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The Cape Horner – read archived copies online at https://capehorners.org/journal-archive/
Cape Horner
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Globe40 2025-26
Sailing News in Brief
Having left Valparaiso on 18th February, the sailors had brilliantly clear weather when rounding Cape Horn on 26th and 28th. Congratulations to the new Cape Horners! The final stage from Recife, Brazil to Lorient, France of this round the world double-handed race started on Sunday, 29th March. The fleet is expected to arrive approx. 17th April. www.globe40.com
Jules Verne Trophy Record Beaten
Sodebo Ultim 3 led by French skipper Thomas Coville set a new record of 40 days 10 hours 45 minutes 50 seconds making this the fastest ever sailing lap of the planet. www.tropheejulesverne.org/
Jules Verne and The Famous Project CIC
Until this voyage, not even a single woman had been part of any crew participating in the Jules Verne Trophy. Despite a headsail failure on 22nd January, Skipper Alexia Barrier and Co-Skipper Dee Caffari led their all-female crew round the world on the 103ft Maxi Trimaran The Famous Project CIC (formerly Idec Sport) to make history in what is now an established reference time of 57 days 21 hours 20 mins. Everything to play for ladies!
Mini Globe Race 2025-2026
Eleven happy sailors finished the inaugural McIntyre Mini Globe Race in March by returning to their port of departure, Antigua. Their journeys, with many adventures on the way in the tiny 5.8m boats, took between 180-233 days.
Golden Globe Race 2026
The 4th edition of this singlehanded, non-stop, ‘retro’ style circumnavigation starts on Sunday, 6th September 2026 with a window for boats to start until 13th September 2026. It’s a gruelling event - in the three previous editions of the GGR, only 21% of those sailors made it to the finish. Qualifying voyages are currently being completed. www.goldengloberace.com/
WorldSTAR 2026
This inaugural round the world race, organised by the Royal Western Yacht Club, Plymouth, is open to single or double-handed circumnavigation for monohulls 35-60ft, OPEN 60 class boats built before 2008. It starts at 1200 hrs BST on Saturday, 26th September 2026 and sails eastward via the three Great Capes. www.rwyc.org/worldstar/
Clipper Round the World Yacht Race 2025-26
The 14th edition of this fully crewed multi-leg circumnavigation finishes in July 2026. Because of the very light wind conditions and strict arrival deadlines in Tongyeong, it was decided to abandon racing with a Stage 8 restart planned for 14th March. www.clipperroundtheworld.com
The Tall Ships Races 2026 (24th June-2nd August) …………………………………………..
If you visit the host ports of Aarhus (Denmark), Harlingen (Netherlands), Antwerp (Belgium), Stavanger (Norway), Aalborg (Denmark) and see these training ships in port or in full sail, please share your photos with us. …… https://sailtraininginternational.org/event/tall-ships-races-2026/
The Global Solo Challenge 2027-28
The 2nd edition of the GSC starts in August 2027 with its staggered departures from Vigo, in Spain. www.globalsolochallenge.com/
Scheduled to start in Europe in September 2027, the 2nd edition of the OGR is recruiting. If you’re up for the challenge to be part of a crew in this round the world race, there’s still time to save and get fit! www.oceangloberace.com
Vendée Globe 2028-29
Applications have opened. Many sailors are interested but none have registered yet. The 11th edition of the four-yearly Vendée Globe will start on 12th November 2028. The record to beat stands at 64 days 19 hours 22 minutes 49 seconds.
https://www.vendeeglobe.org/
Hall of Fame – Nominate Now!
By Barry Pickthall
News of a new Jules Verne Challenge record circumnavigation via Cape Horn set by French the team aboard Sodebo Ultim 3 skippered by Thomas Coville on 25th January provides a timely reminder for sailing enthusiasts everywhere to nominate their favourite Cape Horner for the 2026 Cape Horn Hall of Fame awards.
