| Year: | 2018 Golden Globe Race |
| Edition: | 2nd |
| Venue: | Les Sables-d'Olonne |
| Dates: | 1 July 2018 – May 2019 |
| Key People: | Don McIntyre, Race Chairman Patrice Carpentier, Race Director |
| Competitors: | 18 |
| Yachts: | 'Retro' fibreglass 32-36ft |
| Gold: | Jean-Luc Van Den Heede |
| Silver: | Mark Slats |
| Bronze: | Uku Randmaa |
| Prev: | 1968 |
| Next: | 2022 |
The 2018 Golden Globe Race was an around-the-world sailing race founded by Australian adventurer and circumnavigator, Don McIntyre. The race started on 1 July 2018 from Les Sables-d'Olonne, France as the second edition and 50th anniversary celebration of the original Sunday Times Golden Globe Race. It featured yachts similar to those used at that time. Except for safety equipment, no modern technology was allowed.[1] [2]
Entrants are limited to sailing similar yachts and equipment to what was available to Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the winner of the original race in 1968–69. That means sailing without the use of modern technology such as satellite-based navigation aids.[1] Safety equipment such as EPIRBs and AIS are carried, however the competitors are only allowed to use the technology in an emergency.
Competitors could apply to have their class of boat approved, providing it was in accordance with the following rules:[3]
Twenty-two boats were approved, with one exception to the rules made for a wood-epoxy Suhaili replica (the Suhaili being the yacht that Knox-Johnston sailed in 1968).[4]
The race started on 1 July 2018 in Les Sables-d'Olonne and led around the world eastward, leaving Cape of Good Hope, Cape Leeuwin and Cape Horn to port. There were several "film gates" along the route, where the skippers could be interviewed as they sailed past without stopping and where they passed over films and letters.[5]
18 entrants from 13 different countries entered the race. Of those, six chose the class-compliant but relatively modern Rustler 36. A further 17 had expressed interest but never started.[6]
| Sailor | Yacht | Type | |
|---|---|---|---|
 Abhilash Tomy | Thuriya | Suhaili replica | |
 Antoine Cousot | Métier Intérim | Biscay 36 | |
 Are Wiig | Olleanna | OE 32 | |
 Ertan Beskardes | Lazy Otter | Rustler 36 | |
 Francesco Cappelletti | 007 | Endurance 35 | |
| Gregor McGuckin | Hanley Energy Endurance | Biscay 36 | |
 Igor Zaretskiy | Esmeralda | Endurance 35 | |
 Istvan Kopar | Puffin | Tradewind 35 | |
| Jean-Luc Van Den Heede | Matmut | Rustler 36 | |
 Kevin Farebrother | Sagarmatha | Tradewind 35 | |
| Loïc Lepage | Laaland | Nicholson 32 | |
| Mark John Sinclair | Coconut | Lello 34 | |
| Mark Slats | Ohpen Maverick | Rustler 36 | |
| Nabil Amra | Liberty II | Biscay 36 | |
| Philippe Péché | PRB | Rustler 36 | |
| Susie Goodall | DHL Starlight | Rustler 36 | |
| Asteria | Benello Gaia 36 | ||
 Uku Randmaa | One and All | Rustler 36 |
| Type | Entrants | Finished | Hull speed (Gerr)* | Sail area/displacement ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rustler 36 | 6 | 3 | 6.7 | 13.4 | |
| Biscay 36 | 3 | 0 | 6.9 | 14.6 | |
| Tradewind 35 | 2 | 1 | 5.8 | 12.3 | |
| Endurance 35 | 2 | 0 | 6.4 | 16.8 | |
| Benello Gaia 36 | 1 | 1 | 6.4 | 14.0 | |
| Lello 34 | 1 | 0 | 7.5 | 13.4 | |
| Nicholson 32 | 1 | 0 | 6.1 | 14.3 | |
| OE32 | 1 | 0 | 7.4 | 13.8 | |
| Suhaili replica | 1 | 0 | 6.6 | 14.7 |
The race started at 10:00 GMT on 1 July 2018, with the competitors passing a rolling gate between the Suhaili and the Joshua, two yachts that competed in the 1968 race. Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, who sailed on the Suhaili and won that race, fired the starting cannon.[7]
Of the 18 entrants, Francesco Cappelletti did not start the race and officially withdrew on 5 July. He plans to sail around the world independently and the race organisers are tracking his progress.[8] Ertan Beskardes retired on 5 July, after deciding that being unable to communicate with his family removed the enjoyment from the race. Kevin Farebrother retired on 15 July at the Canary Islands mark, after becoming disillusioned by solo sailing and lack of sleep. Two days later, Nabil Amra retired at the same area on 17 July due to broken windvane gear. Antoine Cousot stopped at the Canary islands to repair his windvane gear, demoting him to the 'Chichester' class (one stop). Istvan Kopar put in to the Cape Verde islands on 23 July, planning to replace his windvane, but in the event proceeded without assistance.
