The restoration of the "Tally Ho" is largely complete, but now British boat builder and YouTube star Leo Goolden has a new challenge ahead of him. He is planning to take part in the prestigious Fastnet race in 2027 with the "Tally Ho", which he has carefully restored. This endeavour would be the culmination of his almost eight-year project, in which he bought the legendary cutter from 1909 for a symbolic dollar and brought it back to life with the support of a large fan base.
Huge "Tally Ho" fan community on YouTube
Through his regular YouTube updates on the progress of the restoration, the likeable Brit has inspired a steadily growing fan base for the traditional craft of boat building. More than 546,000 people now follow his YouTube account and his videos have been viewed several million times. And that is exactly where Goolden has now published his further plans.
In a YouTube video Leo Goolden explains his plans and describes four possible routes to sail from the current location on Vancouver Island, Canada, to Great Britain. The Fastnet race takes place there every year on the south coast. The possible routes include a northern route through the Northwest Passage, a route through the Panama Canal, a southern route across Easter Island and around Cape Horn, and a western route across the Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean and around the Cape of Good Hope. Due to time constraints, however, the last two options have been ruled out.
The favourite, the Northwest Passage
According to Goolden, the Northwest Passage would be the preferred and shortest route into the Atlantic. But although boats now sail through the archipelago almost every year, there is still the possibility of ice blocking or significantly delaying the passage. "I thought about the passage for a long time and spoke to many people. But I came to the conclusion that it doesn't make sense this time," says Goolden. The risk would also be too great, as the boat has not yet been tested enough under extreme conditions. Urgent adjustments such as ice protection to protect the hull from thin and sharp ice would be difficult to implement in time.
Via the Caribbean to Europe
The remaining and most suitable option is the route through the Panama Canal. From Vancouver Island, the course first leads south to the canal and then further east to the Caribbean. From there, there are several connection options, for example via the east coast of Canada, the Azores, Greenland or Iceland. Numerous regattas take place in the Caribbean that could serve as qualification for the "Tally Ho" for the Fastnet race. These include the regattas in Antigua, for example, in which Goolden took part a few years ago with his classic folk boat.
A crew of familiar faces
According to Goolden, the crew for the journey from Vancouver to the UK is not yet complete, but there will certainly be a mixture of familiar and new faces. The exact time when the Brit and the "Tally Ho" will set off for Europe has also yet to be finalised. In the Interview with YACHT Goolden mentioned that the plan is to set sail in the autumn of this year.
