Six sailors have been inducted into the Cape Horn Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Les Sables d'Olonne, held deliberately in the final week before the 2026 Golden Globe Race start.
The International Association of Cape Horners (IACH) hosted the event, with Sir Robin Knox-Johnston sharing the stage with mayor Nicolas Chénéchaud. Organisers say the honours board now exceeds 50 names spanning more than a century of circumnavigation history.
Three 2026 record-setters joined the list. Thomas Coville took the outright Jules Verne Trophy in January aboard Sodebo Ultim 3, completing a 28,315-nautical mile non-stop circumnavigation in 40 days, 10 hours and 45 minutes—beating Francis Joyon's nine-year-old record by 12 hours and 44 minutes.
In March, Guirec Soudée sailed the Ultim MACSF solo from east to west, against prevailing winds and currents, in 94 days, 21 hours and 58 minutes. That broke a record Jean-Luc Van Den Heede had held for 22 years by nearly a month.
Alexia Barrier led an eight-strong all-female crew, including Swiss New Zealand sailor Rebecca Gmür Hornell, aboard IDEC Sport to finish in 57 days, 21 hours and 20 minutes—the first non-stop round-the-world reference time set by an all-female team.
The 2026 class also includes 18th-century Royal Navy Commodore George Anson, whose 1740s squadron rounded the Horn to intercept Spanish treasure ships. British sailor Brian Thompson, holder of four non-stop circumnavigations including a 2012 Jules Verne win, was inducted; he had coached Barrier's crew before their record run. American Paul Cayard, 1997–1998 Whitbread winner with EF Language who led the fleet from Auckland in 1998, completes the intake.
The Golden Globe Race got underway at 2:30pm local time on Sunday 6 September, sending 16 skippers on a solo, non-stop circumnavigation using 1968-era navigation: sextants, paper charts, no satellite assistance. Only nine have finished across three previous editions.
