Three Global Solo Challenge competitors set sail - the fleet at sea grows
by Valentina Libri 23 Oct 2023 14:33 UTC
21 October 2023
Ari Kansakoski departs on the Global Solo Challenge © GSC
On Saturday, October 21, in A Coruña, amidst white clouds, layers of cumulus and cirrus, which adorned the sky like brushstrokes, the sun peeked out, providing a favorable omen for the departure of the three competitors. A tense and fresh northwest wind was blowing at around fifteen knots, and temperatures were still reasonable, hovering around 12-15 degrees Celsius.
The time had come to cast off for Ari Känsäkoski, a Finnish skipper on board the Class40 ZEROChallenge (formerly Fuji), Pavlin Nadvorni, a Bulgarian skipper on the Farr45 Espresso Martini, and William MacBrien, a Canadian skipper on the Class40 Phoenix (formerly Sec Hayai). The three sailors, each with distinct nautical experience and cultural backgrounds, are eager to make their mark and follow in the wake of the four competitors already at sea.
Ari Känsäkoski, born in 1970 from Pernaja, Finland, a sailing coach and interior designer and architect with a strong emphasis on sustainability, believes that sailing is an integral part of his life. Pavlin Nadvorni, born in 1967, is a professional skipper and founded a shipyard and its affiliated company, Black Sea Yacht Service, in Varna, Bulgaria, where he resides. William MacBrien, born in 1965 and a native of Toronto, Canada, is a skydiving instructor and coach. This extreme sport has endowed him with skills that have also shaped him into a well-rounded sailor.
For their GSC adventure, both Finnish Känsäkoski and Canadian MacBrien chose modified Class40s to comply with Category Zero and the GSC regulations. Ari chose the 2007-designed Class40 ZEROChallenge by Owen Clark, while William will sail on the 2006 Akilaria RC1 Phoenix, a creation by the late Marc Lombard. Both skippers decided to set sail a week earlier than the rest of the Class40 fleet entered for the GSC. This departure date difference is due to the skippers' choice not to use masthead sails and modifications to their vessels, resulting in additional weight verified and officially rated with an IRC Endorsed certificate.
Bulgarian Nadvorni chose the 1997 Farr45, Espresso Martini, for his round-the-world journey, a vessel he saved from destruction after the UK was severely hit by storm Emma in 2018. Although initially designed for fully crewed sailing, Pavlin modified it for solo sailing.
At the start time, 15:00 local time (13:00 UTC), William MacBrien, onboard Phoenix, appeared in great spirits and was the first to cross the starting line. The Canadian skipper chose to tackle the start with a conservative sail setup. Phoenix was sailing with the staysail and the mainsail with one reef, perhaps appearing a bit underpowered given the significant swell.
Second to cross the start line close behind was Pavlin Nadvorni, aboard Espresso Martini. He too appeared relaxed and enthusiastic. Espresso Martini was rigged with a full mainsail and genoa, and Pavlin quickly picked up speed, swiftly taking the lead among the three departing competitors.
For Ari Känsäkoski, on board ZEROChallenge, the days leading up to the departure were hectic, filled with many last-minute tasks. Nevertheless, he managed to leave with just a fifteen-minute delay, spending that extra time loading last-minute items and saying goodbye to the many friends and his sizable team that had supported him in Spain. Once at sea, ZEROChallenge quickly set a good pace, catching up with Phoenix in no time.
Ari, although sailing the same type of boat as William, chose to set off with more sail than the Canadian skipper. ZEROchallenge was sailing with the solent and one reef in the mainsail.
The departure went smoothly, even if the residual swell from Friday's storm was quite significant. Beyond the breakwater, the skippers, heading north, faced waves of at least three meters, which, however, did not hinder navigation too much. Undoubtedly, these conditions were not the most comfortable for their first day at sea.
In A Coruña, many friends and family were present to bid the sailors farewell. All the skippers of the other boats already in Spain attended, eagerly anticipating their own start in a week. Along with their teams and all the spectators who came to witness this moment, they gathered on the breakwater, on the elevated base of the green lighthouse, to get a good land-based view. Out at sea, aboard the organization's rib, there was also a cameraman capturing footage and photographs despite the boat's bouncing on the waves.
The creator and organizer of the GSC, Marco Nannini, stated, "I am pleased and satisfied to see three competitors start well and according to schedule. Next week, we will witness the most significant start, with eight skippers at sea. All the boats are already at Marina Coruña, almost ready. The only exception is Kevin LePoidevin, the Australian skipper, who just left Falmouth in the UK and is expected to arrive by Wednesday. Everything seems to be going well for the October 28 departure, although two threatening low pressure systems are heading towards Europe, and it's still unclear if a favorable window will open to set sail and pass Cape Finisterre safely. Departures are never postponed; it's up to the skipper's discretion to decide whether to set off or wait. It's an evolving situation."
To stay updated on the competitors' positions, a tracker is available on the GSC website: globalsolochallenge.com/tracking, or you can download the "YB Races" app to follow the positions on your mobile phone.