Globe40 Manfred Ramspacher
Manfred Ramspacher: “The Globe40 has become a credible proposition for sailors and their partners alike”
The Globe40 is steadily establishing itself as a major fixture on the offshore sailing calendar, combining sporting competition, human adventure and an international outlook. With its third edition scheduled to take place in two years, Manfred Ramspacher, CEO of Sirius Événements and director of the Globe40, looks back on the success of the previous edition and discusses the event’s future development. From its sporting and media performance to the choice of future stopovers and its long-term ambitions, he shares his vision for a race that aims to secure its place among the world’s great round-the-world sailing challenges.
You recently returned from a trip to Saint-Malo. The Class40 is now the largest fleet in the Route du Rhum. How do you explain its growing popularity?
I wasn’t at the previous edition of the Route du Rhum, and I was struck by how prominent the Class40 has become within the event, both in terms of the number of boats and its central position in the harbour. This reflects the class’s maturity and strength. It now accounts for almost half of the competitors in the 2026 Route du Rhum.
Of course, there is still a strong IMOCA fleet, as well as the spectacular multihulls. But I remember a time when the Class40 was still considered a small class, almost relegated to the background. Those days are now behind us. Today, the Class40 is at the forefront of monohull offshore racing, alongside the IMOCA fleet. Each class has its own identity, of course, but the Class40 has firmly established its place.
The Route du Rhum is a major event for the Class40. What role should this type of race play in the class’s development? Should the class be built solely around these historic events?
Offshore sailing in France has developed around what I would call its “cornerstone events”: historic races such as the Vendée Globe, the Route du Rhum and the former Transat Jacques Vabre, now known as the Transat Café L’OR. These events have become sporting and economic ecosystems that, in a way, form the backbone of offshore racing in France. There are obviously other events, but these play a structuring role.
The real question is whether we should simply stick to these established races or also ask ourselves how they need to evolve. Are there new frontiers to explore? At a time when an Ultim can cross the Atlantic in barely a week, can we still tell the story of a transatlantic race, whatever the format, in the same heroic vein as Éric Tabarly arriving in Newport in 1976, astonished to discover that he was the first to get there?
We must certainly hope that these major events, which have experienced their ups and downs, will endure and continue to support the entire sector, both in sporting and economic terms and through their media impact. But we also need to renew the offering and open up new horizons. The aim is not to compete with these historic races, but to complement them with events that reflect the evolution of offshore sailing and society itself.
Let’s turn to the Globe40. With the benefit of hindsight, how would you assess its second edition, both sportingly and from a media perspective?
I don’t think my assessment is particularly original. The word “success” has often been used, and I believe it sums up the second edition very well.
Sportingly, the competition was intense, both among the scow designs and the more traditional pointed-bow boats. We experienced some memorable moments, including distance records being broken and fiercely contested finishes at Réunion Island and Valparaíso. It was a fantastic race to follow.
The second edition was particularly exciting. But for me, one of the most important achievements was bringing every boat back to Lorient. We welcomed back all eight crews who had set off with us on an adventure that was truly exceptional, both in human and sporting terms. That was a tremendous source of satisfaction.
As an organiser, you inevitably experience the race differently from the skippers. How did you experience this second edition from the inside? What were the most intense moments for you and your team?
The most intense moments are always those when the boats are at sea. As soon as the fleet sets off, the entire shore-based team lives to the rhythm of the race. We constantly monitor what is happening, the potential dangers, weather risks and the difficulties that individual boats may encounter.
Our daily lives as organisers are therefore largely shaped by following the race, as well as preparing the next stopovers. This requires a great deal of work, most of which should already be well under way while the fleet is at sea, long before the boats arrive at each stopover.
Was there a particular leg, event or moment that left a lasting impression on you during this edition? Did you have a favourite among the host cities and stopovers?
What touched me most was the dedication and commitment of so many people working within the clubs and organisations that welcomed us. Some of their initiatives went well beyond what had been formally agreed. We were struck by the enthusiasm the event generated at each stopover.
I’m thinking in particular of Sydney and the welcome we received from the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, its director, David Edwards, and the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, which organises the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. I also think of Valparaíso, with Thomas Elton, the club’s sailing manager, and Aurélia Zulueta, president of the Concón Valparaíso club.
Everywhere we went, we met people who invested far more than their contractual or financial commitments required. Their attachment to the event and their determination to help make it a success were a great source of satisfaction for us.
It is an incredibly powerful experience. That is also what makes it difficult to describe: it is so intense and extraordinary, in the truest sense of the word, that conveying it to people who have not experienced it themselves can be difficult.
Preparations are now under way for the third edition. What is your vision for the next Globe40? What would you like to see evolve compared with the first two editions?
