(November 2, 2022; Day 60) – The leaders of the Golden Globe Race fleet closing in on Cape Town, a traditional fixture in round the world sailing and the last port of call for sailors to assess their condition and the one of their boat before venturing in the Indian Ocean.

With the strong winds, swell, and lack of shelter in the South, once you turn pass the tip of South Africa, it is hard to turn back.

Some sailors have sorted their issues and maintenance at sea. In the lead is Simon Curwen (GBR) who moused his foresail halyard but is now facing energy issues. Damien Guillou (FRA) dismantled and put his Hydrovane back together, including the transmission while Ertan Beskardes (GBR) finally sorted his electrical problems and is back on full power.

With the barnacle issue and no opportunity to check the hull before Storm Bay in Tasmania where scraping is illegal, several sailors are inquiring whether an anchoring in South Africa would be possible. Others such as Elliott Smith (USA) will try to sort their leaking deck, Arnaud Gaist and Damien Guillou (FRA) will change their foresail combination, while some desire to check systems or just to feel the warmth of human contact prior to heading in the extreme solitude of the Indian Ocean.

Also notable is the Cape Town photo gate, in which all solo skippers must pass to drop off their media, and which has become a welcoming opportunity for the fleet.

“We decided on a Cape Town film drop to follow the…