Damien Guillou continues to extend his lead, while Andrea Lodolo has moved back into third place among a closely matched chasing fleet. Favourable sailing conditions are helping most skippers make steady progress south, but an increasingly complicated Doldrums forecast could reshape the race. Further north, Pär Nyman remains trapped in light winds approaching Lanzarote, while Selim Yalçın faces a difficult passage towards Cádiz.
THE LEADERS
🇫🇷 Damien Guillou – SOLAREM
Damien continues to set the pace, maintaining around 7 knots and recording 153 nautical miles in 24 hours, gaining another 15 miles on Pat. He has now passed the 2,000-mile mark from Les Sables-d’Olonne, although lighter winds ahead could interrupt his progress as he approaches the Doldrums.
🇮🇪 Pat Lawless – SILVERMINES HYDRO
Pat remains second, making 6.5 knots after a 138-mile day, but is struggling to match Damien’s sustained pace in similar conditions. The changing weather ahead could offer an opportunity to close the gap if the leader slows first.
THE CHASING FLEET
🇮🇹 Andrea Lodolo – BIBI
Andrea has climbed back into third place, recording 134 nautical miles in 24 hours. Although his latest speed has eased to 5.4 knots, his strong earlier progress has helped him edge ahead within the chasing group.
🇬🇧 Ertan Beskardes – MISS BEAGLE
Ertan remains firmly in the closely contested chasing pack, with little separating the boats as they head south. The next few days should provide favourable sailing before the unsettled weather around the Doldrums introduces a more demanding tactical challenge.
🇮🇹 Guido Cantini – HANNAH OF COWES
Guido continues steadily south at 5.3 knots, having covered 121 nautical miles in 24 hours. He remains among the main chasing group, where small differences in speed and course are keeping the competition close.
🇮🇱 Daniel Pinsky – EXODUS
Daniel has posted a strong 131-mile day and is making 6.2 knots, sailing close to Etienne. Their almost identical daily distances underline how evenly matched this part of the fleet remains.
🇨🇭 Etienne Messikommer – BERNARD
Etienne is keeping pace alongside Daniel, recording 130 nautical miles in 24 hours and a latest speed of 6.1 knots. Just one mile separates their daily progress as both take advantage of the favourable breeze.
🇫🇷 Louis Kerdelhué – IE CHARGE
Louis is making 6 knots after a 122-mile day, taking a different angle across the fleet. His precise reasoning is unclear, but his course could reflect a search for stronger breeze or a preferred angle for his sail configuration.
🇳🇴 Mara Løvenskiold Kveseth – SHOWGIRL
Mara is holding her own at 5.4 knots, with 99 nautical miles covered over the previous day. Her GGR Window sessions continue to offer a lively glimpse of life aboard, including answers to questions collected before the start.
🇨🇦 Isa Rosli – OLLEANNA
Isa has been showing impressive speed, narrowly exceeding Andrea’s pace during the earlier tracker update. He is now making 6.4 knots, with a 114-mile day keeping him moving well within the fleet.
🇬🇧 Henry Wootton – PRIVATEER
Henry is moving briskly across towards the other side of the group, making 6.1 knots after covering 96 nautical miles in 24 hours. His latest pace marks an improvement on his average progress over the day.
🇺🇸 Gunnar Christensen – POMPOEN
Gunnar has recorded 113 nautical miles in 24 hours and is making 5.8 knots. There appears to be slightly more breeze closer to the African coast, helping him maintain useful progress south.
🇺🇸 Matt Woodside – TIPI HAERE
Matt continues south at 4.1 knots, following an 84-mile day. He remains slower than much of the group ahead, but is moving steadily after his Lanzarote film drop.
APPROACHING LANZAROTE
🇸🇪 Pär Nyman – LAZY OTTER
Pär still has approximately 115 nautical miles to reach Lanzarote, with his speed falling to just 1.7 knots and little improvement expected before late in the day. His latest GGR Window appearance offered a candid reflection on his motivation and the psychological demands of sailing alone.
STOPS AND REPAIRS
🇺🇸 Guy deBoer – SPIRIT
Guy remains in Lanzarote, where he has been unloading, sorting and repacking his provisions. Food he no longer wanted has been offered to others on the dock as he reorganises the boat during his stop.
🇹🇷 Selim Yalçın – HELP DISABLED CHILDREN
Selim is working towards Cádiz, first heading towards the Moroccan coast to negotiate the strong winds flowing out of the Mediterranean. Although only around 110 nautical miles remain, the passage could take another two or three days, with further delays ashore potentially making the end-of-January Hobart deadline increasingly difficult to meet.
WEATHER OUTLOOK
Most of the fleet should enjoy another two days of favourable winds, providing an opportunity to make steady progress and attend to routine jobs aboard. Beyond that, the Doldrums could become considerably more complicated.
The forecast suggests a developing system may initially help Damien south, before moving west and potentially creating 15–20-knot headwinds for boats arriving later. These longer-range forecasts remain uncertain, but the crossing could produce substantial gains and losses across the fleet.
Daily Report Archive Skipper tweets from 21/09/2026
