Racing the world in the GSC.

Race overview

The format is unlike any other round the world solo sailing event - fair and exciting for the Skippers, while being easy and engaging for the public and sponsors to follow:• A wide range of boats can enter - 32 to 60 foot.• Boats will be grouped by performance characteristics and set off in successive departures over 11 weeks, for a non stop race.• Once at sea, there are no classes. All boats will be sailing the same event. The faster boats will have to try to catch up with the slower vessels, the pursuit factor creating competitive interest aboard, and a fascinating spectacle for the public & sponsors.• The first boat to cross the finish line wins! The performance differential between the yachts is taken into account in staggering their departures, eliminating the need to calculate corrected times. Every entrant therefore has the potential for victory.

• Global Solo Challenge

• www.globalsolochallenge.com

Starts in Vigo, Spain, in October 2027.
Prior to each start, boats at the Real Club Náutico de Vigo will be moored on a pontoon facing the paseo marítimo, providing maximum visibility for sponsors This prime location ensures that the event garners significant public interest and engagement, allowing spectators to get up close to the preparations and departures, thereby enhancing the overall excitement and visibility of the Global Solo Challenge.

Likes to sail fast

Skipper

“I’m a committed guy- I sold my house and bought a boat!” he laughs. It was time to make good on a promise I made myself in 1994 when, as a cameraman, I shot a documentary that chronicled what it took to get to the start of the BOC ‘Around alone’ round-the-world-race. That’s when I knew it was something I would want to achieve in my lifetime.”

He hopes to promote South Africa and its people, brands & businesses, as well as highlighting initiatives that resonate with him.

• Sponsorship

Download our corporate sponsorship proposal.

Buy 5 X Coffees and get your name, company logo or picture on the boat!

Exposure

International exposure:
• 250M+ global interest in sailing
• 70M+ global sailing participants (and growing)B2B Communication power:
• Majority of sailing fans are over 200% more likely to hold managerial or executive positions in medium or large business structures
• Sailing fans are more likely to promote a brand online if it gives a feeling of event participation (SA 25%; Europe 47%; AUS/ NZ 64%)
• Sailing fans are 25% more likely to support clean environmental initiatives than the general population, and 11% more likely to pay more for products or services that contribute to such initiatives

Sponsor ROI

The vessel is currently unbranded.
Make your mark!

Branding guide

Title sponsor - prime branding across yachtA) Main sail - 1 x Gold; 2 x Silver; 3 x BronzeB) Jib - 1 x Silver; 2 x BronzeC) Spinnaker - 1 x GoldD) Hull - 1 x Bronze

• Gold: minimum 4m² branding area, full brand colours
• Silver: minimum 2m² branding area, maximum 3 brand colours
• Bronze: minimum 0.5m² area (typically logos), one brand colour

Class 40 overview

These are light weight monohull yachts primarily used for short handed offshore and coastal racing. They're designed within a box rule that stipulates the boats be built from composite and PVC foam (although they may have a carbon mast, boom & bowsprit) and cannot have a canting keel.Boat weight: Min 4,580 kg (10,100 lb)
LOH: Max 12.19 m (40.0 ft)

Progress: April 2024

New mooring

After various battle wounds and equipment updates were tended to, you'll now find Metric 4T sitting pretty at the V&A Waterfront Marina.

Canyon Cup 100

Victory!

Sailing double-handed (with Dealtry Pickford & Bruce Tedder), and participating with over 30 entered yachts, Metric 4T won line honours for the inaugural Canyon Cup! A 100 mile offshore race that started from the bay under the majestic Table Mountain in Cape Town, participants sailed west along the coast and offshore to a waypoint above a 1000m underwater canyon drop-off, at the edge of the African continental shelf (just under 40 miles offshore), and back to the finish directly south of Robben Island. The race was a blast and also served as the Offshore Racing Congress’s (ORC) National Championship event.The trophy was presented at Boatica 2024, with Metric 4T proudly moored closeby.

Download our sponsorship proposal:

• Sponsorship

Equipment sponsorship or donations:

• The List

Reserve a spot on the boat!

• Get on board

Thank you

You with us?

Every sponsored, donated or loaned item gets your name on the boat, with more to be announced in due course as we put things together.
30 000 Thank-yous for 30 000 miles.

Proud owner & skipper Dealtry has 'Metric 4T', as she's affectionately known, moored at the V&A Waterfront- literally in the shadow of the Cape Grace Hotel. He's been sailing for most of his life and is living his dream. To share in his excitement and experience the magic for yourself, you can sign up for the ride of your life!This vessel is a Class 40 racing yacht- light, fast and uncompromising, she's built for speed:

"Quite possibly one of the best times I’ve ever had in my life was when I went out on a racing yacht to see what real sailing is all about. Wet and wild, super fast, adrenaline pumping, no excuses… This is not a canapés and champagne kinda thing, this is adventure sailing at its finest."

There’s more to it of course. The City of Cape Town is one of the most beautiful cities and ports in the world. Heading out of the V&A under the bridges, past the clock tower and into the great blue gives you a moment to look back and to see this city as you've never seen her before. It’s a magical amphitheater of mountains, rugged coast, white beaches and the ocean in the bottom of the frame. And yes, it’s a moment you won’t ever forget.

But then, time to hoist the sails and get going. The boat is built for speed and not comfort - an excursion not for the faint hearted. You'll be amazed and exhilarated by the excitement of beating into the wind with the water splashing over the bow (often escorted by dolphins), heeling over to tack, then speeding up again and surfing down the swell. A hard one to explain, until you’ve done it yourself!
It’s going to carve a memory you will never forget and foster a new kind respect for the power of nature, the wind and the ocean.

Make this your mission possible.
Come and join us for the ride of your life!!

Where:
V&A Waterfront Marina, Cape Town.Why:
This “non commercial” donation-driven experience is in support of a campaign to get Metric 4T to the start of the Global Solo Challenge 2027.Who we're talking to:
Thrill seekers, adventurers, water sport lovers, bucket list authors, corporates and you if you don’t fall into any of these categories but want to support our mission to circumnavigate.How it works:
We meet and greet at the V&A Waterfront Marina lounge. You'll be introduced to the skipper and crew, provided some basic forms to sign, and get fitted with your safety gear.
Then, we'll head down to the dock and it’s A for away!

To book your adventure sailing experience, visit our campaign website and donate three or more 10 x 10cm pixels, or a single 20 x 20cm pixel, and you (plus up to 3 friends) will enjoy an afternoon's sailing with our skipper, Dealtry.

Please email us if you're interested, prior to purchasing the qualifying pixels: hello@getonboard.co.za

• Get on board