The Golden Globe Race gets underway: 16 sailors following in the footsteps of the great solo sailing pioneers

These are legendary vessels that visitors are strolling past these days in Les Sables-d’Olonne. In the Vendée Globe harbour, where the Imoca-class foiling racing yachts usually await their start, old-school production yachts are moored this time round. Rustlers, classic Swan yachts designed by Sparkman & Stephens, and other long-distance cruising boats. Their goal is the same: to sail non-stop round the world. But they will use neither GPS nor computers to do so.

The 2026 Golden Globe Race follows the model of the 1968/69 Sunday Times Golden Globe Race. Sir Robin Knox-Johnston was the first person to complete a single-handed, non-stop circumnavigation of the globe. Bernard Moitessier turned back shortly before a possible victory and sailed on towards Tahiti. Today’s race continues this tradition with approved production yachts of a traditional design – covering around 30,000 nautical miles, eastwards round the world and back to Les Sables-d’Olonne. The official rules and the course They do not allow for any breaks or material assistance from outside.

Participants will set off one by one at two-minute intervals

Before the boats set off on their long journey, the fleet will sail through the Les Sables-d’Olonne canal on Sunday from 2 pm. From 2.30 pm, the competitors will set sail from the Golden Globe Marina one by one, at two-minute intervals. This is not a traditional mass start, but a deliberately staged tribute to 1968: back then, competitors were able to set sail over a longer period and from different ports.

For the spectators on the quay, however, the situation is very real. At the moment, the last of the fresh food is being stowed away, whilst families and friends bid farewell to the skippers. A few are still awaiting the final checks: safety equipment, provisions, rigging and emergency systems must all be in order before the organisers grant final clearance to start.

“The week leading up to a Golden Globe start is unlike anything else. Years of preparation are condensed into just a few days. There’s excitement, but also quiet reflection,” says race director and organiser Don McIntyre. On Sunday, McIntyre continues, modern life fades away for the participants. All that remains are the sailors, the wind, the sea and the stars.”

• ​​Class Globe 5.80: An interview with McIntyre – “The aim is to inspire people”
• ​Mini Globe Race: Christian Sauer completes historic solo circumnavigation of the globe

Navigation just like it was almost 60 years ago

The complete rejection of modern aids remains the defining feature of the race. Navigation is carried out using a sextant, compass, paper nautical charts and astronomical observations. GPS, electronic nautical charts, computers and modern navigational instruments are prohibited. Radio communications are strictly limited, and outside assistance is not permitted.

This does not automatically make the Golden Globe Race any more romantic, but it is certainly far less forgiving than other round-the-world yacht races. The expected eight months at sea are not just a test of seamanship. Wear and tear on equipment, lack of sleep, repairs and the psychological strain of prolonged isolation are just as decisive in determining the outcome. The results of previous editions show just how high the bar is set: of the 43 sailors who set off, only nine reached the finish line.

A window into the boat, but not back

A new feature in this edition is the GGR Live Window. Seven skippers are to send images from on board via a specially developed one-way system in rotating two- to three-hour slots. For the audience, this means a glimpse into everyday life at sea, supplemented by selected boat data.

For the participants, this does not alter the analogue concept in any way. They cannot receive any information themselves, cannot access weather data, and cannot monitor what is happening outside their boat. The technical system only transmits outwards. It is precisely this contradiction that makes it so appealing: for the sailors, it remains 1968; for the spectators, it is 2026.

• Golden Globe Race 2026: Sail like it’s 1968. Experience it like it’s 2026

Book recommendations for the 2026 Golden Globe Race

• Everything’s fine, K. recounts Kirsten Neuschäfer’s journey to her historic victory in the 2022 Golden Globe Race. The focus is not only on the months spent alone at sea, but also on the rescue of Tapio Lehtinen in the Indian Ocean. The book thus complements the perspective on the fleet now setting sail with the first-hand experience of a sailor who knows the pressures and decisions of this race from personal experience.
• The victory that was thrown away takes us back to the 1968/69 Sunday Times Golden Globe Race, the historic inspiration for today’s regatta. Bernard Moitessier describes his solo, non-stop voyage round the great capes and explains why, shortly before a possible victory, he chose to carry on sailing rather than return to Europe. The account makes it clear why the Golden Globe Race remains, to this day, more than just a sporting challenge.