Text: Margherita Pelaschier
Image: Pavlin Nadvorni Farr45 Espresso Martini ©globalsolochallenge
While eight competitors prepare to set sail from A Coruna on October 28th, the seven sailors at sea are making great strides on the route of their dreams, with a few minor setbacks along the way.
Dafydd Hughes, who set the course for the Global Solo Challenge fleet with his departure on August 26th, achieved another significant milestone on October 23rd, after nearly two months at sea: crossing the first major cape, Cape of Good Hope, the virtual gateway to the Deep South. The Welsh skipper demonstrated great skill in navigation on his Bendigedig, an S&S34, skillfully overcoming Atlantic challenges such as the Intertropical Convergence Zone and the high pressure of St. Helena.
Dafydd Hughes has reached “another milestone to rejoice in, but my attention has already shifted to the next goal: the Kerguelen Islands archipelago, before reaching Cape Leeuwin, south of Australia,” Dafydd shares. “I am doing well both mentally and physically. Bendigedig continues to take exceptional care of me, and I try to do the same for her. My focus is solely on how to navigate best. I’m pleased to have crossed the Cape of Good Hope, a performance few sailors have achieved solo. We are now sailing in the full southern ocean, and it’s interesting because all the wind patterns have changed.”
A few days before his exploit, however, he suffered a minor injury. At night, pushed by a moving line, he hit his head against a winch in a very confused sea, causing a wound above his right eye. Consulting with his nurse partner, who was guiding him from land, he applied steri-strips to the cut.
Joanna Hughes, Dafydd’s partner, shared how she’s coping with Dafydd’s absence and how they jointly faced the medical emergency: “I try to engage with my work while Dafydd is away. I decided staying home alone isn’t healthy for me; hence, I manage Team Bendigedig’s social media between ER shifts. This also keeps me from panicking when accidents happen, like Friday night. Dafydd handled the mishap well and immediately contacted me by email to inform me and send pictures of his injury. I believe he did an excellent job treating himself.
It was also a crucial lesson to be even more careful to prevent further incidents. Dafydd keeps in touch with the family, but I understand that sometimes he doesn’t get in touch because he’s very busy. When he completed his 2,000-mile qualifier for the GSC, I was worried. A close friend advised me to calm down, or things would get harder, and it wasn’t productive or healthy for either of us. So we continue to face challenges as they come. The goal is to finish the GSC and sail with this mindset without pushing Bendigedig too hard. Dafydd is in good spirits, and each milestone he achieves renews his motivation to continue. I genuinely appreciate following his journey.”
Philippe Delamare, aboard the Actual 46′ Mowgli, maintains a narrow lead in terms of estimated arrival time. On the afternoon of Friday, October 20th, he crossed the equator, the seventh time for this experienced French sailor, celebrating with a toast to Neptune and a small aperitif with crisps reserved for special moments. Delamare is sailing in the final section of the southeast trade winds, which will gradually rotate eastward. Before finding the favorable winds of the southern ocean, he will face another transition zone and could experience a slowdown for a few days.
Philippe shared in a message on Monday: “Since crossing the Equator, and even a day or two before, my position has shifted from the northern hemisphere to southern! I sail close-hauled, maintaining as straight a course as possible, pacing my days between reefing and shaking out reefs depending on the wind intensity. In reality, the wind is relatively stable, but I am right on the edge of the reef wind strength zone.”
Life on board and progress continue regularly; I take the opportunity to rest, check all the boat’s details, and optimize the settings of my autopilot, which I nicknamed Kotic, a tribute to the brave protagonist of Rudyard Kipling’s novel “The White Seal”.
The goal for this period is to try to make up for the lost time due to the disastrous weather conditions after Cape Verde. However, the intense heat combined with the inability to open the portholes for fear of wetting everything inside is the most annoying part.
Sometimes, I play cards with my friends Mowgli, Ouistiti, and Pulpi the octopus, who accompany me on this journey (see photo!) and it’s good for my morale because I’m winning 10 to 0!
Just a few more days like this, then we will have to negotiate the passage of the St. Helena high-pressure system, but once this obstacle is overcome, we can finally set sail! I can’t wait to be in the South! Although there’s a risk of being disappointed…
When I sail, I’m a bit in my own world and happy to be there; so, in general, I don’t really want to communicate, even if I’m pleased that many are following me, supporting my challenge.”
Édouard De Keyser on board his SolarWind, after successfully passing the equator on Friday 20th October in the late afternoon, had to make the difficult decision to head to Brazil to try to resolve the countless failures he is experiencing onboard. Yesterday afternoon, the Belgian skipper reached the Marina di Jacaré in Cabedelo, near João Pessoa. He immediately stocked up on water because his watermaker had stopped working and is organizing repairs he couldn’t make while at sea. In this case, under the GSC’s regulations, Édouard will have to leave Cabedelo by 18th November to still have enough time to round Cape Horn before 31st March 2024 before the worsening autumn conditions.
