The GLOBE40: The benefits of the new 2022 schedule

Globe40 © Globe40

More than two months ago, it was announced that the GLOBE40 would be put back a year with the new race start scheduled to depart Tangier in June 2022. In this way, despite the extended health crisis, there are a number of positives that have come out of this decision including an extra year's preparation for projects still in the pipeline, additional time for the potential emergence of new projects by 2022 and the return of some sailors who had initially called time on their 2021 plans.

For all that, the start of 2021 has been particularly lively with the purchase of new boats, the implementation of a series of training programmes throughout 2021, the constitution of teams and work on the event's various partnerships.

This approach will continue throughout the first six months of the year with the new registration deadline of 1 July 2021 for the new teams. Given the number of projects where the budget has been secured or is fairly advanced, we're well on our way to achieving the objective of 15 teams being finalised by this date, fleshing out to around twenty by late 2021.

The profile of the teams is becoming more refined now with the event set to revolutionise the look and feel of offshore racing. Indeed, around 2/3 of the potential fleet will likely consist of international projects and about fifteen or so nationalities, with a mixture of what are often amateurs with vast offshore experience, which has not necessarily been gained on a classic European circuit, and professionals with a sizeable track record in search of something a bit different out on the racetrack.

There is no doubt then that there is a growing sense within the teams and the organisation that this is shaping up to be a quite exceptional experience both in sporting and human terms.

New projects in line with the Globe40's values

The 2 new projects presented below are moving forward nicely and are a fine illustration of the construction of a whole new narrative. Others will follow suit in the coming weeks.

Themis Matsakis, who has only recently acquired his boat, and Nicolas Vagher, a young yet experienced crew, will be flying the flag for Greece in the race . Themis: "To my mind, the Globe 40 is the perfect combination of offshore racing and the trip of a lifetime. It seemed like an obvious next step to line up for the start of this first edition of the Globe 40. I hope I can go all the way with this incredible experience and share my journey with the widest possible audience."

Nicolas: "This Globe 40 race is a perfect blend of adventure and racing, with a great variety of different stopovers. Above all, it is accessible to sailors like us, who don't necessarily come from a racing background."

Mohamed Boussikouk and Omar Bensedikk will fly the flag for Morocco as they set sail in the wake of the Berber explorer Ibn Batouta, who set out from Tangier in 1325 bound for China.

"To have the opportunity to circumnavigate the globe is a childhood dream that dates back to our ancestor Ibn Batouta, who was always at the cutting edge and a lever for future generations. It's a first (round the world) for us, heightened by the fact that this contact with the global elite unleashes a whole wave of benefits for the marine sector in Morocco and, more broadly, Africa.

The race start in Tangier is in homage to this great maritime explorer, who led the way to the sea, and it is also a step forward in the development of offshore racing in Morocco and Africa, with numerous possibilities offered up by Morocco's port infrastructure."

Presentation of the teams at www.globe40.com.

The relaxing of a crew change rule

At the request of several teams and to facilitate the management of the crews whilst keeping the primary focus on safety, there has been a relaxing of the crew change rules (chapter 3.4 of the Notice of Race). In this way, though the aim remains the opportunity to change over a single skipper at each stopover, it is now possible for a new pair of skippers to take the start of a leg provided that each of them has already sailed a previous leg or or have received authorisation from Race Management.