Being in close communication with entrants gives me an interesting insight into the contrasting plans and levels of preparation for each. Budgets vary from fully funded to only just enough. Some entrants have given up day jobs to work 24/7 on boats and training. Others are still holding down ordinary day jobs earning much needed funds. They work on their boats when they can. Some have had to sell their homes.
Neree Cornuz had a sponsor deal collapse last minute mid refit, so made his own self-steering gear to sail his engineless Lello 34 from South Africa to the Mediterranean, a three-month non-stop voyage. He is out there as you read this with hopes of a sponsor soon.
Others are able to contract refit work to professionals, but the cost runs high and if funding stops, so does the work. Competing in the GGR is relatively inexpensive, but if you are on a budget, you need time to do that work yourself. Those with the money and time are out sailing their boats regularly, training hard for boat speed. A few have secured sponsors.
Frenchmen Jean Luc VDH and Lionel Regnier have formed an alliance of sorts and now train both Rustler 36 yachts side by side to lift performance. Yes, just like Americas cup teams used to do! Susie Goodal is on the return leg of a double solo-Transatlantic. She starts her final refit on her return and should then, with her vast experience, keep these two Frenchmen honest as they all sail the same yachts!
All entrants must have their boats by June 30th just weeks away. Gustavo Pacheco from Brazil has just purchased a Lello 34 (now three in the GGR) in South Africa. It was a sight unseen buy off the internet and keeps his dream alive. He is still out sailing Yacht deliveries to earn extra money.
Australian Kevin Farebrother is currently working as a Mountain climbing guide in the Himalaya while his Tradewind 35 Silver Heels is for sale in Sydney. If sold he intends buying again in the UK saving shipping costs from Australia and the clock never stops!
Dutchman Mark Slats has a Boat, but not the right one for the GGR. It is a Transocean solo- Rowing boat and he sets off in December this year on an epic row as a warm up to the GGR. He is hunting for a GGR yacht now.
American Carl HUBER had to leave his boat for a few weeks and discovered on his return a Mother Duck on deck! In her nest- 10 eggs! He is now working around them and looking forward to seeing this family eventually swim away. He had planned to remove the teak decks anyway, as Duck Sh_T is not pretty!
REALITY and relating to the GGR
If you are into around the world yacht racing you will know of the Volvo Race, originally the Whitbread race. An exciting fully crewed Race around the world, in Identical one design yachts. It is super High Tech and spectacular to watch and fun to follow.
The organisers are about to make an announcement next month about the future of Boats for the event. It may change from Monohulls to large racing Multihulls. This has started much debate in sailing circles about the pro’s and con’s of each, not to mention the relevance to grass roots sailing. Here is just one of those comments…
Perhaps the model we should follow is that of bike racing, which has the world’s most popular annual sporting event in the Tour de France. The Tour pros use gear that is much slower than streamlined recumbent tricycles and (because of minimum weight restrictions) slower than the kit the weekend rider can buy at their local shop. It means that the gear is convenient to use, comparatively cheap and accessible to the weekend warrior, who can then empathise with the pros.
This reality is so true for the GGR. The yachts we sail are the very same ones a family can go ocean cruising in. They are convenient to use, comparatively cheap and accessible to the weekend warrior, who can then empathise with the pros. Yacht clubs and marinas the world over are full of similar yachts. Our skippers cover all walks of life and backgrounds, such that mums, dads, ordinary sailors and weekend warriors can relate. Yet every one of them is a hero in the eyes of someone, and rightly so. This Race, like the original will surely inspire many.
