Golden Globe Race 2022: "Joshua" comes as a standardised class

Anyone who calls themselves a sailor must know their history: Bernard Moitessier is one of the most legendary figures in ocean racing and can be mentioned in the same breath as greats such as Robin Knox-Johnston. The Frenchman and the Englishman fought a fierce duel in the Golden Globe Race, the first single-handed non-stop circumnavigation of the globe (1968/69). And had Bernard Moitessier on his "Joshua" not decided to do another lap around the globe after rounding Cape Horn, he might even have won the race. His incredible story is told in the exciting book "The victory that was given away" tells.

2018 marks the 50th anniversary of the Golden Globe race, which will be reorganised every four years from now on. It will take place under conditions that are as identical as possible to the first edition. This essentially means: Technology from back then, strictly defined boat sizes and construction materials as well as a race around the globe without any external support.

Following an ambitious initiative by Englishman Don McIntyre, Moitessier's legendary "Joshua" is now to be rebuilt as a one-design class in a limited edition for the 2022 race. The first Joshua GGR 2022 boat is apparently already under construction at the Asboat Yacht Builders shipyard in Izmir (Turkey). By the start of the race on 21 August 2022, a maximum of ten of the Joshua class will have been completed and delivered to their adventurous owners.

Like their legendary archetype, the new "Joshuas" will be built from five to eight millimetre thick steel plates, as long keels with a ballast of around four tonnes. The new builds will be modelled as closely as possible on the original. On the Website of the newly founded class association, the detailed specifications as well as the prices are listed. These are in ascending order of receipt of the order. The first boat is to go to the owner for 288,250 US dollars, including the entry fee for the race around the world. This currently equates to 245,160 euros (excluding VAT).