From the Editor

“When Francis leaves to go to sea, even around the world, it looks like he’s going to pick strawberries from his garden.” This is how fellow French solo sailor JP Dick once described the imperturbable Francis Joyon.

A seaman to his fingertips, Joyon won the Route du Rhum by defeating François Gabart, the previously unbeatable ocean racer half his age. Joyon’s was not a new boat; it did not have foils. And (in typical Joyon fashion) he did not pose for publicity shoots, blog, vlog, or court celebrity interviews. He doesn’t really care about any of that.

When experience trumps technology, it feels like quite a satisfying twist. Right now, we are in a golden age of sailing superstars. Loïck Peyron (left) also springs to mind, racing his little yellow trimaran Happy. So does the 73-year-old Jean-luc Van Den Heede, who is leading the Golden Globe Race with a show of profound sea experience and cool practicality.

In the ARC, one of the best-known skippers is 82-year-old German sailor Manfred Kerstan, doing his 24th transatlantic rally, while Sir Robin Knox-johnston has been in China launching a new Clipper sailing academy, and planning the next crewed round the world race.

Besides decades of sea time, all these sailors share in common an extraordinary drive. It’s a very potent cocktail to be reckoned with.