Sailing Solo Around the World Like It's 1968: The Golden Globe Race

In 1968, nine sailors set off on the first solo nonstop race around the world. Only one crossed the finish line. Sir Robin Knox-Johnston returned aboard Suhaili to claim the Sunday Times Golden Globe - while behind him, one competitor faked his positions, another sailed to Tahiti instead of the finish line, and a third pushed his boat so hard it fell apart 1,200 miles from home.

Nearly fifty years later, Australian adventurer Don McIntyre decided to bring the race back. The rules were simple: sail around the world alone, without stopping, using only the technology available in 1968. No GPS. No satellite weather. No electronic instruments. Navigate by sextant, listen to music on cassette tapes, and if something breaks halfway round the world, fix it yourself or retire. Fewer than one in five who start the Golden Globe Race will finish it.

Don joins Hugh to tell the full story: from his boyhood obsession with Knox-Johnston to the moment he decided to recreate the race that started it all. He explains why the GGR has become the purest test in ocean racing, why its followers are more gripped by short daily text updates than live satellite feeds from other races, and why — in an age of autopilots, AI, and nineteen-million-euro campaigns — stripping everything away and leaving one person alone with the sea might be exactly what the world needs.

The 2026 Golden Globe Race starts from Les Sables-d'Olonne, France, on 6 September. Follow the race at goldengloberace.com. If you haven't seen it, the documentary The Voyage of Madman, covering the 2018 edition, is free on YouTube.

Arthur Beale is an official partner of the Golden Globe Race. We have produced the exclusive clothing and accessory collection for the race — rooted in a heritage of craftsmanship that reflects the resilience, determination, and spirit needed for true adventure. The collection is available to buy from arthurbeale.co.uk from May 2026.