Two front runners of the Golden Globe Race have retired into Cape Town with wind vane failures. Damien Guillou arrived in Cape Town having lost his windvane rudder. Pat Lawless retired after the failure of a critical bearing bush, caught without a spare.

Pat’s goal was to become the first Irishman to sail solo, non-stop, unassisted around the world. Without a self steering system he was unable to achieve his dream. He could have made repairs and continued the voyage under Chichester Class as a one stop circumnavigation, but decided to retire.

Pat had a life in the North Sea as a fisherman, a past that overshadowed his skill as a dinghy sailor and offshore racer. His experience became obvious as Pat remained in the lead pack all the way to Cape Town which he reached in fourth place.

Damien Guillou ( PRB) has shown incredible capacity to face problems, and fight his way back to the top. He will be missed by both the entrants and public. Image: Riaan Smit / GGR2022

Damien Guillou was in third position, following a dashing option at the coast while waiting for the wind shift, when he lost the rudder on his Hydrovane. “I was doing fine, in the zone, in harmony with the boat, I did not know my ranking but I knew I was in a good position,” said Damien Guillou.

Winner of the Prologue Race before the start in Les Sables d’olonne, and one of the favourites for the event, he was leading the GGR in the Bay of Biscay. However, he had to return to Les Sables d’Olonne to repair a bolt that broke on his wind vane mount, and left six days later in last position. He went on to catch-up with the skippers one by one to regain contact with the leaders.

In October he broke the rudder shaft of his Hydrovane, as a result of modifications made before the start. He made repairs at sea in difficult conditions before crossing the Cape Town gate in fifth position. Then, as he was in third place on the rhumb line, another modification failed when the machine screws fixing his spare rudder blade to the shaft came loose. The rudder slipped off and the safety line was not secured. The rudder blade was lost forcing Damien, with no spare, to make his way towards Cape Town.

He did not wish to continue in Chichester class explainig: “Psychologically it is too hard, I cannot get back out without racing in the rankings. I have had problems three times, and when these things happen, you cannot force fate. You have to be sensible and stop the race.” 

In the roaring 40s , Simon Curwen (UK) has enjoyed the mixed tape of music and messages from family and friends specially made for the Cape of Good Hope by his daughter Nikki Curwen. He also is getting his first taste of Southern Ocean experience with temperatures seriously going down and winds over 50 knots, expecting another gale as shere in his weekly call on Monday.

“I am tidying the boat to make sure there’s not too much to throw around, and on the deck to make sure I have the right sails ready to use and that everything is in order.

For the last gale I was a bit worried I was going to be blown over the 44S of latitude, but it turned out I could head into the wind during most of the Northerlies.” Simon Curwen, Clara sponsored by Howdens.

Behind him, Tapio Lehtinen (FIN) is having a blast in the light or heavy conditions encountered as he mentioned in his tweet, and has been going away from the others, pulling 100 miles on Kirsten Neuchafer (RSA) and 200 miles on Abhilash Tomy (IND), after him on the same latitude. Meanwhile Southern Ocean newbie Michael Guggenberger (AUT) is struggling to get back in the zone.

In the Atlantic it’s a different weather issue. The South Atlantic High has not materialised, and the wind is unstable both in speed and direction, but the low-pressure systems travelling east are bringing downwind conditions towards Cape Town to the most southern sailors. Ian Herbert-Jones(UK), Elliott Smith (USA) and Jeremy Bagshaw (RSA) are clocking the biggest mileage. Jeremy is expected in Cape Town on Thursday and Ertan Beskardes on Wednesday, while Guy Waites (UK) closing the fleet plagued by barnacles takes a day at a time and has a plan as explained in his weekly call. Guy Waites, Arnaud Gaist and Ian Herbert-Jones are all worried about sailing through the Hobart gate which closes on January 31st. They have each been hit by various challenges, the biggest, lack of wind!

 

GGR 2026 will require that any modification to a windvane system, regardless of brand, be submitted to the manufacturer and the GGR for their feedback and comments beforehand.

 

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