Globe 40

The final leg of the Globe 40 race is coming to a conclusion, and the PNW’s own Craig Horsfield is holding on to the lead with 450 miles to go.

This leg has had very challenging conditions from the start. It is ending as it started, with a match race between the two Globe 40 overall leaders, Horsfield’s Amhas and the Dutch team aboard Sec Hayai. To win the round the world race overall, Amhas would have to put a boat between them and the Dutch. That seems highly unlikely, since the third place boat is 300+ miles behind.

Here’s the most recent press release:

After suffering in recent days in the Azores the passage of a front generating winds up to 60 knots, the competitors of the GLOBE40 will have to face today and Monday a new depression on arrival in the Bay of Biscay with winds up to 50 knots and seas up to 10 m deep in the northern part of the Gulf. Faced with this situation, the leader of the AMHAS stage yesterday decided to slow down voluntarily to get behind the hardest part of the phenomenon.

A difficult choice, as Craig Horsfield explained to us “We’re going to try to slow down, we’re going to look east by slowing down. We only have one mainsail and 3 reefs. Above all we are disgusted after all these days of racing and hard work to get a lead that we have effectively stopped for now. It is hard to do and to accept”.

GRYPHON SOLO 2, which passed through the Azores yesterday, expresses the extreme harshness of these moments: Joe Harris “Last night was the most difficult night of our entire trip around the world. The wind and sea state continued to build until we were in 9m seas and winds gusting to 60 knots. We had prepared with 3 reefs in the mainsail and the staysail, which worked well up to 50 knots of wind. But the gusts overhead rocked the boat hard and made Roger and I, huddled in the cabin, wonder if we were going to get knocked down and rolled over. It was scary. We were both thinking of life rafts, EPIRBs and rescues. But eventually the 60 knot gusts died down and we were able to continue…. It makes you think.

SEC HAYAI in second position maintains a significant lead over GRYPHON SOLO 2 (284 miles this morning)..

The first arrivals in Lorient are scheduled for Wednesday 15. (photo Roger Junet)

Kurt Hoehne

Kurt grew up racing and cruising in the Midwest, and has raced Lasers since the late 1970s. Currently he is a broker at Swiftsure Yachts. He has been Assistant Editor at Sailing Magazine and a short stint as Editor of Northwest Yachting. Through Meadow Point Publishing he handles various marketing duties for smaller local companies. He currently is partners on a C&C 36 which he cruises throughout the Northwest. He’s married to the amazing Abby and is father to Ian and Gabe.

Local Seattle sailor Craig Horsfield has added another feather to his singlehanded racing cap, and this is a big one a victory with Oliver Bond in the longest leg of the initial Globe40 race. We’ll hear more from him soon, “Craig is very chatty so I’ll have him call you as soon as he’s slept and the time difference works,” according to his wife Carolyn who took these photos. In the meantime, here’s the press release.

After 35 days 10 hours 42 minutes and 42 seconds of navigation, Craig Horsfield and Oliver Bond reach Mauritius as the winner on this second and longest leg of the GLOBE40. By crossing the finish line this Monday morning at 2 hours 42 minutes and 42 seconds (UTC), the American crew treated themselves to a finish under the magnificent colors of the Mauritian sunrise. From Cape Verde in the North Atlantic to the Indian Ocean, passing through the Doldrums, the Equator, the Saint Helena High and the Cape of Good Hope at 38° South, the sailors of the GLOBE40 experienced a veritable epic of 7,667 nautical miles (14,200 km) worthy of the greatest tales of sailing around the world.   

“It’s been a long trip so far, longer than we had planned before departure. We managed this big step by cutting it into 4 pieces. The stage seemed so huge to us before the start that it was necessary to manage the events one after the other. The first piece was a quick little regatta through the Cape Verde archipelago that lasted 2 days. Excellent moments of gliding, only happiness. On the second part, the South Atlantic and the Saint Helena high, it was necessary to show good strategic analysis to cross this level crossing. The third part, with the circumvention of southern Africa and the passage of the Cape of Good Hope, was physically tough because we encountered difficult sea conditions and sometimes very cold temperatures. The last piece in the Indian Ocean was very difficult. In fact we thought it was going to be the easiest part of the stage, but it was the hardest. »say the two sailors after touching down.

A victory acquired in a very good way by the American skippers. In the right tempo from the first miles, they have rarely accumulated more than thirty miles behind the rival and Japanese leader Milai throughout the descent of the South Atlantic. They didn’t give up, despite the hardness of the stage on a physical and mental level due to its long distance, the harsh sea and weather conditions encountered and the technical problems faced. In this mano a mano on a planetary scale, the American-British duo benefited from the South African pit-stop operated by Masa Suzuki and Andrea Fantini to take the leadership of the fleet as they passed the Cape of Good Hope, without stopping never give it up to the turquoise Mauritian waters. This victory on this major stage with a coefficient of 3.

“Our strategy was to stay in contact with the front of the race. When we were off Brazil, turning to Cape Town, we wanted to be among the best. The next strategy was to pass the South without incident and then finish at full speed in the Indian Ocean. In practice, we had to adapt. We accelerated a little more than expected during the crossing of the South by being in contact with Milai. Then, when we took the lead, we managed the sequence of events more. We changed our plans to preserve the boat, while the others tried to catch up with us. Our roadmap evolved according to the race situation. Twice we changed options to join another competitor’s route. We lost half a day to find ourselves in a position that prevented them from overtaking us. It would have been faster to go east but if there had been a problem, we offered them the opportunity to win so we decided to come closer to take that option away from them. This is how we managed the finish. Even if it forced us to navigate more slowly at times. »analyze Craig and Oliver on the spot before continuing by emphasizing the excellent spirit present between the competitors. “One of our best memories is the communication between the boats. Especially with Masa (Milai) and Mélodie (Whiskey Jack) trying to solve their technical problems. Despite the fierce competition, even if we like confrontation, it’s nice to share. We appreciate helping each other. If a problem arises, if someone breaks something, we are sorry for him. »

After another very fine sail, the Dutch duo aboard Sec Hayai are on a favorable run-off to clinch second place on Tuesday 23rd August.

Kurt Hoehne

Kurt grew up racing and cruising in the Midwest, and has raced Lasers since the late 1970s. Currently he is a broker at Swiftsure Yachts. He has been Assistant Editor at Sailing Magazine and a short stint as Editor of Northwest Yachting. Through Meadow Point Publishing he handles various marketing duties for smaller local companies. He currently is partners on a C&C 36 which he cruises throughout the Northwest. He’s married to the amazing Abby and is father to Ian and Gabe.