Southampton (GBR), 10 September

Nine Swan yachts over a fleet of fourteen boats are competing to try and match the epic result of Swan 65 Sayula, all those years ago, skippered by Ramón Carlin from Mexico:

Flyer Class:
Swan 65 Translated 9

Adventure Class:
Swan 51 Godspeed
Swan 53 Sterna
Swan 53 Triana
Swan 55 Galiana Withsecure

Sayula Class:
Swan 57 Explorer
Swan 57 White Shadow
Swan 651 Spirit of Helsinki
Swan 65 ketch Evrika

Swan 65 Translated 9 and Swan 651 Spirit of Helsinki finish the first leg of the Ocean Globe Race placed respectively 1^st and 2^nd in IRC Class.

Moreover, in a dramatic turn of events, the Finnish yacht Spirit of Helsinki skippered by Jussi Paavoseppä grabbed the number one spot for the first time from the legendary Pen Duick VI. Spirit of Helsinki crossed first the finish line achieving the podium in real time.

Jussi Paavoseppa – skipper of Spirit of Helsinki – stated “The first leg went very well according to our plan. We had made a careful plan before starting in Southampton, which we followed quite closely throughout the entire stage. In terms of sailing, we pushed hard in light winds, tried to maintain speed in moderate winds, but in strong winds, our priority was to keep the boat intact. By following this strategy, we managed to avoid major challenges. The boat held up well, although a few deck fasteners broke, and we had to repair the sails from time to time. We only used 2 allergy pills from the medical kit, so the first leg was quite successful.

Achieving Line Honour is always a great honor for a sailor! It’s good to start the next leg also leading in our class. This was only the first leg, and the race is still long. We celebrated the achievement appropriately, but now we are fully focused on the next leg.

We set off with great respect for the first section of the Southern Ocean. Stronger winds and larger waves are expected, so we’ll surely get the boat moving well!“

Translated 9 is 1^st also in the Flyer Class, while Spirit of Helsinki is the winner in Sayula Class.

Marco Trombetti – skipper of  Translated 9 – commented: “We love challenges that look bigger than what people think is possible. We are super happy to have won this first stage –  – and if there’s anyone to whom we want to dedicate this victory, it’s to all the people who are bullied, all the people who are told they can’t do things, that they don’t have the ability to do them because it’s these people who ultimately get things done. Believe in yourself, believe in humans.”.
Vittorio Malingri – the co-skipper – added “Despite facing challenges like minimal wind throughout this leg, including windless stretches in the English Channel, the Bay of Biscay, and Portuguese waters, we still managed to outperform our competitors. This race has been an incredible journey, filled with challenges and moments of camaraderie, as we share weather information and support with other boats and work together. We are a family on the boat and also a great family in the fleet”

The yachts will now stay in Cape Town for two weeks before setting sail for the second leg on November 5th, heading to Auckland through the challenging Indian Ocean.