Global Solo Challenge: Hympendahl completes qualifying – "I can win with this boat"

Strong winds, wind farms and sleep deprivation: Philipp Hympendahl’s qualifying race for the Global Solo Challenge was a real challenge. Setting off from Cuxhaven, he sailed clockwise round Great Britain and Ireland, passing the Isles of Scilly, the Hebrides and the Shetlands, before finally returning to Cuxhaven. On Saturday evening, he arrived back at the town harbour, from where he had set off exactly three weeks ago, on 1 August.

The voyage was about more than just the required distance of 2,000 nautical miles. Hympendahl wanted to find out whether the Sigma 36, purchased in early 2026, had the potential for a non-stop circumnavigation of the globe and what technical improvements were still needed. His verdict following the first major offshore test is confident. Speaking to YACHT, Hympendahl said:

"I could even win the regatta with this boat, but I’d need a certain amount of money to do so."

Until successful qualification for the Global Solo Challenge is official, the voyage must still be recognised by the organiser.

From a failed project to a second attempt

For Philipp Hympendahl, this is his second attempt to take part in the non-stop round-the-world race. Time pressure and unexpected problems with the boat – a Comfortina he had bought for the race – caused the project to fail during his first attempt in 23/24. Hympendahl subsequently bought back his previous boat. In this ‘African Queen’, he crossed the Atlantic and, in 2025, sailed solo round Great Britain and Ireland for the first time.

In the winter of 2025/26, Hympendahl announced his Second attempt at the Global Solo Challenge . In early 2026, he bought the approximately eleven-metre-long Sigma 36 for this purpose and sold his previous boat. The new boat now also bears the name ‘African Queen’. Over the following months, Hympendahl largely converted the Sigma 36 himself for single-handed sailing. The second circumnavigation of the British Isles was the boat’s first major practical test.

Find out more:

• ​Adventure: Philipp Hympendahl completed a training lap on the Atlantic
• Global Solo Challenge: Philipp Hympendahl embarks on his second attempt
• ​Philipp Hympendahl: Non-stop solo sail around Great Britain and Ireland with a gale hot on his heels

Setting off from Cuxhaven, Philipp Hympendahl initially set a course for the Shetland Islands. Strong winds prompted him to change his plans and sail round the British Isles in a clockwise direction. Just as in 2025, but this time he also managed to sail round the Shetlands. He says that, as well as the changing weather conditions, it was above all the shipping traffic and numerous wind farms that posed a challenge. Added to this was the persistent lack of sleep, which is one of the greatest strains on such a solo voyage.

Where the Sigma 36 excels and what’s still missing

Hympendahl reports that the ‘African Queen’ particularly impressed him when sailing close-hauled and on half-wind courses. He also sees potential on broad reaches, provided he has the right set of sails at his disposal and can sail as direct a course as possible.

Hympendahl goes on to say that further work is needed before he can set sail around the world. For example, he wants to improve the balance of the rudder blade so that the autopilot is under less strain. In addition, the sail is missing a third reef and there are no watertight bulkheads.

He said he had once again managed to get used to the new handling characteristics of his Sigma 36 during the cruise. The qualification cruise had helped him to get to know the new “African Queen” and her quirks better.

"It's just like my old boat, but it runs much better in some respects."

How the Global Solo Challenge works

There is still time before the 2027/28 Global Solo Challenge. The start is scheduled for late August 2027, with a staggered departure from Vigo in Spain: slower yachts will set off first, with faster boats following according to their rating. The race gets underway on 28 August 2027. The route takes the solo skippers non-stop eastwards round the world, past the three great capes and back to Vigo. The order in which they cross the finish line is decisive. There will be no subsequent calculation of sailing times.

Unlike the Vendée Globe, the regatta is open to various ocean-going monohulls of 32 feet or more. Modern navigation, communication and weather data are permitted – this sets the race apart from, for example, the The Golden Globe Race, which permits only traditional navigation techniques. At the same time, there are extensive requirements regarding the boat, equipment, safety and medical preparation.

More details you will find here.

The budget determines the sporting ambitions

One obstacle that remains, says Philipp Hympendahl, is the financing of the project. So far, the bulk of the budget has come from his own funds, small contributions from corporate sponsors and private supporters. With additional sponsors, he aims to equip the “African Queen” so that he can compete for victory in the Global Solo Challenge. If the necessary funding is not secured, he says, he will still go ahead with his participation. In that case, however, the main focus would be on arriving safely in Vigo.

Hympendahl also reports on the project and its preparations here.