days left to prepare before lining up for the GSC starting line.
Pavlin Nadvorni, a Bulgarian skipper, always eager to respond to the GSC editorial team’s requests for updates on his preparation, shares: “Espresso Martini is ready, safety checks are done, and everything is in place for our departure. I have already refueled, and I just need to load the last fresh foods like tomatoes and some Spanish ham. I am pleased with how I managed to prepare my boat, although it’s now quite heavy with provisions and equipment. But I see this is a common issue among all the skippers.” Pavlin, who had an unfortunate incident due to an orca attack during his transfer from Varna, managed to make repairs and reconstruct the damaged tip of his rudder: “The weather assisted me during the three days I carried out the repairs, otherwise, I wouldn’t have made it.”
This experience led him to reflect on the importance of planning every detail of a project that requires utmost care and seriousness: “In forty years at sea, I’ve learned you have to try and anticipate events as much as possible because unforeseen challenges always arise. In my opinion, the GSC is a challenge that needs to be approached professionally. We sailors might not be professionals like the Vendée Globe sailors, but once we set off, the weather conditions and the ocean are the same for everyone. Moreover, we manage all the preparation alone or with small teams, so we need to be even more serious and better organised,” Nadvorni concludes.
On Monday, October 16, the Global Solo Challenge community in A Coruna also welcomed the arrivals of sailors Juan Merediz, aboard the Class40 Sorolla from Valencia, and François Gouin, on his Class40 Kawan 3, from Brittany.
Upon arriving at Marina Coruña, Merediz shared his feelings about this joyful moment, another small milestone in preparing for the challenging GSC: “I saw the sunrise in Galicia this morning. In front of me were the Sisargas Islands, 15 miles away, and then A Coruña. There were moments when I doubted reaching this point. The work is not yet over; it’s not time to rest or fret, I remain completely focused on the start. Sorolla has proven to be an exceptional travel companion, demonstrating its worth even during these 1,054 miles from Valencia. As always, the next miles will be the most challenging, but we are ready to face them!”
Cole Brauer, with the assistance of her team that met her in Spain, is finalizing preparations on her Class40 Firs Light and appears calm and optimistic in facing the upcoming challenge: “I feel really good! I have an excellent team that keeps pace with all the projects, and our task list is significantly shrinking! Everything went very well during the transfer, and although we encountered a few initial issues with all the new equipment we added in Newport, we’re now adjusting them. We’re replacing the halyards, supplied by Gorilla Rigging, from 8mm to 10mm in diameter, so they are even more resilient for sailing in the challenging seas and winds of the Southern Ocean. In A Coruña, Dave White, a marine equipment expert, joined us, helping to get the boat in perfect condition before departure! Additionally, I’ve managed to finalize a few small details for the provisions and have completed my selection of teas for the round-the-world trip.”
David Linger, an American skipper, is mainly focusing on organizing equipment and spaces onboard his Class40 Kaloa Maoli: “I have checked and arranged all the equipment and spare parts. I am verifying the safety equipment and supplementing them with the latest flares. I’ve also changed the last number I had left to put on the sails. Another aspect I’ve worked on this week was preparing meal pouches for my provision. Seeing this vast amount of supplies, the big question now is: where will I put all this food?”, he says humorously. But before resorting to freeze-dried meals, he’s indulging in enjoying the local specialties of the Galician capital, allowing himself a well-deserved break in the restaurants of A Coruña.
Italian sailor Riccardo Tosetto, who left his Class40 Obportus 3 in A Coruña during the summer months to work as a professional skipper in the Greek islands, shares how he’s experiencing this moment. “The time is near, with only ten days left to depart, and there’s still so much to do. I won’t deny that there’s a bit of tension in the air, even though the boat is almost ready. There are minor details to resolve, which are time-consuming, especially given the current unfavorable weather conditions. Here in A Coruña, it’s quite rainy and windy, which delays some tasks. Overall, however, I’m pleased with how I’ve prepared the boat and how things are progressing. I feel good, eager to set sail and take on this grand adventure. These days, I can count on the support and help of Valeria, my partner, and Filippo, my wing-man who has followed the entire project. Soon, more friends will arrive to assist, and before departing, many more friends and family will join me. It will undoubtedly be a very emotional moment; I can’t even imagine it yet.”
The atmosphere here is incredible; I’ve befriended many participants, especially the Americans Cole, Ronny, and David, Bulgarian Pavlin, and my fellow countryman Alessandro. The Global Solo Challenge is also wonderful for this reason: participants savor every moment of this experience, and beyond the competitive aspect, there’s an opportunity to share moments with people who have the same dreams and passions. Here, we all help and support each other. We spend evenings together and gather every afternoon on the dock to exchange views and advice. I’m excitedly following the other competitors at sea and can’t wait to join their trail.”
At work in A Coruña, amidst this beautiful atmosphere of cooperation and collaboration, we also find Italian skipper Alessandro Tosetti on his ULDB 65’ Aspra and American skipper Ronnie Simpson on the Open 50 Shipyard Brewing, making the final preparations for the October 28th departure.
