Golden Globe Race (GGR) veteran, Australian oceanographer Mark Sinclair, ‘Captain Coconut’, crossed the Les Sables d’Olonne start line of the GGR’s 50th anniversary nearly four years ago on July 1, 2018.
This Friday, May 27, he will finally cross the finish line as last finisher in the 2018 GGR. In 2018, running out of water he had to break his voyage in Adelaide, South Australia after completing only half the race.
The 2018 GGR has no finishing time, and Mark only made the one-stop, so was able to re-join under the ‘Chichester Class’. He set sail from Adelaide on December 5, 2021, solo non-stop bound for Les Sables d’Olonne, officially re-joining the GGR 2018 edition. He will have been at sea for 167 days.
Four severe storms when rounding Cape Horn in February severely tested him and his boat. He damaged his forestay and equipment below, but he survived. Just a week ago he was Knocked down twice in big seas damaging his inner forestay and his last satellite phone. He is making slow but steady progress toward Les Sables having secured the mast and is down to just one quarter roll of toilet paper.
He will enter the Les Sables d’Olonne River at 1500hrs and arrive at the Vendee Pontoon at 1530hrs. Follow his arrival on GGR Facebook live with both French and English coverage.
About the 2022 Golden Globe Race
On September 4 this year, the third edition of the Golden Globe Race will start from Les Sables d’Olonne, France. Twenty-three sailors from 13 countries will face eight months of isolation sailing 30,000 miles across five oceans solo non-stop and unassisted. The Golden Globe Race was the original round the world yacht race.
In 1968, while man was preparing to take his first steps on the moon, a mild mannered and modest young man was setting out on his own record-breaking voyage of discovery. He had entered the original Golden Globe. Nine men started that first solo non-stop sailing race around the World. Only one finished. He was 29-year-old Sir Robin Knox Johnston. History was made. Navigating only with a sextant, paper charts and an accurate and reliable time piece, Sir Robin navigated around the world.
In 2018, to celebrate 50 years since that first record breaking achievement, the Golden Globe Race was resurrected. It instantly caught the attention of the world’s media as well as adventures, captivated by the spirit and opportunity. Millions followed it. Eighteen started and only five finished. The original race was back.
Once again, they used only sextants, paper charts, wind up clocks and cassette tapes for music. The GGR is the longest, loneliest, most daring challenge for any individual in any sport. It is an extreme adventure full of human stories on a journey that takes longer than flying to Mars.
For more information on Sinclair, see: https://goldengloberace.com/skipper/2022/mark-sinclair/
To follow Sinclair on Facebook, see: https://www.facebook.com/CoconutGGR
For more on the GGR, see: https://goldengloberace.com/
By GGR
