Les Sables-d'Olonne is five days from setting sixteen sailors loose on one of the toughest tests in offshore racing. The 2026 McIntyre Golden Globe Race starts on Sunday, 6 September.
The solo, non-stop, unassisted circumnavigation covers 30,000 nautical miles and is sailed entirely without GPS or modern electronics. Competitors rely on sextants, compasses and paper charts, just as sailors did in 1968. Across the three previous editions of the race, 43 sailors have started and only nine have finished.
The first official Green Cards, the organiser's final sign-off confirming a skipper and yacht are cleared to start, have now been issued to Daniel Pinsky of Israel and Pat Lawless of Ireland. Thirteen of the sixteen safety inspections are complete, with the remaining three expected to be finalised within 48 hours pending outstanding equipment checks.
"Receiving the first Green Card is a very special moment. It makes everything feel real. After years of dreaming and eight months of intense preparation, I'm now officially cleared to start one of the greatest adventures in sailing," said Daniel Pinsky. "It's exciting, it's humbling, and it gives me extra confidence knowing that both the boat and I are ready. Now, I just can't wait for Sunday."
Race chairman Don McIntyre described the mood in the marina as families and friends gather ahead of a separation that could last around eight months. "The final week before a Golden Globe start is unlike anything else. Years of preparation come down to just a handful of days. There's excitement, but also quiet reflection," he said. "Families know they'll soon lose sight of their loved ones, and the skippers know they're about to step into a dream they've worked years to realise. On Sunday, modern life falls away, and it becomes just the sailor, the wind, the sea and the stars."
The build-up culminates in Thursday's official pre-start press conference, open to the public from 10.30am at the École des Pêches. All sixteen entrants will be joined by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, winner of the original 1968 Sunday Times Golden Globe Race, and Jean-Luc Van Den Heede, winner of the 2018 edition.
Sir Robin had hoped to sail his historic yacht Suhaili to the marina, but persistent headwinds prevented her arrival in time. He is travelling by road to attend instead.
GGR Window Live has also begun broadcasting from the marina, rotating across eight participating boats, and will carry live one-way video and selected onboard data once the fleet departs. A new audio documentary project runs alongside it, with every skipper equipped with a cassette recorder to capture their thoughts and the sounds of life at sea across the voyage.
The Parade of Sail begins at 2pm CEST on Sunday, with the sixteen yachts leaving the Vendée Globe Marina at two-minute intervals from 2.30pm, bound for 30,000 nautical miles and the biggest question of all: who will return.