The next edition will take place in two years. That may sound like a long way off, but for the organising team, the time will pass quickly.
Our objective is straightforward: to build on the positive momentum between the first and second editions. The enthusiasm surrounding the Globe40 is very real. I was reminded of that in Saint-Malo, where we had informal conversations with almost half of the 49 crews present. I was struck by how firmly the Globe40 was already on their minds. It came up naturally in conversation, without us even having to introduce the subject.
Today, the event has clearly become part of the Class40 sailing community, particularly among the predominantly French sailors we meet at an event such as the Route du Rhum. But it is also attracting considerable international interest, as we have seen through our conversations around the world.
I’m thinking in particular of an American who travelled all the way from Prescott, Arizona, to join us in Lorient in April, when the race finished. He had not even told us he was coming. He simply wanted to spend a few days with us and find out more about the next edition. That was quite wonderful, especially as he turned out to be a particularly engaging person.
We want to keep moving in that direction. The number of boats should naturally increase, but we must remain focused on the quality of the projects. That matters a great deal to me. Above all, I want to see crews that have what it takes to complete the adventure.
I don’t want the Globe40 story to become a succession of retirements and accidents. That is not the kind of race narrative that interests me. What matters is the sporting battle, but also the ability to share a common story, with all its highs and lows. The Freedom crew from the last edition is a remarkable example: their story was truly incredible.
The challenge is to give every crew the opportunity to complete its adventure, ideally bringing the entire fleet home.
The route is a key part of the Globe40’s identity. How has it been designed for the third edition, and what criteria guide the choice of stopover cities?
Designing a route requires a great deal of thought because so many different criteria have to be reconciled. We need to consider the geographical position of each city and country in relation to the total distance to be sailed, as well as port facilities and technical capabilities, particularly whether the boats can be accommodated in suitable conditions.
For the third edition, we also want to strike a balance between familiar stopovers and new destinations. A second visit to a city is generally much more structured and developed than the first, which is a discovery for everyone. But it is also important to offer sailors one or two new adventures, in different countries or even on different continents.
Given the nature of the event, however, we need to remain in the Southern Hemisphere and, if possible, avoid straying too far from the theoretical route.
Our aim is to open up new horizons while building on stopovers that have already proved successful. Sydney, for example, will remain a benchmark stopover. I will always remember the boats arriving in the harbour. After welcoming the fleet at sea, we sail through an entrance flanked by fairly high cliffs. Then, at the last moment, the view opens up onto the city, its skyscrapers and the whole bay.
I particularly remember the astonishment, and emotion, of Jonas Gerckens and his crew as they rounded the turn at the entrance to the harbour and took in the panorama. You simply think, “Wow!” These are moments you don’t experience every day.
For a skipper considering taking part in the Globe40 today, what would be your main arguments for convincing them to take the plunge?
I would tell them that the Globe40 has now become a credible project that can fit into the racing calendar and sporting programme a top-level sailor, or a skilled amateur, can present to potential partners.
The first edition proved that a round-the-world race in a Class40 was achievable. The second showed that it could also deliver an extremely competitive race with scow designs. Today, the Globe40 is therefore an established event that sailors can present to partners who may see real value in getting involved.
That value is sporting, of course, but it also lies in communications and the story the event makes possible. The Globe40 offers an alternative to more conventional projects, creating opportunities for a company to engage its teams, employees and partners in an extraordinary adventure.
For a skipper looking to broaden their sailing horizons, a round-the-world voyage remains a kind of holy grail. They may eventually take on the challenge alone through the traditional Vendée Globe format, but the Globe40 offers another way to experience a circumnavigation: as part of a team, discovering other cultures and sharing a collective adventure.
It is also an experience that brings personal fulfilment, both as a sailor and on a more intimate level. An event like this leaves its mark on you; you do not come away unchanged.
Looking back, certain memories still come to us with a sense of disbelief: “Yes, I did that… I experienced that… I spent a month in Valparaíso…” And we realise just how precious it is to have the opportunity to live through such an adventure in our lifetime.
Beyond the third edition, what is your long-term vision for the Globe40? How do you see it evolving, and what role would you like it to play in the international offshore sailing landscape?
I would like the Globe40 to establish itself permanently among the major international round-the-world offshore races, while retaining what makes it distinctive: a team race, a highly international event and a stage-based format.
It is sailed in a class that remains accessible compared with other offshore racing projects, with relatively reasonable budgets and technical requirements. I want us to continue developing this approach and telling new stories with every edition.
I like working over the long term. We were talking earlier about the Normandy event, which will approach its 20th edition in two years. I believe these events acquire a special richness over time. It is a little like a long-term relationship: at some point, you look back and think, “Just look at everything we’ve been through together!”