The 32m foil-borne trimaran crewed by Benjamin Schwartz, Frédéric Denis, Pierre Leboucher, Léonard Legrand, and Guillaume Pirouelle set a new record of 40 days, 10 hours, and 45 minutes, an average speed of 27.17 knots for the 28,315-mile distance from Ushant around the three Great Capes and back. That is 12 hours 44 minutes faster than Francis Joyon’s long-standing previous record, set by IDEC Sport 9 years ago.
Organised by the IACH and co-sponsored by the French port of Les Sables d’Olonne, Spinlock and McIntyre Adventure, public nominations for this year’s intake of Cape Horners closes on 30th April. That’s time enough to include the winner of the Globe40, the 2-person round the world race expected to finish off Lorient just before the deadline. Nominations can include Cape Horners past and present.
Click here for the Nomination Form (if you’re reading the digital version!)
An independent judging panel, led by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, which includes 10-time solo circumnavigator Jean-Luc van den Heede, Dee Caffari (UK) American, Stan Honey and Captain Dilip Donde (the first Indian sailor to complete a solo circumnavigation), will shortlist fifteen nominations which then go forward to be voted on by the entire IACH membership to select the top 6 inductees. The awards ceremony is expected to be held in Les Sables d’Olonne, France in September during start week for the 2026/7 Golden Globe solo non-stop round the world race.
Now in its 4th year, the IACH Hall of Fame honours board lists forty-six famous Cape Horners, the latest being French Vendée Globe Race winner Charlie Dalin from France, multiple circumnavigator Paul Standbridge UK and South Africa, photographer extraordinaire Rick Tomlinson (UK), and two outstanding women sailors, Isabelle Autissier (France) and Samantha Davies (UK).
Circumnavigation Records
The IACH also maintain a definitive list of solo and multi-crewed circumnavigations via Cape Horn which are available to view online.
The total number since modern records began with Irishman Conor O’Brien (who completed a 2-year circumnavigation from Dublin via the three Great Capes in 1925 aboard his 42ft cruising yacht Saoirse), has now reached 2,374
– an additional 169 names since last year. The latest IACH Register update lists 225 who have completed solo non-stop circumnavigations, a further 157 have made similar solo circles of the globe via Cape Horn with stops, and a remarkable 1,992 have now done the same aboard crewed yachts.
The latest of these are the 8-strong women sailors aboard the French Jules Verne multihull The Famous Project CIC skippered Alexia Barrier, who set a female circumnavigation record of 57 days, 21 hours, 20mins, a day after Sodebo Ultim 3’s outright record. Her crew included Dee Caffari (UK), Annemieke Bes (Netherlands), Rebecca Gmür Hornell (Switzerland and New Zealand), Deborah Blair (UK), Molly LaPointe, (USA and Italy) Támara Echegoyen (Spain) and Stacey Jackson (Australia) – more names to consider for the 2026 Cape Horn Hall of Fame!
Correction to CHJ87, New Member Ant Steward rounded Cape Horn aboard Delirious
Cape Horner
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueLaOgJO3GM
Above: Recently, Roger Callan shared with us a rare souvenir from 1967, a card conferring his ‘right to wear the badge’ as an Associate of the AICH. Roger Callan sailed aboard Regina Maris from May 1966 till Nov. 1970 under Captain J. A. Wilson. The AICH lowered its flag in May 2003 and today the IACH continues its traditions.
Right: A badge of the AICH which differs slightly from the one shown on Roger’s card. There’ll be more to say about this another time …
The clubhouse facilities of the Royal Ocean Racing Club in St James, London, and in Cowes, Isle of Wight, may be used by members. Proof of IACH membership is required. Email your request by copying in the IACH Chairman and Secretary. On arrival, please have your IACH membership card available. For lunch, dinner and overnight stays, be sure to book in advance. Check the details at www.rorc.org
Cape Horner
The copper-sheathed hull of the Cutty Sark at Greenwich, 2026.
