French solo sailor Philippe Delamare has won the first Global Solo Challenge race, a new non-stop single-handed around the world race which follows a ‘pursuit race’ format. Delamare crossed the finish line off A Coruña, Spain, on the Actual 46 Mowgli on 24 February after 147 days.
Delamare had led on the water since Tasmania and built a 1,500-mile advantage over second placed Cole Brauer, but his race nearly ended in the final 600 miles.
With Storm Louis forecast to produce potentially boat breaking sea states of 9m-plus off the Galician coast (the same system Caudrelier avoided in the Azores, see left), Delamare continued racing only to smash his boom with just two days to go.
He’d previously dealt with a long list of technical challenges including engine issues that forced him to make some MacGuyverworthy repairs, bridging the terminals on the starter circuit with a large screwdriver – sparks flying. Repeated attempts to fix the motor caused a temporary blackout to Mowgli’s instruments, which left the boat without autopilot and repeatedly rounding into the wind.
Delamare also suffered an injured knee, and by Cape Horn back pain meant he was crawling on all fours on deck.
His Atlantic return leg was mercifully uneventful until passing the Azores. Despite gale force conditions forecast, Delamare decided not to delay his finish. In waves of over 7m Mowgli was rolled, the mainsheet came out of its self-tailer and the boat went into an involuntary gybe as it righted itself, the boom smashing against the rigging and breaking in two.
“It certainly could have gone a lot worse, and I am aware I took some risks, but it was i
