Recently, when I was in France to witness the start of the around the world Golden Globe Race (GGR) , I introduced myself to GGR Director Don McIntyre.
Don is an Australian who possesses a deep and broad adventure background. He's the kind of person I would never ordinarily meet, except for my tangential involvement in my friend Guy deBoer’s (pictured) quest to win a seemingly insane 30,000 mile, 7 month sailboat GGR race, alone, around the world.
As previously reported, Guy and 15 other intrepid contestants (including one female) set sail from the coast of France on September 4th. Since then, one contestant returned to port for repairs and then returned to the race. Another dropped out for unexplained reasons.
At this writing, the fleet (pack) is tight and Guy is in 5th place.
After the start of the race, someone asked me about the First Place Prize and, unknowing, I posed it to Don. Don replied: “UK pounds 5000 and a trophy…the 5000 pounds is simply the same as 1968 [the first race] so a
Tradition…it is never for the money :)”
Wow, nothing more true has ever been said!
If you know Guy, you know it is never for the money. It is for something far more basic, cherished and valuable: Conquering one of the very last Frontiers of human adventure and endurance.
Godspeed!