Kirsten makes history

The final installment in the Golden Globe Race 2023 came in June 2023 as Austrian sailor Michael Guggenberger crossed the finish line in third place, with a time of 249 days.

‘Captain Gugg’, aged 44, was the last of the three sailors to have completed this edition of the round-the-world race, which saw a high attrition rate – 16 sailors started from Les Sables d’Olonne, with 11 dropping out or being forced to abandon. Two further sailors completed the race in the ‘Chichester Class’ for those who completed the course but made a pitstop for repairs. One of those, British Simon Curwen, outsailed everyone with untouchable boatspeed and despite having to make a major detour for repairs in South America, still managed to cross the finish line first.

The headlines, though, were all for the overall winner, the first woman to win a solo round the world yacht race.

Kirsten Neuschafer (right) made it clear from the start that she was aiming to win but the South African suffered a slow climb up the Atlantic, during which she believed she was not in fact in the lead. She crossed the finish line after 235 days at sea, 100 miles ahead of rival Abhilash Tomy, of India, who was second overall.

Neuschafer, 39, sailed a Cape George 36 cutter, Minnehaha. She said: “I feel very emotional and honoured. I am never going to forget the welcome. I want to thank my fellow skippers as without them, there would have been no race.”

Don McIntyre, GGR Founder and Chairman, reflected: “While we had a big attrition rate again, the finish proved exciting. We have the first woman to win a solo round the world race, a competitor coming back after nearly losing his life four years ago [Abhilash Tomy] and a sailor from a land-locked country who started sailing 10 years ago [Guggenberger]. All of it for a never seen before podium of South Africa, India, and Austria.”

The next race starts in 2026.