Luck may win Global Solo Challenge

The inaugural Global Solo Challenge 2023-24 seeks to be a budget-friendly solo, non-stop race around the world. Using a pursuit format for the 2023-24 race, entrants from 34 to 70 feet will depart between August 26 to January 6 from A Coruña, Spain, with the first boat to return deemed the winner.

While the start times factor in the speed of the boat along the course, they don’t know what the weather will be on those start dates, and it is inevitable that some of the entrants will get luckier than others. So far, after being the first and lone starter, Dafydd Hughes has  had favorable weather conditions on his S&S34 Bendigedig.

His southerly trajectory along the traditional course in the North Atlantic is a solid approach as it takes into account the performance of his boat, which is the slowest in the event. Bendigedig is not a boat made for planing and generally maintains an average speed of 5-6 knots for most of the journey.

According to estimates, the theoretical time required for his circumnavigation should be around 202 days. Since his departure, projections on his total time have varied between 188 and 206 days, depending on the speeds recorded day by day. This indicates he is perfectly in line with expectations for his boat, conducted at its best.

Off the Canary Islands, Hughes narrowly avoided a ridge of flat calms that threatened to interrupt his excellent progress. Currently, he is sailing in the flow of the Trade Winds, which traditionally make sailors’ lives easier by blowing from the northeast in the northern hemisphere. The next challenge awaiting him is to best navigate the Intertropical Convergence Zone, better known as the Doldrums.

He will slow down a bit as he faces the challenges of the Doldrums and looks for the best route south beyond the Saint Helena high-pressure system. He will certainly feel a “rubber band effect” as if the time required for his circumnavigation stretches out. However, once he reaches a latitude of about 35 degrees south, he will enter the southern oceans.

There, he will find himself in the carousel of the southern depressions, with more challenging conditions but allowing him to achieve higher average daily speeds. This will be the time to accumulate miles, preparing for potentially slower days and calm periods as he approaches the final stretch of his journey, returning north in the Atlantic.

“Here, in the heart of the Atlantic, everything is going wonderfully well,” said Hughes. “I am fully enjoying every single moment spent at sea. I’ve been lucky: the Wind Gods have been favorable to me, which has certainly made things easier.

“The start of the race is a moment that will remain etched in my mind and heart for a long time. It was incredibly moving to share that first milestone with my family, who were there, near the starting line, on a RIB. Of course, when I saw them return to land and I was left alone at sea, I felt a lump in my throat. I know it will be a long time before I can see them again, but I am aware that by realizing my dream, I will also make them happy and proud.”

The next starter will be Édouard De Keyser and his Solaire 34 SolarWind on September 16, 2023.

Race details – Entry list – Start times – Tracking