July 18th, 2018
From GGR: Nabil Amra, the US based Palestinian sailing the Biscay 36 Liberty II formally announced his retirement from the race today after reaching Tenerife overnight. Nabil Amra, who reported on Monday that a weld had broken on his Beaufort wind vane self steering, has made the decision not to continue. As he battled his way across 35knot winds en-route to Tenerife, the Palestinian messaged: “Wind and waves in the teeth…Sailing is better with friends.” This was followed by: “Violently ill now..No sleep for 4 days.” It is clear that he has had enough—for now.
July 17th, 2018
Team Palestine GGR Nabil Amra arriving in Canary islands a few munutes after Mark Sinclair, happy to be a real solo sailing adventurer and looking forward to the next stage of his dream… headed to the Southern Ocean… I will sadly have to retire a few days later #GGR2018. To celebrate Sir Robin Knox-Johnston’s historic 1968/9 world first solo non-stop circumnavigation in the Sunday Times Golden Globe Yacht Race, a new Golden Globe Race is being staged to mark the 50th Anniversary of that epic, starting from Falmouth on June 14th, 2018.
July 13th, 2018
Palestinian American Nabil Amra, born and raised in Chaska, MN, is sailing around the world! It is truly a unique sailing race. While we can see him on GPS, he cannot, and has to rely on technology available in 1968, the first (and only other) year in which the race was held. 30,000 miles, 300 days, nonstop, no assistance allowed. Go Team Palestine! Hear audio from his weekly satellite call to the Golden Globe Race HQ and follow his current position at www.TeamPalestineGGR.com
June 30th, 2018
As the July 1st race day is less than 24 hours away, it has been a steady stream of visitors, last minute adjustments to the boat, running to secure the last supplies, and the difficult task of fitting it all in the boat! This Team Palestine blog entry looks at some of the things Nabil is taking with him, from food, to music and books, and letters from school children. Things will heat up on the dock at around 8am France Time (1am CST), with Nabil scheduled to sail out of the harbor around 10am for the race start at noon. Visit Team Palestine’s Facebook page or Twitter feed for details of live video streams of the start of the race!
June 28th, 2018
Christophe Favreau interviewing Nabil Amra on the pontoons. This 50th anniversary edition of the Golden Globe Race is a celebration of the original event, the winner, his boat and that significant world-first achievement. Competitors in this race will be sailing simple boats using basic equipment to guarantee a satisfying and personal experience. The challenge is pure and very raw, placing the adventure ahead of winning at all costs. It is for ‘those who dare’, just as it was for Knox-Johnston. They will be navigating with sextant on paper charts, without electronic instruments or autopilots.
June 27th, 2018
ROCHESTER, Minn. – Imagine quitting your job to embark on a 9 month journey sailing around the world, without any modern technology. That’s what Nabil Amra is doing. He’s participating in the Golden Globe Race, where skippers race sailing around the world. Nadir Amra is his cousin and lives in Rochester. He said when he first found out about his cousin’s decision, he was nervous. “To go solo, without phones and any electronic equipment he usually uses, that seems kind of dangerous. But it’s something he wanted to do,” Nadir said. “We’re always going to be worried until he gets home.”