GGR Race Start Highlights 2022

Emotions ran high on 4 September as family and friends bid farewell to 16 skippers setting out from Les Sables d’Olonne on one of the most gruelling challenges on the planet. The Golden Globe Race is a solo non stop voyage sailing small 32-36ft old-fashioned yachts without technology and no assistance. Following years of intense preparations and safety checks, the thought of 9 months of total isolation with only high frequency radios to speak with family was daunting. The people of Les Sables d’Olonne were present in high numbers to cheer the GGR competitors and in the two weeks of the race village it drew 5000 visitors per day. Thousands lined the wall along the mythical channel of Sables d’Olonne where classic and historic yachts, competitors of the Golden Globe Race, traditional Olonnois yachts and local yachts paraded towards the start line. Video credit: Rob Havill