Solo Sailor Follow-Up

You remember that solo sailor guy we told you about a few months back? The one who was preparing his boat to compete in the Golden Globe Race to circumnavigate the globe? The 27-year-old who was going to be the youngest to ever compete? The one named Elliott Smith?

If not, let me jog your memory. The Golden Globe Race is a retro, solo, non-stop race covering 33,000 miles. Starting in Les Sables-d’Olonne, France, skippers travel south through the Atlantic Ocean then eastbound around the Cape of Good Hope (Africa), Storm Bay (Australia) and Cape Horn (South America) before returning to France. Non-stop really means non-stop: Racers are disqualified if they even step foot on land. The premise creates a race inclusive of everyone, not just the richest people with the nicest equipment. In fact, there’s no technology allowed in the race at all; if it wasn’t around in 1968, it’s not allowed to be on the boat (aside from certain safety measures like satellite phones, life rafts, etc.).

You can also read the full piece here:  https://folioweekly.com/2021/12/15/solo-sailor/

At the time, we ran the cover story, Smith was unsure he was even going to make it to the start line. By the time you’re reading this, he will be more than halfway across the Atlantic Ocean on his way to the starting line in Les Sables-d’Olonne, France.

His friends and partner have taken over his Instagram (@elliottskipperyo) to give his followers daily updates on sailing conditions and anecdotes from his travels. If you want to stay up to date with his location and race pace, you can follow along live via GPA plotting by Garmin. https://share.garmin.com/QK9OS