Global Solo Challenge

The Global Solo Challenge is a single-handed (solo) non-stop round the world yacht race. The race was founded by Marco Nannini. The Second edition will be 2027-2028, starting and finishing in Vigo, Galicia, Spain.

History
The race was founded by Marco Nannini, and first ran beginning on September 30, 2023. Nannini is a sailor, writer and consultant in marketing and communication with a financial background. After a career in banking in the City of London he decided to take part in the Global Ocean Race 2011/2012 taking second place overall.

The race
The race was designed with the intent that budget alone would not be a deciding factor in how well each boat does.

Boats are grouped by performance characteristics and set off in successive departures from August to December. Once at sea, there are no classes. All boats sail the same event. The faster boats have to try to catch up with the slower boats. The first boat to cross the finish line wins. After their group departures all boats sail in real time without time correction except for any time penalties imposed by the Organizer. The time limit for finishing the event is 270 days from the first departure date and time.

Any type of assistance at sea including embarking, provisions, sails, repair materials, fuel or anything else en route is not allowed, with the following exceptions:

A boat may pull into a port or anchorage for:
 * Repairs including repair work done by third parties
 * Provisions
 * Materials
 * Like-for-like replacement of sails carried on departure
 * Fuel not exceeding the fuel consumed to pull into port and restart

A boat pulling into port must then observe a minimum 120 hours time penalty or longer as decided by the Organizer.

No time penalties are applicable if a boat anchors to carry out repairs, find shelter from bad weather, or other reason without receiving any kind of outside assistance.

Skippers may receive any type of medical assistance at sea or by pulling into port both from other competitors or persons embarking the vessel. No time penalties will be imposed for bona fide medical assistance.

External weather routing is permitted.

Making way under engine is not permitted except for emergency situations (for example collision avoidance, man overboard recovery, providing assistance at sea) or pulling into port. The organizer may apply a time penalty if it is deemed that the participant has gained an unfair advantage as a result of the circumstances.

Each boat is provided with two satellite trackers which must be carried on board during the event. One unit is activated prior to the assigned departure. The second unit acts as a spare and must be activated on request by the Organizers.

Yachts
The race is open to monohull yachts with LOA greater than 32ft, including one-off open designs and other racing boats such as Class40, Open 50 and IMOCA 60. Boats not meeting this criterion may still apply and may be accepted at the sole discretion of the Organizer.

A boat must be covered by public liability insurance for participation in the event to a minimum value of €3 million (Euros).

Course
The course is essentially a circumnavigation along the clipper route: from A Coruña, Spain, down the Atlantic Ocean to the Cape of Good Hope; then clockwise around Antarctica, keeping Cape Leeuwin and Cape Horn to port; then back to A Coruña. There is an exclusion zone set around Antarctica where competitors are prohibited to sail due to risk of ice-bergs.

A circumnavigation by the three great capes is approximately 26,000 Nautical Miles long, and runs from August to June, timed to place the competitors in the Southern Ocean during the austral summer.

Qualification
Skippers must be 18 years of age or older by their event departure date.

Skippers are required to undergo medical and survival courses. They must provide evidence of proficiency in medical care undertaken within 18 months of the departure in the Event. They must provide a Personal Survival Training course certificate gained at a World Sailing / ISAF Approved centre and undertaken within 18 months of the departure in the Event.

All skippers must have sailed a minimum qualification passage of 2,000 nautical miles single-handed and non-stop on the boat entered in the event by a passage route approved by the Organizer.