GGR Skipper Stories – Episode 02 - Simon Curwen | McIntyre Golden Globe Race 2022/23

GGR SKIPPER STORIES! We are excited to announce a new McIntyre Golden Globe Documentary series. Over the next 16 weeks, every Saturday, a new episode will be released, giving a unique insight to the sailors of this gruelling human story, a race of attrition and total isolation that pushes each sailor to the absolute limit of their physical and psychological endurance, offering many reasons to retire, but only one reason to finish! We hope you enjoy this short film series. Please share it to friends. Thanks... Don & Jane 🤩🥳 #ggr2026

Simon Curwen was the standout sailor of the 2022 McIntyre Golden Globe Race — a solo, non-stop, unassisted circumnavigation using only technology available in 1968.

An experienced offshore yachtsman from the UK, Simon grew up inspired by Sir Francis Chichester and Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, dreaming of one day completing his own round-the-world voyage. That dream became reality when he set out from Les Sables-d’Olonne aboard his Biscay 36, Clara.

From the very beginning Simon was the man to beat, building a commanding lead in the race. But in the Southern Ocean, disaster struck: his self-steering system broke in a knockdown just west of Cape Horn. Forced to divert to Puerto Montt, Chile, he was reclassified into the Chichester Class (one stop circumnavigation) and no longer able to win the race.

Undeterred, Simon repaired his boat and continued sailing, returning to Les Sables in April 2023 ahead of the rest of the fleet — the first skipper home, and a sailor who more than fulfilled his boyhood dream.

🌍 More on the Golden Globe Race: https://goldengloberace.com
🍿 Watch 'The Voyage of Madmen': https://goldengloberace.com/the-voyag...

🎥 Filmed and edited by ‪@robhavill‬
🎞️ Historic images courtesy of PPL Media
🤲 SITraN is the official charity of the Golden Globe Race: https://sitran.org
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