Socials: Winter Lecture, The 2022 Golden Globe Race by Barry Pickthall

The 2022 Golden Globe solo non-stop round the world race got off with a bang from Les Sables d’Olonne, France, in September with 16 skippers, all racing traditional long keeled cruising yachts facing 30-40 knot head winds as they beat out of the Bay of Biscay to round Cape Finisterre.

Barry Pickthall, a co-organiser of 2018/19 event and now an Ambassador of the Race, was there to witness their preparations, and learn of their fears and phobias about spending 200 or more days alone at sea in all conditions.

Barry, the former Yachting Correspondent to The Times, has spent a lifetime covering these global yacht races including the first Sunday Times Golden Globe Race back in 1968/9 which led to Robin Knox-Johnston becoming the first man to sail solo non-stop around the world via Cape Horn.

Bring your oilskins… Barry’s images of these small yachts surfing down 60ft seas in the Southern Ocean will have you dodging waves and grabbing your lifejackets!

Simon Curwen from Emsworth is currently in the leading group of boats. Barry will try to get a live link to Simon Curwen as part of his presentation.

Photo credit: Les Sables d’Olonne/PPL