Owner of an X37 based in the Mediterranean, Louis is no stranger to sailing. This enlightened yachtsman has already participated in 8 Figaro races, "but always as an amateur" he says. Today, he wants to go further and has registered for the Global Solo Challenge. This race will start from La Coruña, in Spain, to sail around the world through the 3 capes non-stop and solo. Its particularity: it is open to all classes of sailboats between 32 and 55 feet in length. For reasons of safety and interest in the race, the starts will be alternated. The slowest will start first while the fastest will start progressively with a gap of 11 weeks between the fastest and the slowest. With this principle, the first to arrive wins the race.
Around the world on an X37
Louis' X37 is one of the sailboats admitted to participate in this race. Today Louis is looking for some financing to "make his dream come true". Indeed, he lacks a little budget to change sails and better equip himself in terms of safety. But financing or not, he leaves! The registration fee for the race is limited to 9000 euros, but Louis draws his ideal budget around 80 000 euros. That is 10 times less than a Vendée Globeâeuros¦
Already qualified
In order to prepare himself, Louis has just completed a 5 month Atlantic tour in 2022. If he made some stages with crews, notably some visually impaired people, blind people, he made the crossing back to Guadeloupe and the Azores alone. This allowed him to validate some equipment and also to draw up a list of work to be done during the winter.
Indeed, in terms of safety, the race requires some specific equipment. In addition to the watertight zones, crash boxes, at the front and the back of the boat, 2 ISAF life rafts, 2 satellite phones, 2 emergency beacons, a radarâeuros¦ The list is long as well as the unavoidable modifications with a diesel tank increased to 300 l and more important fresh water reserves.
200 days of racing
For this journey, Louis expects 6 to 7 months of racing, or more than 200 days. His boat is considered as a "slow" and he will leave 15 days after the departure of the first, in mid-September 2023. We wish him a good preparation and see you in Coruña!
