GGR retirements

Lodolo heads for Cape Town

Italian sailor Andrea Lodolo has been forced to retire after suffering a painful fracture around his knee when he fell from the cockpit through the companionway into the cabin aboard BiBi.

Following consultation with Medical Support Offshore (MSOS), the race’s 24-hour telemedicine service, the injury was assessed as serious and potentially requiring evacuation.

However, Lodolo has elected to remain aboard and sail towards Cape Town rather than abandon his yacht.

Under close medical supervision, including up to two consultations daily, he is taking pain relief and attempting to immobilise his injured leg.

Unable to climb into his quarter berth, Lodolo is sleeping on the cabin sole and limiting trips into the cockpit to essential sail changes.

Race control continues to provide weather information and assistance, while members of the Royal Cape Yacht Club are preparing to support his arrival.

As of 9 November, his arrival was estimated to be five to six days away.

Lodolo had been running third overall and making strong progress before the accident.

DeBoer rescued offshore

American competitor Guy deBoer has been successfully evacuated from his yacht Spirit following injuries sustained in a fall aboard.

A Brazilian Navy helicopter rescued deBoer on 8 November, approximately 1,600 kilometres offshore in the South Atlantic.

He was transferred to the Brazilian Navy corvette Barroso, where he was reported to be in a stable condition under medical supervision.

The vessel was heading towards Rio de Janeiro, with an estimated arrival of 11 November.

His yacht Spirit remains adrift in the South Atlantic.

The Golden Globe Race organisers have expressed hope that deBoer will make a full recovery.

Kveseth withdraws

Norwegian sailor Mara Løvenskiold Kveseth has withdrawn from the race aboard Showgirl following an investigation into alleged breaches of race regulations.

The investigation, initiated after social media activity was brought to the attention of organisers, examined the actions of Kveseth and her shore-based management and media team.

According to the Golden Globe Race, the investigation identified multiple breaches of the Notice of Race, GGR WINDOW LIVE Code of Conduct and Starlink communications regulations.

The reported breaches included the unauthorised uploading and publication of 865 restricted onboard camera files, repeated breaches of permitted media publication limits and unauthorised Starlink communications with her shore team.

Organisers determined that two breaches warranted disqualification. However, both disqualification penalties were subsequently suspended, allowing Kveseth to remain a full entrant provided no further breaches occurred.

Additional sanctions included permanent removal from GGR WINDOW LIVE and reinstatement of a previously suspended six-day time penalty, bringing her total time penalties to 16 days.

These penalties would have been served during the northbound Atlantic leg towards Les Sables-d’Olonne.

On 6 November, Kveseth and her management team were given 24 hours to respond to the investigation’s findings and proposed penalties.

Instead, Kveseth announced her retirement on 7 November.

She had been occupying fifth place and was sailing a well-prepared yacht when she withdrew.

Organisers say they regret her departure but maintain that the Notice of Race must be applied consistently to protect the event’s integrity and principles of equal competition.

Guillou extends lead

Meanwhile, the remaining competitors are making steady progress east following a succession of storms and frontal systems.

French sailor Damien Guillou continues to lead aboard Solarem, having established a substantial advantage as he heads into the Indian Ocean.

Early projections suggest Guillou could reach the Hobart film drop around 17 December, although the date remains provisional.

Ertan Beskardes holds second place aboard Miss Beagle, benefiting from a favourable two- to three-knot flow in the Agulhas Current.

Swiss competitor Etienne Messikommer has moved into third aboard Bernard, completing a significant recovery after difficult conditions in the Doldrums nearly prompted him to retire.

Messikommer now faces pressure from Henry Wootton as the fleet continues east across the Southern Ocean.

With conditions becoming more settled, organisers report no serious issues among those still racing.

A history of attrition

The Golden Globe Race has a long history of high retirement rates.

Of the nine sailors who started the inaugural Sunday Times Golden Globe Race in 1968, only Sir Robin Knox-Johnston completed the circumnavigation aboard Suhaili.

In the 2018 anniversary edition, five of the 18 starters finished, while the 2022 race saw just three finishers from a fleet of 16.

The 2026 edition has already lost more than a third of its starting fleet, with the remaining sailors facing many months at sea before reaching Les Sables-d’Olonne.

For the 10 competitors still racing, the challenge of completing a solo circumnavigation using traditional navigation methods and restricted communications remains as demanding as ever.

goldengloberace.com