Plans underway for Golden Globe Race

Following the success of the 2018 Golden Globe Race, the Vendée City of Les Sables d’Olonne and its 3-town Agglomeration have voted unanimously to host the next Golden Globe Race in 2022. At a meeting on July 5, the City’s leaders also took out options to repeat the event in 2026 and 2030. The next start is scheduled for Sept 4th 2022 preceded by a two week Race Village in the Vendée Globe Marina to celebrate the history of singlehanded sailing.

The Race will once again be run under the auspices of the Royal Nomuka Yacht Club in Tonga.

“We are truly excited about this on-going relationship,” said race founder Don McIntyre. “Les Sables d’Olonne gained significant international brand awareness from the 2018 GGR, and their investment and belief in the retro concept of our race paid off handsomely in terms of destination marketing and visitors to the city.”

Being a retro race, celebrating the pioneering spirit of those sailors like Sir Robin Knox-Johnston and Bernard Moitessier who set out to become the first to sail solo non-stop around the Globe back in 1968, the Golden Globe Race concept of back-to-basic human endeavour in small traditional yachts, fits well alongside the professionally sailed Vendée Globe state-of-the-art flying foilers.

Timing of the GGR in 2022-23 also fits perfectly in the middle of the Vendée Globe four-year cycle, covers both ends of the spectrum for any audience, and gives Les Sables d’Olonne one of the two biggest solo around the world races every two years.

The support package provided by Les Sables d’Olonne will be significantly larger than in 2018. The Village will be bigger, more entertaining, and media plans and coverage for the GGR will be upgraded. Sponsor interest in backing the GGR has also increased, with potential partners now knocking on the door.

“As organizers, it is exciting to have a concrete plan so early, with solid logistic support and technical partners who know the game so well,” said McIntyre. “The French people have a great sense for adventure, and thanks to events like the Golden Globe and Vendée Globe races, social media is spreading this passion like wildfire, inspiring millions more around the world to follow these sailors.”

Rule changes
The official GGR 2022 Notice of Race will be released on Sept. 4th 2019, three years before the start. Significant additions to the Rules include the approval of HF radio weather facsimile units that will allow entrants to receive current and future forecast weather maps direct on-board, sponsor signage allowance on hull has been doubled in size, and maximum of two direct sat phone media interviews per week will be allowed.

Entries in the SUHAILI CLASS have been increased from 20 to 23, with the maximum number of JOSHUA CLASS entries has been dropped from 10 to 7. Full digital (Non GPS) cameras and drones will be allowed and any entrants under 21 years of age at the start of the GGR will have 100% of their entry refunded when they sail past the Canaries film drop.

Entries
Entries for the 2022 GGR now stand at 22 from Austria (1), Australia (5), Canada (1), France (2), Ireland (1), Italy (1), New Zealand (1), Norway (1), UK (7), and USA (2); four of which remain confidential.

Event details – Entry list – Facebook

Background:
The 2018 Golden Globe Race started for 17 skippers from Les Sables d’Olonne on Sunday July 1, 2018, with the inaugural solo non-stop around the world yacht race expected to take 9-10 months to complete.

The event marks the 50th anniversary of the Sunday Times Golden Globe solo non-stop round the world race in 1968-69 when rules then allowed competitors to start from ports in northern France or UK between June 1st and October 31st.

A notable twist to the 2018 Golden Globe Race format is how entrants are restricted to using the same type of yachts and equipment that were available in that first race, with the premise being to keep the race within financial reach of every dreamer.

The rules allow for one breach of the strict solo, non-stop un-assisted circumnavigation without the aid of modern electronic navigation aids regulations that make this Race unique. However, those that do move down to the Chichester Class as if, like Sir Francis Chichester in 1966-67, they have made one stop during their solo circumnavigation.

Those who breach the rules for a second time are deemed to have retired from the GGR Event and the organisers have no responsibility or obligation to them.

Source: GGR