A round-the-world trip for the Class40
"What sailor, what ocean racer, what ocean lover hasn't dreamed of one day sailing down the Atlantic and its islands from North to South, crossing the Indian Ocean, reaching the Polynesian shores, rounding Cape Horn and Christmas in Tierra del Fuego, getting to know the Brazilian drunkenness of the Northeast and to finish off the sweetness of winter at Antilles??"
It is with these attractive lines that the Globe40 is introduced, a round-the-world trip with stopovers for Class40s. The news came on Tuesday 11th June 2019. The Class40s will no doubt soon have their circumnavigation, just like the Open 60's, which are making a name for themselves in the Vendée Globe.
However, the project is not new, as Halvard Mabire, President of the class, tells us :
"It's always been the will of the class to build a world tour project. For three years we have been waiting for a proposal, so it's coming with the Globe40. We're bound to be happy, even if we're waiting to find out more. We didn't initiate the project, but we're probably going to encourage it and we're here to help.
What we already know is that Manfred Ramspacher, the organizer, is serious and well known as he's already organizing a race for the Class40s."
Also according to the class president, several round-the-world tour projects are under consideration. Still, Sirius Evènement is the first to position itself with the GLOBE40 - La Grande Route, which could see the light of day in 2021.
What about the class calendar, and how will the skippers be able to integrate it into their programme?? "It's going to be an off-calendar race." Les Sables-Horta and the Transat Jacques Vabre will also be on the 2021 calendar for those who prefer a more classic programme" explains Vanessa Boulaire, head of the Class40 office.
A world tour for amateurs and professionals
The Globe40 is aimed at professional skippers as well as enlightened amateurs. More than just a sporting round-the-world trip, it is an adventure, a long journey on a route that departs from traditional routes with new stages.
An unconventional route
The legs of this round-the-world tour will be adapted to the size of the boat - no more than 30 days at sea - with offshore sailing, but also semi-offshore sailing. Finally, there will be no long sprints in the deep south, except for the passage of the capes.
"The idea of mixing adventure and travel alongside sporting events is really interesting. As are the stopovers so it's not a permanent race." comments Halvard Mabire.
Departure will rather be given from France to summer 2021 (the organiser does not exclude other European territories). The navigators will leave for 2,200 miles to Cape Verde and its main marina in São Vicente, with the island of Madeira and the Canary Islands as passing marks.
The Step 2 long from 6?200 miles on a direct course or rather 7?000 miles forecast on the surface (i.e. around 30 days for the former) will descend along the Atlantic, heading south, with the passage of the Cape of Good Hope. Then the fleet will continue on a 400 mile course along the coast of South Africa before heading back up into the Indian Ocean south of Madagascar towards Mauritius.
The departure of the Step 3 will be given from Mauritius for a great 6?200 miles leaving the Rodrigues Islands to starboard. We then head for Australia and its famous Cape Leeuwin, then plunge towards Bass Strait before crossing the Tasman Sea to Auckland.
The Step 4 to French Polynesia will be via an ascent of 2?100 miles through the Austral Islands, destination Bora-Bora and a course in the middle of the Leeward Islands of the Society Archipelago before reaching Papeete.
The Step 5 will take the competitors to South America on nearly 4?400 miles to pass the mythical Cape Horn, before reaching via the Beagle Channel the Argentine city of Ushuaia in the heart of Tierra del Fuego.
The Step 7 will join the island of Grenada in the south of the West Indies, after the 2?200 miles of sailing under favourable winds and currents.
Finally, the return - the Step 8 - lengthy 3?600 miles will take the fleet across the Atlantic with the Azores islands as a passing mark.
In total an Odyssey of 30?000 miles The first will be at sea for about 140 days, with 120 days of stopovers, for a departure on a date to be confirmed of Sunday 27 June 2021 and a return in mid-March 2022 for the first, and the last at the end of March for the last. The stages for the first ones are spread out from 12 to 24 days, the duration of the stage for the last one is calculated to have at least 8 days of rest.
A double race
This round-the-world tour will be played in doubles, for more safety on a course of this kind.
"The race rules will allow a skipper to be changed at each stage, and therefore allows teams to be formed to complete the entire course, to share costs, to adapt to professional or family constraints", explains the organization.
An idea approved by the class president: "Double with crew change is a good formula. It's important to take turns on a race like this. The idea could be to make teams, much like the Global Ocean Race, which was a great race."
