Are Wiig’s Olleanna

The ongoing 2018 Golden Globe Race is a 50th-anniversary homage to the 1968 Sunday Times Golden Globe Yacht Race, the first single-handled nonstop around-the-world sailboat race. In the 1968 race, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston was the winner and the only contestant to complete the race. Last June, 18 solo-sailors set off in sailboats similar in size and equipment to that used by Sir Robin 50 years ago. Each sailor is racing for 30,000 miles, alone, non-stop, with no outside assistance. 

The racers are using sextants and paper charts rather than GPS and chart plotters, judging the weather by reading a barometer rather than getting updates from weather routing services, and relying on wind vanes rather than autopilots. The racers are all sailing on production boats between 32ft and 36ft overall (9.75 – 10.97m) designed prior to 1988. For safety, each boat will have a satellite transponder and an emergency kit, equipped with a race-supplied GPS and satphone.

So, how is the retro-race going so far? After 58 days, 11 of the 18 entrants are still actively racing. Most recently, Norwegian sailor Are Wiig’s 32′ boat was rolled 360 degrees and dismasted in the Southern Ocean off Africa. Wiig had been one of the fleet leaders until his self-steering vane broke. After hand steering for seven hours, he hove the boat to, which was when he suffered the capsize. 

Fortunately, Wiig was unhurt and is working on a jury rig which he plans to use to sail to Cape Town. As Wiig has not requested nor received assistance, he is technically still in the race, at least until he reaches a harbor.

Of the seven sailors who have either withdrawn or are no longer actively competing, three have quit following wind vanes breaking or problems related to steering.