Here’s what De Keyser recounts in his logbook from 22nd October: “Three days ago, I left the intertropical convergence zone, battered, like my boat. To continue my route south, I had to sail upwind between the waves formed by the southeast trade winds. I had to reduce the mainsail because the situation was tough, but the reefing line broke, like other ropes onboard. That was the last straw. At the same time, my watermaker, that magical device that provides freshwater from the sea’s saltwater, refused to work. Other alarms started to sound, alerting me that the battery charge was ending. It was a challenging night, and I altered course 35° west to shield the boat from waves, also considering Brazil as a potential destination.”
The skipper eventually decided to opt for this solution, heeding a friend’s advice: “Nothing is worth more than life; without life, there’s nothing.”
His dream remains “to arrive at the Cape of Good Hope on 24th November, greeted by Kirsten Neuschäfer, the winner of the last GGR, for a grand spectacle.” So, the adventure continues with the idea of stocking up on water, making some repairs, and setting off again towards the first major cape.
Louis Robein, onboard Le souffle de la Mer III, is tackling the intertropical convergence zone which, at this time of year, is located between 5-7 degrees north. Louis, at 6° north, is in the middle and works tirelessly to get his boat to move in the light airs and inconsistent winds. For him, this challenging passage should end soon as he enters the favorable southeast trade wind zone.
Some good news comes from land, from France, where Madame Nathalie Roussel’s CM1 class at Allonzier la Caille school began following the event, “you’re never too young to follow the GSC”, and in particular, Louis’ navigation to support him in his challenge. The children are interested and passionate, even though the school is far from the sea in the Haute-Savoie region. Thanks also to Robein’s friend, Gisèle D’Hoine, who introduced this project to the teacher!
As for the three competitors who set off last Saturday, the three skippers are keeping a good pace, and while MacBrien chose to head further west to reach the cold front and find the northwest following winds, Nadvorni and Känsäkoski opted to remain on a south-southwest course.
Pavlin quickly fell into a good rhythm of life at sea, tuning into the breath of the ocean, which resonates so well with his way of feeling and being. Here are his first impressions: “What a relief to be back at sea! After spending so much time on endless work lists, worries, and trying to balance work, boat, and family. At one point, I even doubted my decision to leave. But when I arrived in A Coruna and heard Marco Nannini, the organizer of the GSC, announce over the radio: “Started!”, I felt a huge relief.
Adapting to life on board isn’t hard for me; in fact, it feels like returning to my natural environment. A parallel dimension that belongs to me and has, with its simplicity and authenticity, captured my heart many years ago and still holds it tight. What could be simpler and at the same time more magnificent than Nature, a boat in the middle of the ocean, and a person who feels privileged to be a tiny particle in this vastness?
From a competition standpoint, the route from the starting line to Finisterre was tactical. What really challenges me is my lack of patience when the wind drops. They say that good sailors are recognized in races with no wind, so I am not among them. Sailing at a crawl in 3-4 knots of wind, at the edge of the maritime traffic separation zone, was never my idea of fun.
However, once the much-anticipated NW winds came after the second night at sea, which I spent jibing several times to make the most of the ever-changing wind direction under the low, rain-filled clouds, my sleep routine returned. I started preparing good hot meals again. The sun that came out this morning, drying the deck, felt like a reward.
The good speeds recorded in the first days, between 7 and 11 knots, without too much strain on the boat (and the skipper), might warrant a toast with a good glass of red wine… For some reason, I feel that this perfectly completes the start of this once-in-a-lifetime adventure.”
William MacBrien and Ari Känsäkoski have not yet communicated their feelings, surely focused on their first days at sea, and both are performing well, kicking off their GSC adventure on the right foot.
The next departure from A Coruna is scheduled for Saturday, October 28th, weather permitting, and eight skippers will be untying their mooring lines. In the Class 40 fleet, Cole Brauer on First Light, François Gouin on Kawan 3, David Linger on Kaloa Maoli, Juan Merediz on Sorolla, Riccardo Tosetto on Obportus, and finally, Kevin LePoldevin on the Open 40 Roaring Forty, whose arrival from Falmouth, UK, where he had to move due to tourist visa restraints in Spain, is expected on Wednesday, October 25th, in the afternoon. Ronnie Simpson on his Open 50’ Shipyard Brewing and Alessandro Tosetti on the ULDB 65’ Aspra complete the list of competitors ready to start
.
To stay updated on the competitors’ positions, the tracker is available on the GSC website: https://globalsolochallenge.com/tracking/ or by downloading the “YB Races” app, which allows you to track positions from your phone.
The Global Solo Challenge started on August 26. Given its unique format, the 20 registered skippers are departing in staggered starts, depending on the performance of their boats.
For more details on each skipper’s departure dates, please visit this link on the event website: https://globalsolochallenge.com/start-dates