Text: Margherita Pelaschier
Image: ©GlobalSoloChallenge
Less than a month after departure, Dafydd Hughes, the only Welsh skipper on his first solo round-the-world voyage aboard the Bendigedig, an S&S 34′, is less than 200 miles from the equator.
Despite the few weeks spent at sea, Dafydd has consistently updated us on his adventures and encounters with marine wildlife. Every now and then, a bird perches onboard, offering some company to the sailor. Dafydd is managing his navigation superbly, even though he’s in an area where weather forecasts are not always reliable.
“The situation at sea is complex. Often what I expect doesn’t align with what actually happens. Currently, I plan to stay another day on this starboard tack, with winds coming from the west-southwest, waiting for them to rotate 180 degrees and start blowing from the east. From there, the route to the Cape of Good Hope should be more straightforward, with more consistent winds. However, things at sea are never that simple.”
Dafydd describes how he’s dealing with cloud masses that disrupt the wind direction. “The wind changes direction and intensity suddenly. I have to maneuver the boat under the rain, and despite the high temperatures, I sometimes feel a cold chill,” he adds.
Regarding rest, some nights are more eventful, but Dafydd has managed to maintain a good sleep rhythm. “I’m following my plan to sleep during regular nighttime hours. I haven’t slept much over the last few nights, but I hope to catch up soon.”
The Bendigedig Team has launched a challenge on social media: guess the exact date and time when Dafydd will cross the equator. It will be interesting to see who gets it right. “I had the ambitious goal to cross the equator today, Wednesday the 20th, but given the unstable weather typical of the Doldrums, it’s more realistic to aim for Friday morning,” Dafydd concludes.
In maritime tradition, the first crossing of the equator is a moment to celebrate with a unique ritual called the “Line Crossing Ceremony”. In Anglo-Saxon culture, those who haven’t crossed the equator are known as “pollywogs”. Upon participating in the ceremony, the “pollywog” is promoted to the rank of “shellback” through a symbolic baptism that includes hilarious rituals and pranks on the “unfortunate”. Dafydd, who has already crossed the equator during the Clipper Round the World Race, is already a “shellback” and is preparing to relive this symbolic passage.
“I’ve crossed the equator before and was initiated as a ‘shellback’. This time, I’ve thought of my ritual for the occasion before leaving: I’ll offer Neptune a sip of Barti Spiced, a drink made from rum and Pembrokeshire seaweed,” Dafydd shares.
How does Dafydd feel about living his big dream? “Sometimes, especially when I wake up from a nap, I feel like I’m still in training mode rather than in the middle of the actual adventure. I keep thinking of adding some things to the to-do list before reaching A Coruña. However, I’m sure this feeling will change as more skippers join the challenge. I’ve only been at sea for three weeks, and the prospect of another twenty weeks at sea is daunting. But I’m confident that I’ll process it better as I get closer to the Cape of Good Hope.”
Dafydd, despite the usual anxieties that such a journey entails, is making the most of every moment onboard. In his weekend updates, he also speaks of carefree moments, sitting in the cockpit, with a vigilant eye on the navigation instruments, listening to classical music and following Wales’ matches in the Rugby World Cup. All thanks to emails from his family, keeping him constantly updated on the outside world.
For his part, Édouard De Keyser has just started his round-the-world challenge aboard his Solaire 34, SolarWind. It seems that a slight 24-hour delay has had positive effects. After passing the tip of Finisterre, on his first day of sailing, he covered a distance of 115 miles and kept on a good course, with a heading of 200°.
Francis Courteaux, the meteorologist for the SolarWind team, described yesterday’s situation: “This morning, Edouard was at the latitude of Porto, in a light wind blowing from the west, moving at a speed of 3 knots. In the afternoon, the wind slightly increased due to the approach of a cold front brought by a depression. This disturbance affected the Bay of Biscay and then the English Channel. By the end of the night, the wind had shifted to the southwest, picking up slightly.
