Globe40 Leg 4 Finish: A strand of arrivals in Valparaiso

GLOBE40 © Jean-Marie Liot

The first "pointu" arrived just 5 days and 11 hours after the first "scow". Four competitors arrived within 4 hours after 7,000 miles.

Arriving in Valparaiso during the golden age of sail was a privilege not granted to all clippers from Europe; many of them now lie scattered across charts in the vicinity of Cape Horn as wrecks. For the fleet of classic Class40s, known as "pointus" (pointed), less than six days after the arrival of the latest technology Class40s, known as "scows," Valparaiso will mark the end of a complete transpacific crossing, nearly 7,000 miles at sea, in decidedly less than peaceful conditions. They will have to wait until leg 5 to Recife to round Cape Horn.

And as the GLOBE40 crew enjoys unprecedented and close finishes, all on the same day, within four hours (three of them in under an hour), the Brazilian boat BARCO BRASIL, the Austrian-British (sorry, Welsh) crew WILSON, the British team JANGADA RACING, and the Canadian team WHISKEY JACK arrived in that order on Wednesday, January 28th. The legendary harbor of Valparaiso welcomes them, a global port with scents reminiscent of Jacques Brel, echoing names like Alexandria, Karachi, Bombay...

GLOBE40 - photo © Jean-Marie Liot

An Ocean Adventure.

Departing from Sydney on January 1st, the seven Class40s (the German team NEXT GENERATION having had to turn back to Reunion Island) quickly descended into the southern latitudes, rounding New Zealand to the south. FREE DOM left the pack after several mishaps and two returns to Sydney for a third departure on January 17th. For the four survivors of this first phase, the long stretch in the Southern Ocean then begins, at the limit of the 50° south latitude set by the race. A first for almost all the skippers, with only three exceptions, a discovery of long downwind runs, speed records, the cold, and even fear amidst mountains of waves and albatrosses, guardians of the southern sails. An experience difficult to put into words, but one that will leave its mark on them all.

The quality of the technical preparation allowed these high-performance Class40s to cross the ocean without major damage. The only notable event was Jade's feat of taking the lead in the middle of the night, in the midst of a storm, and in the middle of the Pacific, tightening a piece of rigging; nothing else to report, pending an inventory upon arrival. Then came the vertigo of rounding Point Nemo, a symbol of the vastness of the seas. And finally, three weeks after the - temporary - departure from the Southern Ocean, they set sail for Chile, finding calm, warmth, and a bit of respite before landing on the Chilean coast. An experience that struck their minds as much as it left its mark on their bodies.

GLOBE40 - photo © Jean-Marie Liot

A competition that never faltered

Adventure certainly, but always competition: BARCO BRASIL (No. 151) consolidates its ranking at the top of the pointus with this new victory: the duel with FREE DOM will have to wait for the 5th and 6th stages; 7000 miles covered at the head of the pointu fleet, often with rather tough options in the thick of the depressions, José and Luiz clearly fear nothing; an average of 10.7 knots on the surface, barely less than what was recently the record for scows on transatlantic courses (Transat Jacques Vabre 2023 / 11.12 knots average on the water for Ambrogio Beccara); which scow record has been raised to 13.40 knots on the surface over the entire transpacific race, an all-time record for a Class40 offshore event.

WILSON (No. 93), the oldest boat in the fleet, continues its remarkable GLOBE40 campaign, demonstrating consistent performance and technical preparation under the guidance of Jade, a shipyard owner by day. This hasn't stopped skipper Lisa Berger from consistently delivering stunning Instagram posts that regularly reach a million views (yes, really!).

The British composure and wisdom of JANGADA RACING (No. 152) has also paid off, with Richard and Rupert deliberately choosing to make headway during the worst of the low-pressure systems encountered. They were quickly followed by the others, with the exception of BARCO BRASIL; a winning strategy.

Finally, the "maple-flavored" crew, Canadians Mélodie and Colin, have continuously improved the performance of their Class40 No. 128, keeping pace with the group's blistering speed. A group united in competition but also in solidarity, each member quickly becoming concerned about a significant slowdown or an inconsistent course taken by another crew. And it's quite a beautiful sight to see them arrive almost together in Valparaiso with such a small gap. Beyond the rankings, they all deserve equal respect for their achievement.