Londoner sets his sails on a gruelling, around-the-world race

Londoner Gaurav Shinde, 33, is working to prepare for a race that many would say makes a marathon seem like an afternoon jog.

Even a climb up Mount Everest or an entry in an Iron Man doesn't quite offer the same challenge as the competition Shindeis gearing up for: the Golden Globe Race2022.

It's a sailing competition, but this is no tour around the bay followed by a roundmartinis at the yacht club lounge.

The Golden Globe Race is a continuous, around-the-world solo sailing completion that can take anywhere from 200 to 350 days to complete. It starts in September of 2022 in southern France. Many don't finish. In the last race,held in 2018, only five of the 18 who set sail from the start managed toreachthe end.

Some lost their masts, others were knocked out by equipment problems.

Shinde is signed up for what promises to be a gruelling test of his sailing skills. And he can't wait.

"I know I'm a good sailor, I'm not worried about my seamanship," he said."No two days are going to be the same, it's about hanging in there. There are going to be nights that I'm going to hallucinate but I have to make sure I don't give up at those points and can find my way back into the race."

Modern technology not allowed

Sailors in the Golden Globe Race are barred from using any technology built after 1968. That's when Sir Robin Knox, a British sailor,became the first person to sail solonon-stop around the world.

No GPS navigation or computer-aided autopilot areallowed. Sailors in this race have to navigate by sextant.

Even a digital wrist watch or an iPod is verboten. Also, boats are not allowed to pull into port for rest, repair or to avoid bad weather. Although race boats are equipped with engines, the engine compartments are sealed by race officials before the start. Firing up the engine, even in an emergency, would meaninstant disqualification.

Shinde would love to enter the Vende Globe, the premier single-handed around-the world solo sailing race. Those sailors are allowed the latest technology, requiring millions of dollars. No sailor can consider entering unless they'vegot deep pockets or a sponsor who does.

"Sailing is expensive and I come from a modest lower-caste background in India," he said. "The Golden Globe race is doable for me."

Also, he considers this race a supreme test of seamanship.

"Some of the Vende Globe skippers wouldn't be able to do this race," he said.

A boat rebuilt

And so when it comes to financing his entry and getting the boat ready, Shinde has to pretty much do everything himself.

These days he'sbusy working to restore and retrofit the34-foot Ta Shing Flying Dutchman / Baba 35 cutter he bought for the race. Builtin 1980 and renamed Good Hope, he plans to paint it Canadian red and white. He will remove much of theequipment to transform it from a pleasure cruiserto a vessel that can withstand weeks of pounding on the open sea.

The New York-based former owner of the boat sold it toShindeat about a third of its market price. The vendor also floated Shinde an interest-free loan as his contribution to his entry in the race.

"It is funny how people come together to help you achieve your dream," said Shinde.

His love of sailing began as an 11-year-old in the Sea Cadet Corps in his native India. When a friend tricked him into entering an open-sea solo race off India's coast,Shinde was both fear-stricken and enthralled by the challenge of taking on the open ocean by himself.

He came to Canada in 2015, earning his MBA at Ivey Business School at Western University. He worked for Google for four years and is currently workingin digital marketing with 3M in London.

Life on hold

But his career and everything else in Shinde's life will be put on hold for this race, which he estimates will cost him $200,000 to enter, including the cost of the boat. To save money he and his wife are selling their house in north Londonand plan to live on the boat which is currently dry-docked near St. Catharines until it's ready for the water.

It's a series of sacrifices, all to enter a sailing race that has a paltry prize of just5,000, or less than $10, 000 Canadian.

Shinde is looking for sponsors, something many sailors in the race do help cover their costs.

And while just finishing the race would be a massive achievement, Shindeclearly has his sails set on a higher goal.

"I am very confident that I am the right person to win the race," he said.