Following Classic Mara and the fleet on the ultimate solo sailing adventure

On September 6, 2026, sixteen sailors left Les Sables-d’Olonne, France, beginning one of the most demanding challenges in ocean sailing: the McIntyre Golden Globe Race 2026.

Their mission is remarkably simple — sail around the world, alone and without stopping, passing the great Southern Ocean capes before returning to Les Sables-d’Olonne.

But this is no ordinary round-the-world race.

The Golden Globe Race deliberately takes sailing back to another era. The boats are traditional designs, navigation relies on sextant and paper charts, and the sailors face thousands of miles of ocean with limited modern technology and no outside assistance. The race follows the spirit of the original 1968 Sunday Times Golden Globe Race, won by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston aboard Suhaili.

And among this year’s fleet is a sailor we will be following particularly closely at Budget Marine Networks: Norwegian skipper Helga Marie “Mara” Løvenskiold Kveseth, sailing aboard Showgirl.

Sixteen sailors, one enormous ocean

The fleet left Les Sables-d’Olonne on September 6, beginning what will potentially be a six-to-eight-month journey covering around 30,000 nautical miles.

The opening days provided an immediate reminder of what the GGR demands. Strong winds and difficult seas tested both skippers and boats, while the fleet quickly began to spread across the Atlantic.

The first tactical decisions were already being made. Some sailors stayed closer to the coast, while others looked for more favourable offshore conditions. Light winds created frustrating periods for some boats, while others found opportunities to accelerate.

By the time the fleet approached the Canary Islands, Damien Guillou aboard Solarem had established himself at the front, with Ireland’s Pat Lawless on Silvermines Hydro keeping the pressure on. Behind them, the chasing group remained tightly packed.

And this is only the beginning.

Classic Mara – Following Her Journey

For Budget Marine, one of the most compelling stories in the fleet is that of Mara aboard Showgirl.

Mara is the only woman competing in the 2026 Golden Globe Race and is sailing a Saltram Saga 36. Her participation adds another fascinating dimension to an already remarkable fleet, but her story goes well beyond that distinction.

She arrived at the start after years of sailing experience, including a four-year global sailing project before turning her attention to the Golden Globe Race.

The early days were not easy.

After leaving Les Sables-d’Olonne, Mara faced the challenging conditions of the Bay of Biscay and spent several days beating into headwinds and seas. In an early report, she described being ready for the wind to shift and for the difficult Biscay conditions to come to an end. At that stage, Showgirl was sitting around 12th place.

But Mara’s progress began to build as the fleet headed south.

Finding her rhythm

By September 15, Mara had settled into the rhythm of life at sea, recording 106 nautical miles in 24 hours at an average speed of around 5.3 knots.

Her updates also offered a glimpse into the very different reality of the Golden Globe Race. Between sail handling, navigation and the daily work required to keep Showgirl moving, there are quieter moments too — including time spent reading Kirsten Neuschäfer’s book while sailing across the Atlantic.

Then came a significant acceleration.

Mara’s decision to sail further offshore began to pay dividends. On September 13, she recorded 143 nautical miles in 24 hours, outperforming several boats on more inshore routes.

Four days later, she did it again.

On September 17, Showgirl covered 161 nautical miles in 24 hours, with Mara sailing at around 7.3 knots at one point during the GGR Window Live coverage.

For a sailor who had endured a difficult opening to the race, it was an impressive change of pace.

And importantly, Mara was not simply following the fleet. Her route choices were becoming part of the tactical story of the race.

The race at the front

While Mara and the middle fleet have been gaining momentum, the battle at the front has also developed quickly.

Damien Guillou established an early lead aboard Solarem, but Pat Lawless has kept the pressure on. On September 15, Lawless had reduced the gap to around 50 nautical miles after gaining approximately 30 miles in 24 hours.

The leaders subsequently reached Lanzarote and passed the first film gate, while the fleet behind continued south.

The early race has already demonstrated how quickly fortunes can change. Light winds, coastal effects and different routing decisions have produced significant changes in daily performance.

Even the leaders have had their share of problems. Guillou was forced to climb his mast for a repair, demonstrating one of the fundamental realities of the Golden Globe Race: speed is only useful if the boat continues to function.

A race measured in thousands of miles

It is tempting to look at the tracker and focus on positions.

But the Golden Globe Race is a very different kind of competition.

There are approximately 30,000 nautical miles still to sail.

The boats will eventually face the Southern Ocean, Cape of Good Hope, Cape Leeuwin and Cape Horn. They will encounter storms, enormous seas, long periods of isolation, equipment failures, fatigue and the psychological challenge of spending months alone at sea.

The race rules allow sailors to seek shelter and anchor for repairs when necessary, but they cannot enter port or receive outside assistance.

That is what makes every mile significant.

A small repair today can become a major problem thousands of miles from land. A clever tactical decision can gain hundreds of miles. A period of light wind can erase days of progress — or give a chasing boat the opportunity it needs.

What comes next?

The fleet is now heading deeper into the Atlantic, with the leaders already establishing their position while the chasing groups continue to close the distance.

The next major challenge will be the approach to the Doldrums, where changing winds and areas of lighter air could once again reshuffle the fleet.

For Mara and Showgirl, the coming days will be about maintaining the momentum she has built while choosing the right route through the changing Atlantic conditions.

There is still an entire ocean ahead.

And that is perhaps the most exciting part of this race: nothing is decided yet.

At Budget Marine Networks, we’ll be following the fleet every week — and keeping a particularly close eye on Classic Mara and Showgirl as her Golden Globe adventure unfolds.

Follow the Race

Follow the latest positions, daily reports and skipper updates through the official Golden Globe Race channels:

Golden Globe Race – Official Website
Golden Globe Race – Live Tracker
Golden Globe Race – Daily Reports

Next week on Budget Marine Networks: another look at the Golden Globe fleet, the latest tactical developments, and the continuing journey of Classic Mara aboard Showgirl.