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. Where the Imoca-class foiling racing yachts would normally be waiting to set sail in the Vendée Globe harbour, this time there are old-school production yachts moored there. Rustlers, classic Swan yachts designed by Sparkman & Stephens, and other long-distance cruisers. 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 became the first person to complete a single-handed, non-stop circumnavigation of the globe. Bernard Moitessier turned back shortly before a possible victory and continued sailing towards Tahiti. Today’s race carries on the tradition of using approved, traditionally built series-production yachts – over some 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 canal at Les Sables-d’Olonne on Sunday from 2.00 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 still being stowed away, whilst families and friends bid farewell to the skippers. A few are still awaiting their final checks: safety equipment, provisions, rigging and emergency systems must all be in order before the organisers grant final clearance to set sail.

“The week leading up to the start of the Golden Globe is unlike anything else. Years of preparation are whittled down to 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 more romantic, but it is certainly far more uncompromising than other round-the-world yacht races. The eight months or so expected to be spent 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 equally decisive factors in determining the outcome. The record from previous editions shows 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, operating 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 keep track of what is happening outside their boat. The technical system only transmits data 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

• All right, 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.