Offshore: BC’s Isa Rosli Heading Around the Globe Next Month
August 13, 2026
As of today, Isa Rosli from Abbotsford BC is in the midst finishing up qualifying for next month’s Golden Globe Race with the aim of being Canada’s first solo sailor to circumnavigate the globe, non-stop.
This sounds like a big undertaking and it is. The sailors have to cover 30,000 miles of open waters by themselves and without the assistance of any modern navigation tools relying on 1968 technology. Isa has been perfecting his sextant skills; there was no GPS in ’68 so it will be all celestial navigation. No radio, no weather reports, windvane operated self-steer only. Isa will be stocking his Swedish 32-footer, Olleanna, a proven veteran of two previous campaigns, with everything he’ll eat including water for 250 days. The only modern equipment is for safety only.
History
Sir Robin captured public imagination in the 1960s with his solo, non-stop circumnavigation in the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race. Departing Falmouth in June 1968 aboard Suhaili, he returned 312 days later on April 22, 1969, making history.
The tradition lives on – like the original Sunday Times event, the 2026 Golden Globe Race is very simple: Depart from Les Sables-d’Olonne, France on September 6th, 2026 and sail solo, non-stop around the world, via the five Great Capes and return to Les Sables-d’Olonne.
Entrants are limited to sailing similar yachts and equipment to what was available to Sir Robin in that first race. That means sailing without modern technology or the benefit of satellite-based navigation aids.
Motivation
Isa in his own words
“I made a wish to enter GGR2022 but financially and mentally not ready. Now I’m ready to compete in GGR2026. I’ve always wanted to sail ever since I was in lower grade school, but the cost was very prohibitive to my parents. After my 2nd job, I joined a local race team in LaSalle, Ontario for round-the-can race along Detroit River.
I got hooked since then. I’ve wanted to do sailing around the world since moving to Vancouver, about 15 years ago before joining GGR idea. That desire grew stronger during my ocean racing with four separate teams in the last 6+ years. There are many cues that had fallen in-line leading up to this decision, but the biggest few factors to give it a go are while I’m physically capable to do something great for myself, and to give hope to families, friends, co-workers, strangers around me and around the world to dream big and go for it! One shot to the greatness and it’s GGR2026!
“While the boat definitely needed a bit of work, it was largely race-ready, helping to drastically reduce the time and money needed to get ready for the journey.”
The Golden Globe Race start gun goes on September 6. We will follow Isa’s path in these pages.
