BT Global Challenge 1996/7
An expanded fleet of 14 Challenge 67 yachts set out from Southampton in driving rain and gales. Again rigging problems struck in the Southern Ocean and Concert was dismasted. Skipper Chris Tibbs and crew made a jury rig and motorsailed to Wellington, New Zealand. Concert was re-rigged in time to start leg 3 from Wellington to Sydney and was 2nd on the Sydney to Cape Town leg. Yacht Pause to Remember, skippered by Tom O'Connor, suffered a snapped boom half way between Sydney and Cape Town. There seemed no choice but to fly their trysail until crewmembers Graham Phelp and Matthew Reeves took on the challenge of trying to repair it by using a cut out section as a splint. Two days later a shortened boom emerged from below decks and was successfully attached to the mast. Three weeks later and having suffered several storms with wind speeds in excess of 50 kn (93 km/h), Pause to Remember sailed into Cape Town, with boom still intact.
This race featured an extra leg to Boston and a crew of disabled men and women took part on “Time & Tide”, the first to sail round the world.
Mike Golding dominated, winning five out of six legs in Group 4 with Andy Hindley winning the remaining leg in Save the Children . Three skippers had graduated from being crew volunteers four years earlier: Andy Hindley; Mark Lodge; and Simon Walker, all of whom appeared in the top five placings. Simon Walker went on to become Managing Director of Challenge Business, helping to organise the 2000/1 and 2004/5 Global Challenges.
| Overall place | Yacht name | Skipper | Combined elapsed time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Group 4 | Mike Golding | 161d 05h 25m 18s |
| 2 | Toshiba | Simon Walker | 163d 11h 14m 34s |
| 3 | Save the Children | Andy Hindley | 165d 20h 50m 46s |
| 4 | Motorola | Mark Lodge | 165d 22h 40m 54s |
| 5 | Commercial Union | Richard Merriweather | 167d 08h 01m 32s |
| 6 | Global Teamwork | Merfyn Owen | 169d 20h 27m 56s |
| 7 | Nuclear Electric | Richard Tudor | 171d 01h 29m 10s |
| 8 | Ocean Rover | Paul Bennett | 171d 11h 46m 34s |
| 9 | 3Com | David Tomkinson | 171d 11h 57m 30s |
| 10 | Pause to Remember | Tom O’Connor | 172d 19h 13m 28s |
| 11 | Courtaulds International | Boris Webber | 173d 19h 26m 12s |
| 12 | Heath Insured | Adrian Donovan | 174d 21h 36m 29s |
| 13 | Concert | Chris Tibbs | 174d 21h 36m 29s |
| 14 | Time & Tide | James Hatfield | 176d 18h 09m 55s |
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