However, there are no racing rules and the boats can be sailed alone or with crew members such as friends and family members. In Les Sables d'Olonne, the prospective circumnavigators can look forward to the Race Village in the Vendée port of Port Olona, where a tight programme awaits them and their boats until the start on 4 September
Security checks for the Golden Globe
The relatively short Biscay cruise was intended, among other things, to enable theOrganisersenable the security andCommunication systemson board the yachtsFunctionalitysuch as the yellowbrick tracker and the satellite communication systems on board the 15 soloists who have qualified for the race. In addition, Les Sables will be the lastSafety instructionsand checks. Only then will it be clear who is actually allowed to start.
First boats have arrived
The first sailors haveFrench harbour cityin which every four years theVendée Globe reached the start line on Tuesday morning. The Frenchman was the first to arriveDamien Guillou on hisRustler 36 "PRB" ("The special boat" in YACHT 17/2022), followed by the BritishSimon Curwenwho sailed the trip on his Biscay 36 together with his daughter Nikki. In third place was the South AfricanKirsten Neuschäfer with her Cape George 36. The 39-year-old with German roots sailed solo.
Collision with freighter
For the Indian Tomy Abhilash the opening sail brought the first majorSetback even before the actual start: despite having a crew on board, it collided with aDutch freighter. Details of the causes and the condition of the yacht are not yet known.
Background: the Golden Globe Race
The Golden Globe Race (GGR) starts on 4 September in Les Sables-d'Olonne in France. From there it goes on theclassic route non-stop around the globe. Four waypoints must be called at along the route - off Lanzarote, Cape Town, Hobart and Punta del Este. The boats are expected back in Les Sables-d'Olonne in spring 2023. Further information is available at www.goldengloberace.com
