The aftermath of Tropical Storm Gonzalo continues to challenge the fleet, with Gunnar Christensen reporting equipment damage, Matt Woodside hove to, and Isa Rosli heading north for reasons still awaiting confirmation. Ahead, Damien Guillou and Pat Lawless are approaching the southeast trade winds and could extend their advantage. The chasing pack remains closely matched, with Andrea Lodolo holding third by just three miles over Daniel Pinsky. Meanwhile, Selim Yalçın has retired from the race.
THE LEADERS
🇫🇷 Damien Guillou
Damien remains in front and is nearing the more reliable southeast trade winds. Having maintained a course close to the required direction despite the headwinds, he could soon accelerate as the wind moves further onto the beam.
🇮🇪 Pat Lawless
Pat is sailing at 5.3 knots, close to the direct course, and remains well placed behind Damien. Although he has lost a little ground to the leader, both boats look set to stretch their advantage as they escape the unsettled conditions behind.
THE CHASING PACK
🇮🇹 Andrea Lodolo
Andrea holds third place by just three miles over Daniel, sailing at 3.7 knots. He faces an extended spell of upwind sailing, while his live video connection remains unavailable following the loss of a Starlink antenna.
🇮🇱 Daniel Pinsky
Daniel has recorded 130 miles of daily progress and was still moving at 3.5 knots despite the lighter conditions. He has maintained a strong position through the changing weather, although a band of calms ahead could slow his progress.
🇨🇭 Étienne Messikommer
Étienne is working hard to stay in the stronger breeze, sailing upwind in approximately 25 knots, with gusts around 30 knots and seas near 3 metres. It makes for an uncomfortable ride, but remaining in the wind may prove more productive than slipping into the calms nearby.
🇬🇧 Ertan Beskardes
Ertan is also battling headwinds while making progress in broadly the right direction. The challenge is to avoid sailing too far out of the remaining breeze, with lighter winds ahead threatening to make an already difficult upwind passage even slower.
🇮🇹 Guido Cantini
Guido was sailing at 3.1 knots, with 94 miles of daily progress. A substantial area of light winds lies ahead, and his ability to keep moving through it will influence how he fares against the boats taking the more easterly route.
THROUGH THE FLEET
🇳🇴 Mara
Mara continues to sail strongly, recording 129 miles of daily progress at 5.3 knots. Her early move west helped her avoid the worst of the storm and protect both herself and the boat, although she must now negotiate the quieter conditions ahead.
🇬🇧 Henry Wootton
Henry is maintaining his route at 6 knots, with 111 miles of daily progress. Like Mara, he has avoided the most severe weather, but the next challenge will be crossing the light-wind band between his current position and the southeast trades.
🇫🇷 Louis Kerdelhué
Louis appears to be making progress out of the disturbed weather at 5.4 knots. No problems had been reported to race management, and a viewer confirmed that he had appeared on the previous evening’s live window. Shifting winds will continue to complicate his escape from the system.
🇨🇦 Isa Rosli
Isa’s northerly course at 4.5 knots prompted race management to seek an update. Don suggested he might be running with the wind to ease conditions aboard in the heavy seas, but the reason for his course remains unconfirmed.
🇬🇧 Gunnar Christensen
Gunnar has reported damage to his solar panels, problems with his windvane self-steering and considerable disruption below decks. He said he was well and remained in reasonable spirits; the tracker showed 5.7 knots and 94 miles of daily progress, though his northwesterly course reflects the difficult conditions.
🇺🇸 Matt Woodside
Matt has confirmed that he is hove to in 30 knots of wind, taking a break from pushing on. His displayed 7 knots and 116-mile daily run reflected the earlier tracking period, before he settled into this more cautious approach on the edge of the system.
🇸🇪 Pär Nyman
Pär has missed the worst of the storm and is picking up speed again after zigzagging through lighter winds. He was sailing at 5.8 knots, with 67 miles of daily progress, and could benefit from a period of stronger following winds before conditions ease.
IN PORT AND RETIREMENTS
🇺🇸 Guy deBoer
Guy’s restart remains dependent on completing the required repairs and approval process. Race management has received a report whose technical content was considered appropriate, but has requested a properly identified, signed version. After repairs, a surveyor must approve the boat’s seaworthiness, followed by a 100-mile sea trial before a green card can be issued.
🇹🇷 Selim Yalçın
Selim has decided to retire from the GGR after considering his situation. He is looking towards a possible return in 2030, and race management paid tribute to his participation and the pleasure of having him in the fleet.
WEATHER OUTLOOK
As Gonzalo moves north, the worst conditions should gradually ease, but its effects remain significant. The weather display showed pockets of very large seas around the system, and Don stressed that forecast overlays may not precisely match the conditions at each boat.
The fleet now faces two different challenges: boats to the west must cross a band of calms, while those further east face continued headwinds that are forecast to weaken. There is no decisive advantage yet between those routes; a clearer comparison should emerge once the chasing boats reach the southeast trade winds.
A SHARED MOMENT AT SEA
Starting Monday, the skippers will take one film photograph every Monday at 12:00 UTC, each including their SITraN bear. The shore team will do the same, creating a record of the same moment experienced in very different places, with the photographs intended for a travelling exhibition after the race.
Daily Report Archive Skipper tweets from 26/09/2026