But some skippers haven’t yet reached A Coruna and are eager to join the community of solo sailors and take advantage of the meetings and final celebrations before departure. Like Kevin Le Poidevin, who is still in Falmouth, UK, due to adverse weather conditions but remains optimistic and continues working on his Open 40 Roaring Forty, hoping to soon join his GSC fellow travelers. “I’m a week behind due to the wet, cold, and windy weather, but I’ll have to complete the work I wanted to do in sunny Spain, here in Falmouth. I’m looking for a good weather window to sail to Spain, amid the continuous depressions crossing the North Atlantic, entering the Bay of Biscay and moving towards the UK. Nevertheless, a tough transfer awaits me. I hope that Friday or Saturday offers the right opportunity to depart. When I get to A Coruna, several intense workdays await to load the pieces I had shipped to Spain. Roaring Forty looks like a mobile shipyard! I still have all the materials I need for the refit onboard, which should usually be in a shed.”
The Australian sailor is experiencing a mix of emotions:
“How do I feel? Busy… I have many thoughts racing in my mind right now!
Excited to be so close to the start of my Global Solo Challenge, after four years of hard work. Frustrated and eager to get back to A Coruna to enjoy the company of other skippers and my supporters, yet aware of the need to best organize the remaining time to complete priority tasks before departure; I am studying the weather for the transfer.
Grateful to my family and friends for their encouragement and support, even from afar.
And, finally, hopeful that pesky orcas won’t cause any issues, and that the bad weather doesn’t dampen my enthusiasm.”
Andrea Mura has left Italy to transfer his Open 50’ Vento di Sardegna to A Coruna. A moving ceremony marked this moment, reaching its climax when, to the strains of “Con te partirò” by Andrea Bocelli, the Italian sailor set off.
Meanwhile, in the ocean, the four sailors already embarked on their Global Solo Challenge adventure await the other skippers to set sail in pursuit.
Louis Robein is slowly finding the right rhythm for his sailing, knowing it’s still a long journey, and his dream is just beginning.
Philippe Delamare, having recorded the best fleet performance for days and having taken the crown of the top-ranked position from Dafydd Hughes in terms of estimated arrival day, is now facing the wind lull of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). This has gradually eroded his advantage, returning the top spot to Bendigedig’s skipper.
Édouard De Keyser, struggling to progress in the ITCZ, also finds some poetry in describing these moments, despite the challenges: “Time seems to crumble, to disintegrate. Only my mind resists, trying to piece it all together. For several days, we’ve been sailing in challenging conditions, alternating between opposing winds that make the boat slam and calm spells that halt our progress.
Onboard, everything has become sticky and damp due to the stifling heat and rain. But I impose a strict Stoic discipline on my mind through practicing Epicureanism, meaning I at least try to eat well and sleep well after hard work. The magic I find each day beyond my daily struggles are the delicious meals my wife, Evelyne, prepared for me. And when things get really tough, I relax by reading a book and sipping a glass of red wine.
I’ve stopped worrying about the rankings. I know that Mowgli, Delamare’s “jungle child”, might overtake me soon, but it doesn’t matter. The words of Rudyard Kipling, which my father repeated to me when I was little, echo in my heart and mind: “You’ll be a man, my son.” Thus, the challenges, frustrations, and even ambitions of the sailor who thought he knew it all dissolve in the sparkling foam of the waves, leaving behind only a trail of happiness and the joyful laughter of the child from “mistral gagnant” (note: as in the French song “Mistral Gagnant”).
Dafydd this week celebrated both his 50th day at sea and the crossing of the Greenwich Meridian. Things couldn’t be going better, especially after hearing the news of reclaiming the top spot in the estimated arrival date rankings, which he had temporarily ceded to Delamare.
Lastly, a message from a supporter of Dafydd Hughes, Jewel D., helps us understand how the sense of community and the grandeur of the endeavor the sailors are undertaking also touch the hearts of the audience following them. Jewel writes: “Before following Dafydd’s adventure, I had never truly understood the allure of team sports. There are two aspects I’ve discovered that deeply moved me, both in rugby, which Dafydd loves, and in his maritime adventure: the strategy, vital in both sports, and being part of a community that shares in the glory and the pain, whether it’s the fifteen beating hearts of the rugby players on the field or the solo sailors around the world. This very sense of community and sharing drive me to follow the GSC. I’ve read the stories of the individuals challenging themselves to circumnavigate the globe non-stop, and it’s profoundly touching. But what strikes even more is the network of solidarity among sailors, following each other’s route in staggered departures, the presence of SuperSupportTeams that support not only their sailor but wish the best for all other participants. Then there are the organizers who coordinate everything, and us, the Independent Supporters, who feel we are an active part of this adventure, virtually escorting the participants home safely with our support from our homes. Thanks to Dafydd and all the sailors for allowing us to see the best of ourselves through their challenges. Fair winds to all!”
The Global Solo Challenge kicked off on August 26. Given its unique format, the 20 skippers will set off in staggered departures over the next four months, depending on the performance of their boats.
For more details about the sea adventures of the skippers, please visit the updated blogs on the event’s website: https://globalsolochallenge.com/blogs/
To stay updated on the competitors’ positions, the tracker is available on the GSC website: https://globalsolochallenge.com/tracking/