Shortly before the finish, things got dicey again for Christian Sauer. On Thursday night, he rounded Cape Agulhas, the southernmost point in Africa. He made good progress: with trade wind sails - both A5 sails set - and the third reef in the main, he surfed down the waves. Then the wind picked up, further and further.
The Passat sails had to come down, Sauer explains. But because he had unfurled one of the sails, his path inevitably led to the foredeck. Just as he was about to release the topgallant, the boat lay on its side. His feet slipped through the guard rail. Only the safety line held him. "That was a terrifying moment," says Sauer. He got away with bruises.
Third stage of the Mini Globe Race reached
The weather calmed down later in the day. In bright sunshine, Sauer finally rounded the legendary Cape of Good Hope and entered Cape Town harbour in the afternoon. He thus completed the third leg of the Mini Globe Race - the longest of the entire race. From Fiji to Cape Town: a major milestone on his journey around the world.
In the video: Christian Sauer reaches Cape Town:
From Mauritius with stopovers to the west
The final leg of the journey started in Mauritius. From there, the fleet sailed to Durban and then travelled along the South African coast to Cape Town.
In an interview with Mini Globe organiser Don McIntyre, Christian Sauer takes stock after his arrival in Durban. Watch the video:
The Mini Globe Race interrupts its four stages with small stopovers. There, the sailors top up their reserves or repair their boat. The boats are only 5.80 metres long - the stops are intended to reduce the strain. Sometimes compulsory, sometimes voluntary - that's what the rules say.
More about the third leg of the Mini Globe Race:
A decisive factor - the Agulhas current
The Mini Globe Race fleet met the African continent for the first time in Durban - eleven sailors are still in the race. From there, the route led further south to East London and then to Mossel Bay. From there, the final leg led past the two capes to Cape Town.
The decisive factor in this area is the Agulhas Current. It flows along the east coast of Africa between 20 and 40 degrees latitude and is one of the strongest currents in the world. This can bring challenging conditions for sailors - for example high waves or changing eddies. Christian Sauer says that although the current carried him well on the passage from Durban to East London, the sea was difficult and the waves uncomfortable. "That was the first time on my entire journey that I didn't feel comfortable on board," he says.
Battle against the elements - and the rankings
Then there was the ranking list. "There are days when things don't go particularly well," says Sauer. He would like to keep his place in the midfield - he was less successful on the section from Mauritius to Durban. He has since fought his way back. From Durban he travelled to East London, on to Mossel Bay and finally to Cape Town. On arrival, he was in seventh place, a position he held for the majority of the race.
More about the Mini Globe Race
The Mini Globe Race is the first of its kind: the first race around the world for the world's smallest standardised class.
- In a total of four further stages with numerous possible stopovers, the barefoot route takes you around the world. The start in Antigua was the 23 February 2025.
- The participants sail on boats from the Class Globe 5.80 - a 5.80 metre long, self-built small cruiser made of plywood and coated with fibreglass and epoxy. Read more here.
- The inventor of the boats and the race is the Australian circumnavigator Don McIntyre. In addition to the Mini Globe Race, he also created the Golden Globe and Ocean Globe Race. You can find an interview here.
- More info for the Mini Globe Race here.
The last stage of the Mini Globe Race awaits
But despite his sporting ambition, his primary goal remains a different one: to arrive safely in Antigua. "I want to prove to myself that I'm capable of sailing around the world in such a small boat," he says. "That's the main goal."
Christian Sauer is getting closer and closer to this goal: the final leg back to the Caribbean is imminent. He has just under four weeks in South Africa until the start on Sunday 28 December. Then it's off to Antigua via St Helena and Recife. Almost a year ago, Sauer broke into the Portuguese city of Lagos Since then, he has remained confident about the future: "They say that it's all downhill from the Atlantic. Only up the Atlantic."