Antoine Cousot retired at the end of August due to a broken windvane and injuries. Philippe Péché made one stop ('Chichester' class) on 11 August following the failure of his tiller, but retired from the race two weeks later on 25 August.
Are Wiig was dismasted on 17 August 400 nautical miles off Cape Town.[9]
Abhilash Tomy was dismasted and injured on 22 September.[10] Gregor McGuckin elected to abandon his boat after being dismasted and was rescued with Abhilash.
On 5 December 2018, Susie Goodall's boat was pitch-poled (flipped end-over-end), dismasted, and swamped during a storm while in the Southern Ocean around west of Cape Horn. She was rescued by the cargo ship Tian Fu on 7 December.[11] [12] [13]
| Sailor | Cape of Good Hope | Storm Bay Tasmania gate | Cape Horn | Finish | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jean-Luc Van Den Heede | 23 August | 5 October | 23 November | 29 January | ||
| Mark Slats | 27 August | 21 October | 2 December | 31 January | ||
| Uku Randmaa | 31 August | 27 October | 19 December | 10 March | ||
| Istvan Kopar | 9 September | 4 November | 1 January | 21 March | ||
 Tapio Lehtinen | 9 September | 7 November | 6 February | 19 May | ||
| Retired (in order of retirement) | ||||||
| Francesco Cappelletti | Did not start, officially retired 5 July 2018 | |||||
| Ertan Beskardes | Retired on 5 July 2018 due to inability to communicate with his family. Put in to A Coruña. | |||||
| Kevin Farebrother | Retired on 15 July 2018, 'disillusioned by solo sailing and lack of sleep' | |||||
| Nabil Amra | Retired on 17 July 2018 due to broken windvane, put in to Tenerife | |||||
| Antoine Cousot | Retired on 24 August 2018 due to broken windvane and injuries | |||||
| Philippe Péché | Retired on 25 August 2018 due to broken windvane, put in to Cape Town | |||||
| Are Wiig | Retired on 27 August 2018 after capsizing and dismasting while repairing his windvane | |||||
| Abhilash Tomy | Retired on 24 September 2018 after dismasting near Île Amsterdam | |||||
| Gregor McGuckin | Retired on 24 September 2018 after dismasting near Île Amsterdam | |||||
| Loïc Lepage | Retired on 21 October 2018 after dismasting 600 miles south-west of Perth (was already in 'Chichester' class) | |||||
| Susie Goodall | Retired on 5 December 2018 after dismasting 2000 miles west of the southern tip of South America | |||||
| Mark John Sinclair | Retired on 12 December 2018, put in to Adelaide on 5 December for haulout due to severe barnacle/mussel growth, and with issues with fresh water, and concerned he would reach Cape Horn too late in the season. In December 2021, Sinclair left Adelaide to sail to the UK to 'complete' the 2018 race, and compete in GGR2022.[14] | |||||
| Igor Zaretskiy | Retired | |||||
See main article: 2022 Golden Globe Race. The 2022 edition of the Golden Globe Race started on 4 September 2022 from Les Sables-d'Olonne in France. Like in 2018, the solo-sailors gathered for the SITraN Prologue, starting 14 August 2022, before sailing to Les Sables-d'Olonne for the GGR Race Village.[15]