© Julien Champolion - polaRYSE / 11th Hour Racing
On Sunday, November 1, at 1302 CEST (1201 UTC), I’ll cross the start line of the Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe. It’s the final race of our 2026 season and my first solo Atlantic crossing onboard 11th Hour Racing, our foiling 60-foot IMOCA. Ahead of me: 3,542 nautical miles (6,560 kilometers) to Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe. No one to share the watches, the maneuvers, or the decisions.
This race is a huge milestone. It’s another step towards the Vendée Globe in 2028, but it’s also a really important race in its own right. It’s the objective of the season for our team, and we want to do well. We have to treat it as a major race, not just a box to tick.
In a straight line, the boat’s performance is fairly similar whether you’re crewed or alone. But solo, you have to think about every maneuver. How long it will take. How much a sail change will cost you in time and speed. You need to reach the finish not fresh, but with some brain power left. Rounding Guadeloupe isn’t easy, and that’s where you can make big mistakes.
I’ll be honest: sailing alone offshore was never my dream. After two Olympic campaigns and winning The Ocean Race in 2023 as the first Italian to do so, I know how much I love sailing in a crew. I love having other people onboard with me. But this is something I want to prove to myself. That I can do it, and do it well. I find that motivating. Exciting, even.
Three races into the season, I’m leading the IMOCA Globe Series, the class’s annual world championship, with 356 points. That’s 76 clear of Sam Goodchild, currently second and last year’s champion. A top-six finish in Guadeloupe would secure the 2026 title, and I would become the first woman ever to win it.
I don’t feel much pressure right now. But I understand this is a big one. There’s something magic about it. In the end, though, there’s a start line and a finish line. Everything else is just noise.
Over the past ten days in Saint-Malo, we’ve opened our doors to more than 120 people from local community groups. Young people and job seekers exploring maritime careers. Families supported by local social services and NGOs. Women in remission from cancer. Young women from rural areas. We even ran a tour in sign language.
Throughout my life, I’ve been inspired by other people, especially women, and sailors who achieved amazing things with their own projects. Now it’s my turn. I’m a pretty normal person. You might have nine doors closed in front of you, but you only need one to open to make something amazing happen.