To reach the height of Lisbon, Edouard will have to travel another 140 nautical miles, and then another 400 miles to reach Madeira. With favorable wind conditions, it will take about 4-5 days. After that, the next stop will be the Canary Islands.”
Some competitors have already reached Marina Coruña and are taking advantage of the efficient services and the careful oversight of Roberto Bermúdez de Castro, known as “Chuny”. Marco Nannini and the Global Solo Challenge organization are working tirelessly to allow all competitors to confidently set off on their great challenge.
American Dave Linger arrived in Spain on August 28th, docking his Class40 Koloa Maoli USA 15 (previously known as Bollands Mills), designed by Owen Clarke, at Marina Coruña. His departure is scheduled for October 28th, and Dave has already completed all the preparations.
Among the Italian sailors, Riccardo Tosetto had transferred his boat, the Class40 #60, Obportus, a JPK design, already in June. After a summer break dedicated to his professional skipper job, Riccardo will return to A Coruña on September 26th and then fully devote himself to the final preparations.
The Bulgarian sailor, Pavlin Nadvorni, has also already arrived in La Coruña aboard his Farr 45 Espresso Martini. Pavlin completed his journey from Bulgaria to La Coruña in about 27-28 days, with various stops and unexpected events along the way. The first stop was in Nesebār, near Varna, due to the illness of a crew member. Later, the trip was interrupted for four days in Malta due to strong Maestrale winds. Once they set off again, they sailed south of Majorca with gusts of 35-40 knots. Finally, they made a stop in Torrevieja, Spain, to pick up some safety equipment.
“The transfer overall went well, but we suffered an attack by orcas off the Portuguese coast, 25-30 miles from Porto. It was a beautiful morning, calm sea, and we were motor-sailing because there was no wind. Everything was peaceful and then in 20 – 30 seconds everything happened. The orcas came under the boat without us realizing. I felt the hits, and the boat moved dramatically, swaying more than a meter and a half from one side to the other. After the fourth hit, we started shouting to scare them off. Then, silence, and I saw three adult orcas moving away. I immediately put on a goggles and checked the underwater damage. There were no hull damages, only to the rudder. About 30 cm of the rudder had been cleanly bitten off. But despite this misadventure, we managed to complete the sail to A Coruña without issues. However, the boat now needs repairs. I have only one central rudder, so it’s essential that it works properly.”
To address the damages, Pavlin has planned to haul out the boat on October 2nd. Some members of his crew, who work at his yard in Varna, will assist him in the process. He has already prepared all the necessary materials and will ship them to La Coruña. “In addition to repairing the rudder, we will also apply one or two coats of antifouling paint. We need to reapply some sponsor stickers, and there are a few minor repairs to be made to the mast. Once all these tasks are completed, the last step will be to stock up on water and fresh food, like tomatoes, which will last me for the first ten days. Then, I’ll be ready to set off.”
Philippe Delamare, the French skipper aboard the Actual 46 Mowgli, arrived in La Coruña during the night in anticipation of his next departure scheduled for September 30th. He left on Sunday from La Rochelle, where he had applied the final touches to the antifouling and completed the last checks on the boat. “The transfer went well, even though we faced headwinds. Now, I want to focus on the first significant phase of the project, to serenely experience the departure.”
Ronnie Simpson and his Open 50 Shipyard Brewing, previously known as Sparrow, which left on September 2nd from Maine, are expected by Thursday in La Coruña. Despite the challenging weather conditions they encountered, Ronnie mentioned in an update on the website that this journey has been an excellent opportunity to test both the boat and the crew. “I’d say this transfer is proving to be a real test bench for the boat and me. We are facing several challenges, but if we arrive at our destination without causing damage, it will already be a success.”
Upon arrival in Spain, the priority will be to carry out a series of jobs on the boat, with a particular focus on redundancy and reliability. Simpson plans to dismantle the mast to make modifications and increase the capacity of the solar panels, in addition to installing a wind generator to ensure energy self-sufficiency. “I have a well-defined list of modifications to make upon arrival. I am motivated to start work as soon as possible to make the improvements that will allow me to be ready for the GSC.”
