How it works
The Global Solo Challenge is a race around the world: solo, non-stop and unassisted. We start and finish in Vigo, Spain, and sail east for about 26,000 nautical miles, keeping the three great capes to port: the Cape of Good Hope, Cape Leeuwin and Cape Horn. There is no crew, there are no port stops, and outside help is not allowed.

What makes this race special is the start. The boats leave in staggered starts between August and December 2027, the slower boats first and the faster ones later. There are no handicaps and no corrected times. The first boat back across the finish line wins. In other words, it’s a chase around the planet. The fastest boats should take about 70 days, while the slowest could be out there for more than 200.

What makes it hard
It means months alone on the ocean, through heavy storms in the Southern Ocean, with sleep only in short stretches. Every repair is mine to make, because nobody is coming to help. The organizers put it plainly: this event is not for everyone.

Why it fascinates me
At sixteen, I read “Dove”, Robin Lee Graham’s story of sailing around the world as a teenager, and I decided I would do it too. The Global Solo Challenge fits the way I’ve always seen adventure. My parents taught me that you don’t need a lot of money for one, and this race is made for real sailors on real boats, not for boats built just for the event. My boat Kawan has done this race before. She finished fifth in the 2023-24 edition.

My hero, George Plimpton, showed that heart and courage matter more than having a professional athlete’s body. I’ve always considered myself pretty average physically. It never stopped me.

The countdown
At the top of my website, you can see exactly how long it is until I cross the start line. Does that countdown make me nervous? Yes, but in a good way. I’ve been preparing for this for fifty years. Now it’s real.