First leg complete for Globe40

Seven teams are competing in the Globe40, an eight leg round the world race for doublehanded Class40 teams. The first leg began June 26 in Morocco bound for the finish in Cape Verde but with Madeira and the Canaries as marks on the course.

Winning the leg was the Japanese crew of Masa Suzuki and Koji Nakagawa which covered 1884 miles in 7 days 2 hours and 25 minutes at an average speed of 11.06 knots. They arrived in Mindelo Bay at 15:25 hours local time on July 3, 2022.

After the start from Tangier, there was little separating the fleet in the first bracing phase of the course leading the fleet down towards Madeira, which saw them posting a daily average of up to 300 miles with a steady trade wind on the beam. However, the first turn of the course would prove pivotal.

Demonstrating great tactics in the wind shadow of Madeira, a situation well analyzed prior to the start by the race’s weather guru Christian Dumard, MILAI Around the World opened up a lead of around 70 miles ahead of their closest rival SEC HAYAI. The Japanese crew then managed to hold onto their advantage in the second section of the course between Madeira and the Canaries, approaching the island of Tenerife at first light on June 29.

In the third phase of the course, between the Canaries and the island of Sao Vincente in Cape Verde, MILAI managed to avoid the pitfalls of the hefty wind shadow created by Tenerife before closing on the African coast and then being the first to gybe off the coast of Mauritania and launch onto a direct course for Cape Verde.

Making further gains in the closing miles, the leaders managed to extend away from their pursuers once more, ultimately stretching out their lead to nearly 140 miles ahead of their main rival SEC HAYAI.

“This is our first round of the Globe40 and we have a good feeling after two years of preparation,” said Suzuki. “We had a great time on the water; Madeira was a difficult time and we are happy to have passed it in good conditions and to have had the right strategy.”

Koji Nakagawa added, “We have an excellent team and I am very happy with it, the best moment was obviously the passage to Madeira; this is my first visit to Cape Verde and I am really surprised by the high quality of the welcome.”

The first leg of around 2,000 miles ranks as coefficient 1, with the race set to become tougher still the further along the racetrack the sailors get. Indeed, the second leg offers the first long course with 7,000 miles to reach Mauritius, ranked as a coefficient 3 leg, with the fleet setting out from Mindelo on July 17.

Race details – Entries – Tracker

First Leg Results:

Seven teams are competing in the inaugural Globe40, an eight leg round the world race for doublehanded Class40 teams. The first leg started June 26, with all legs counting toward the cumulative score with the longer distances more heavily weighted. The race is expected to finish March 2023.

Start:
Tangier, Morocco

Stopovers:
Sao Vincente, Cape Verde Islands
Port Louis, Mauritius
Auckland, New Zealand
Papeete, French Polynesia
Ushuaia, Argentina
Recife, Brazil
St Georges, Grenada

Finish:
Lorient, France

Source: Andy Rice