Global Solo Challenge – The Boating Chronicle

America’s Peter Bourke: ‘Imagine’ Sailing Around the World

May 12, 2023

5/11/2022 – by Dave Proctor – GSC – When I spoke to American Global Solo Challenge (GSC) entrant Peter Bourke, he told me that he had recently acquired a secondhand Finot-Conq designed Open 40 for the challenge. Built by JMV Industries in France in 2001, this design of boat is predominantly built of carbon composites and has proven to be really exceptional in terms of performance, quality and realiability. A fast pure-bred racing yacht with good upwind performance, this yacht will undoubtably be one of the quicker yachts that leave from A Coruña in the Autumn of this year, and given that the […]

Conquering the globe, one wave at a time: Meet the Heroes of the Global Solo Challenge 2023

May 12, 2023

5/12/2023 – The sea is often seen as the final frontier of man’s conquest over nature. The twenty-four brave participants of the Global Solo Challenge 2023 are proof of this enduring allure. Departing from the historic maritime city of A Coruña, Spain, between August and September 2023, these seafarers are about to embark on an adventure of a lifetime, testing their mental and physical stamina in the ultimate solo sailing challenge. They are showcasing the thrill of solo sailing the Olympics neglecting even a short version of it. The Global Solo Challenge isn’t just a race; it’s a testament to […]

Volkan aspiring to be the first solo round-the-world Turkish sailor with Black Betty – In search of sponsors

January 27, 2023

1/27/2023 – by Alper Günoral – Global Solo Challenge – Volkan Kaan Yemlihaoğlu is an energetic soul with a friendly smile and a love for the sea. He began sailing as a child in Yalova, a Northwestern Turkish city on the Marmara Sea. He competed in optimist and laser races until high school and went on to take part in keelboat races. Then he went to Vienna for high school which put on pause his fondness for the sea. After his return to Turkey after high school, he went to college and continued with his lifelong passion: sailing races. He […]

American David Linger is the 51st entry in the Global Solo Challenge

July 26, 2022

United Kingdom – 7/26/2022 – by GSC – David Linger from Seattle is the 4th American to sign up for the Global Solo Challenge, the 11th Class40/Open40 in the fleet, which is proving to be a popular choice of boat in the event. Previous entries from the US have been Peter Bourke of Rhode Island, Colin Bastable of Texas, and the youngest entry so far in the GSC, Gardner LaMaurice of Virginia, who is 25 years old. David had been in touch with the organisers for some time and recently took the big leap to buy “Koloa Maoli”, an Owen Clarke Design […]

The youngest entry so far in the Global Solo Challenge is American Gardner LaMaurice, who turns 25 this month

May 19, 2022

United Kingdom – 5/19/2022 – By GSC – Gardner LaMaurice, who will turn 25 this month, is now the youngest entry so far in the Global Solo Challenge 2023-2024. With his entry the young American wants to break the stereotype of sailing only being accessible to rich retired people and hopes to inspire others to follow his example. Gardner was already in the process of preparing his boat to complete a circumnavigation when he discovered the GSC and decided to enter. He believes that the added motivation of an organised event and a framework of regulations to comply with will make his project safer. As organisers we […]

The coast of Mauritania and the threat of piracy during the Global Solo Challenge race

May 16, 2022

United Kingdom – 5/16/2022 – By Sefo – Following winds… a favorable current… the sea helps the skippers move faster… Some sections of the Global Solo Challenge will be pure bliss for its participants. Nice weather, usually sunny with a pleasant temperature, makes life on board a real pleasure. Skippers can spend most of the time above deck and cultivate other interests other than navigation; read, listen to music, write… or simply enjoy the views that the Ocean and Nature hve to offer at any given time. In principle, once boats have put the Canary Islands behind them and the […]

Global Solo Challenge 2023-2024 sailing race now has 45 participants

April 7, 2022

Participants to gain the bragging rights of becoming a member of an elite group of sailors | New York, New York – 4/7/2022 – The Boating Chronicle – These days there is an explosion of sailing races taking place all around the world. However, there is one with a unique format—the Global Solo Challenge (GSC), a single-handed (meaning that there’s only one person on each boat), without assistance, non-stop, around the world sailing event. In principle, the GSC bridges the gap between high-budget, professional events and the very human, yet common, dream of a single-handed circumnavigation. It is designed for […]

Women who marked the history of offshore sailing

March 21, 2022

Global Solo Challange – 3/21/2022 – by Helena De La GandaraIt – It may not be very common to see women accepting – or having the opportunity to accept – challenges such as that of sailing single-handed around the world non-stop, but more and more are following in the footsteps of some brave female sailors who broke all sorts of barriers. Ocean sailing accounts for many great sailors who for one reason or another have earned a place in history. However, it is striking how few female seafarers embark on such great adventures and, in most cases, their little visibility. […]

What is the biggest challenge in a single-handed circumnavigation

November 29, 2021

Cover photo courtesy of Global Solo Challange. … United Kingdom – 11/29/2021 – By Global Solo Challange – Preparing boat and skipper for a non-stop single-handed circumnavigation by the three great capes is no easy task. Many are the challenges during preparation, financial, practical, as well as during the navigation itself. Getting to the start and sailing in the southern ocean are the recurring thoughts of many of our skippers. We asked them what they thought was the biggest challenge. What do you think will be the biggest challenge? Javier Lapresa – Honestly, I think the most difficult thing will […]

Sailboats with foils: the evolution seen by three masters, Sirena, Soldini and Pedote

July 14, 2021

United Kingdom – 7/14/2021 – By Marco Nannini, Global Solo Challange – In this article we tried to consult authoritative voices of sailing in explaining the evolution of sailboats with foils. Max Sirena of Luna Rossa, Giovanni Soldini of Maserati and Giancarlo Pedote of Prysmian Ocean Racing – International Monohull Open Class Association (IMOCA) class. Note: This article is a translation, we apologize in advance for any mistakes. However, we also wanted to explain before moving on to the actual interviews why there are currently three “currents of thought” in the world of foils for sailboats. First, the purely flying […]