With one group of round-the-world sailors setting sail on the VENDEE GLOBE last Sunday, it seemed like an opportune moment for the majority of the skippers due to compete in the 2nd edition of the GLOBE40 to come together for the first time yesterday, 12 November. Nearly thirty skippers and project managers from 10 different nations logged into the video conference to familiarise themselves with the event’s organisation team, skippers scattered all over the world, from Reunion Island to Europe, Canada and Brazil. The fleet is set to begin its own circumnavigation of the globe with a prologue in Lorient, France, on 31 August 2025, followed by the official start in Cadiz on 14 September.

 On track and raring to go

Event Manager Manfred Ramspacher started the conference by outlining how the project is progressing in terms of the competition and finalising the course. With the next phase of registration set as January 2025 in the Notice of Race, around a dozen firm projects form the current solid base for entries with several other candidates currently organising their partnerships and purchasing boats (9 Class40s have been bought to compete in the race since May 2023), or getting close to making a final decision. Over recent weeks, a number of brand-new projects have also been unveiled, with some entries already voicing an interest in the 3rd edition: “The organisation team is unanimous in its observation that entry numbers are much more comfortable than they were for the first edition: all the projects that have been announced are in possession of their Class40s and the level of experience is high with a large number of skippers hailing from Class Mini. Equally, a training phase has been set up in Lorient with the 4 current teams set to be fleshed out to 6, plus a lot of Class40s have gone into refit of late to prepare for next year’s challenges.” In terms of the course, the broad outlines were announced on 27 June 2024 and the organisation team is putting the finishing touches to the contractual elements and the technical preparation, with the pinpointing of locations for future venues under way, including that of Cape Verde last week.

Analysis of the technical results from the 1st edition

François Angoulvant, Technical Director of the race in 2022/2023, and Brice Le Nel, head of the renowned company TEEM, shared their feedback with the skippers in relation to their technical analysis of the debut edition. The first GLOBE40 event managed to avoid major technical issues, structural problems and dismastings despite covering 34,000 miles out on the racetrack, the only incident relating to the Japanese competitor after his boat collided with a UFO. Given the extensive experience racked up in the last edition in terms of assistance within the race format, every topic was assessed in detail, from the structures to the keels, rudders, rigs, sails, deck fittings, electronics, computers and energy. In conclusion, the results indicated that although technical preparation is a prerequisite, and a thorough overhaul at each stopover  is important, the Class40 itself has proven itself to be a highly reliable and solid offshore racing yacht, which is high-tech yet manageable and entirely suited to a round-the-world programme within the scope of the GLOBE40 course.

A round-the-world race course with its own unique identity

Miranda Merron, set to take on the role of Race Director in the 2nd edition, also had the opportunity to talk to the future competitors about the measures set out in the new Notice of Race, which remains in line with the previous version, albeit with a few modifications. Firstly, there will be a reduction in the number of course legs from 8 to 6 and they will become increasingly difficult as some 3,000 miles are covered in the prologue and leg 1, prior to the 1st long leg to Reunion Island. The race will also start 2 months later in the season and the prologue will now form part of the overall ranking with a coefficient of 0.5. Furthermore, some new equipment will be required, including the obligation for on-board heating. Moreover, each crew will be individually assessed with a view to their qualification, with additional miles potentially being required according to which leg they compete in.

Estelle Greck, a familiar face on the traditional Figaro and Class40 circuits, joined the discussion to share her own experience of the GLOBE40, having raced in 2 legs in 2022, including the passage around Cape Horn, which she won alongside the Japanese competitor Masa Suzuki. She spoke of her wonder at being able to navigate seas which are unfamiliar to the majority of skippers from the traditional circuits, as well as round Cape Horn, a dream she’d had as a little girl. She also explained that with a serious amount of preparation for the race, the GLOBE40 course was in no way an insurmountable challenge. Indeed, in terms of difficulty, she compared it to an upwind beat across the North Atlantic in November.

Christian Dumard, the meteorologist for this event, as well as a plethora of major offshore races, then went on to present the key features of the weather for the GLOBE40 course, which it is worth noting differs from that of a VENDEE GLOBE course, the latter involving high-latitude regions for longer periods: “The entire course, which is setting sail 2 months later for this edition, runs through the austral summer, which weatherwise is obviously more favourable for the passage around the 3 capes. Although the sailors are required to drop down to round the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Horn, this is only for a limited period and most of the course in these areas will involve downwind conditions.”

Finally, Robin Mauvais, project manager of the GLOBE40, presented the typical programme for each leg, which included aspects such as immigration and customs, the hospitality lined up to welcome the competitors, and also their families, who are an integral part of the project. These positive exchanges are set to continue of course as this is just the start of a journey that will forge strong bonds among fellow skippers and between skippers and the organisation team. According to Mélodie Schaffer, the inspiring Canadian skipper who played a pivotal role in the 1st edition and has signed up for another epic round-the-world adventure in the GLOBE40 2025/2026, these bonds culminate in a deep sense of solidarity, a ‘GLOBE40 spirit’ that will be remembered forever.