Special attention was paid to the performance of 29-year-old American solo sailor Cole Brauer. She rounded the infamous Cape in second place and was the only woman in the field. She was even congratulated on her achievement by sailing legend Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, President of the International Association of Cape Horners, and Dee Caffari, the first woman to sail non-stop around the world in both directions.
Brauer is in second place on her Class 40 "First Light" behind Frenchman Philippe Delamare. The skipper of the 46-foot aluminium yacht "Mowgli" rounded Cape Horn on 9 January in difficult weather conditions shortly before a cold front. Brauer, meanwhile, passed the Cape in better conditions after analysing the weather extensively. The young professional sailor is also a star on Instagram, where she shared the emotional moment of the Cape Horn passage with her fans.
The skippers of the Global Solo Challenge are allowed to communicate with the outside world and with their team on land - unlike the crews in the Ocean Globe Race taking place at the same time.
The 13 yachts taking part are currently competing in the third leg, which started on 14 January in New Zealand and around Cape Horn. The fastest have already passed Point Nemo, the furthest point on earth from any land mass. The leading crews on this leg also include sailors on internationally renowned yachts such as "Maiden" and "Pen Duick VI".
So far, the fleet has experienced the Southern Ocean at the height of the dreaded Furious Fifties as rather calm. But there are still well over a thousand nautical miles to go to Cape Horn. After that, it's time for everyone to head north. Before the 6,550 nautical mile home run to southern England, a stopover in Uruguay is planned. The fourth and final leg begins there on 5 March.
About the Global Solo Challenge
Since the end of August 2023, 14 solo sailors, including one female sailor, have started the race around the world on yachts of different sizes in A Coruña, Spain. One boat flying the German flag is not taking part. The Düsseldorfer Philipp Hympendahl originally wanted to compete with a Comfortina 38but had to abandon the project.
About the Ocean Globe Race
The Retro race around the world is taking place this year to mark the 50th anniversary of the 1973 Whitbread Round the World Race. On 10 September 2023, 14 crews set off from Southampton on the 27,000-mile voyage, which is divided into four stages and leads through the Southern Ocean and around the three large capes.
The stopovers are in Cape Town in South Africa, Auckland in New Zealand and Punta del Este in Uruguay, before the circumnavigation ends back in the UK in April 2024.