The team will have five weeks, before Ronnie’s departure scheduled for October 28th, to complete all the necessary work. The navigator is optimistic. “We are in a race against time, but I am confident. I see the light at the end of the tunnel, and I couldn’t be more excited.”
The transfer of Shipyard Brewing to Spain already represents a significant step towards the final goal: to be ready on the starting line of the Global Solo Challenge. McCoy, the co-skipper, will have to immediately head back to California, while Simpson will be welcomed by Marisa, his girlfriend, and Chris, his boat-captain. “I’m looking forward to meeting Marco and all the other competitors, and to see Dave Linger again. We were moored next to each other in Maine, and now I hope it will be the same in Spain!”
Other competitors are currently on their way to La Coruña. The Italian skipper, Alessandro Tosetti, is transferring his ULDB 65 Aspra from Italy to Spain, with a crew and several stops. The arrival in La Coruña is expected around October 10th. “The transfer has started well. We are fast and in good company, together with my brother Roberto, Raffaella, the co-skipper for the transfer, and Alessandro, a diving instructor. After crossing the Gulf of Lyon with strong winds, we will stop in Cascais. Here, three young members of the competitive 420 team, who usually participate in the Sailing Camps I organize, will join us: Francesco1, Francesco2, and Filippo. Together, we will cover the last stretch to A Coruña. Despite the fatigue accumulated during the preparations, I am satisfied with the results obtained thanks to the work done during the winter. The boat is in excellent condition, slowed down only by the food load on board.” Tosetti’s departure is scheduled for October 28th.
Yesterday morning, Cole Brauer, the young American sailor, excitedly announced on Instagram that she was about to leave. Taking advantage of a favorable weather window, she cast off on Tuesday, September 19th, at 5 in the morning (local US time). The skipper will then have time with her team to finalize the preparations before her departure on October 28th.
Meanwhile, in Italy, Andrea Mura launched his Open 50 “Vento di Sardegna” in Porto Corallo last Monday. This represents an essential step in his project. Now, Andrea will further focus on the preparations for his departure, scheduled for November 18th.
In the north of France, from the V1D1 shipyard in Caen, unexpected problems that arose during the refit of Phoenix, the Class40 #44, an Akilaria RC1 model designed by Marc Lombard, of William MacBrien, are stressing the entire work team. They will have to try to resolve the situation for the scheduled departure on October 21st, which might be postponed depending on the significance of the intervention. We await updates.
The organization of the Global Solo Challenge wants to pay heartfelt tribute and remember Marc Lombard, the eminent French naval architect who has left an indelible mark over the past thirty years and sadly passed away on September 18th due to an illness. Lombard leaves a significant legacy, represented by a highly reputed design studio and the many boats he designed that will continue to achieve success in regattas. Above all, he leaves behind the memory of a reserved and esteemed individual, appreciated not only for his technical qualities but also his human ones.
Ivan Dimov, skipper of Blue Ibis, an Endurance 37, has not officially thrown in the towel yet. His departure was scheduled for August 26th, but continuous delays in preparation led him to request dispensation to leave later, an option provided for by the rules. However, for safety reasons, each boat is given a deadline beyond which a delayed departure is no longer allowed. This ensures that the participant doesn’t arrive too late at Cape Horn, after the Southern Hemisphere summer has ended, with the increasing risk of encountering dangerous weather and sea conditions for navigation. This date, for Dimov, is October 1st, and the possibility that Ivan might arrive on time has inevitably vanished. Unfortunately, for safety reasons, even if he managed to reach A Coruña, his departure after October 1st could not be allowed.
The Global Solo Challenge kicked off on August 26. Given its unique format, the 20 skippers will set off in staggered starts over the next four months, depending on the performance of their boats.
For further details on the departure dates of each skipper, please visit this link: https://globalsolochallenge.com/start-dates/
It is possible to follow the progress of each skipper on the event’s tracker: https://globalsolochallenge.com/tracking/