Irish Karl Smith enters the Global Solo Challenge, Racing to End Parkinson’s

Karl Smith – La Licorne – Halvard Mabire designed Class40. @Fintan Clarke/Coalesce

The Global Solo Challenge is pleased to announce the entry of Irish skipper Karl Smith in the 2027–2028 edition of the event. Karl becomes the 25th skipper to enter the second edition of the GSC. Following four withdrawals from previously announced entrants, the current entry list now stands at a very strong 21 skippers, with several other confirmed projects expected to announce their participation in the coming months, including several female skippers.

As the first edition demonstrated, getting to the start line is perhaps the hardest challenge of all. Preparing a boat and a skipper for a solo, non-stop circumnavigation requires an enormous commitment of time, resources and determination, and inevitably not every project that begins the journey will make it to the start. With 21 active entries already and further announcements to come, the expectation remains that at least 20 skippers will ultimately take the start of the 2027–2028 Global Solo Challenge.

Karl joins the fleet with a particularly ambitious project, both on and off the water. The 36-year-old Irish sailor is a professional superyacht captain with approximately 60,000 nautical miles of experience and will compete aboard Class40 #147, La Licorne, a 2016 Halvard Mabire design.

At the heart of his campaign, however, is a purpose that goes well beyond the sporting challenge. Karl has created Racing to End Parkinson’s, with the goal of raising €1 million for Parkinson’s causes around the world. His father, who introduced him to sailing and windsurfing as a child, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2014.

Karl intends to use his participation in the Global Solo Challenge as an international platform for fundraising and awareness, working with a growing number of Parkinson’s charities supporting research, awareness and care. For him, the connection is deeply personal: the father who gave him his passion for sailing is also the inspiration behind the cause that will accompany him around the world.

The scale of Karl’s objective is matched by the challenge ahead. He is relatively new to Class40 sailing and has an intensive programme of preparation ahead of him before the start. His campaign will therefore be a race long before the starting gun: preparing himself and the boat for a solo circumnavigation while simultaneously developing the fundraising and partnerships needed to pursue his €1 million target.

In the interview below, Karl explains how sailing became such an important part of his life, why he has chosen to take on a solo non-stop circumnavigation, the personal experiences that convinced him that this was the right moment to attempt it, and why Racing to End Parkinson’s will be at the centre of everything he does throughout his Global Solo Challenge campaign.

About the Skipper

Name: Karl Smith
Nationality: IRL
Resides in: Dublin, Ireland
Born in: 1989
Miles sailed: 60,000 approx.

Where does your passion for sailing come from?

My Dad. He was always windsurfing and sailing and I followed him into both of those. It was always dinghies growing up and I never had the opportunity to be on a yacht until I had already left the corporate world and signed up for my Yachtmaster back in 2018. That was pretty much my first experience on a yacht, barely eight years ago. Since then I have basically lived at sea though.

What lessons has sailing taught you?

Resilience. Each day and each moment flip-flops from great to terrible and back again. You only have yourself to rely on and leaning into that is probably the most satisfying thing about being at sea.

What brought you to like single-handed sailing?

The simplicity and the challenge of it. I want to test myself in the toughest conditions, I want to be uncomfortable and I want to enjoy that feeling. Comfort breeds boredom and boredom is the thief of happiness. You can’t ever be bored on a sailing boat at sea as there is always something to do, something to check, to fix, to plan…

What motivated you to sign up for this event?

I want to raise €1m for Parkinson’s disease because my dad suffers from it. He was diagnosed in 2014 and I feel like the Global Solo Challenge is an incredible opportunity to raise awareness of this cause globally.

Personally, I have spent a lot of time sitting at home recovering since I had a bad accident at sea nearly five years ago, maybe one year in total. In November 2024 I had to have my ankle fused and the process of sitting at home once more for another five months watching your body heal, watching the time go by, made me realize two things: your health is your wealth and you only have one chance at life. At 36 years old, I have a rare opportunity in terms of where I am in my life personally, financially and emotionally. It was a now-or-never moment where you are either brave enough to jump, or you have to spend the rest of your life wondering what if.

It’s special to be able to do the GSC and have a cause so close to home to motivate me through the tough times. It’s a great marriage of a mutual interest of my dad and me, and a cause that affects him directly, and us as a family, as well as so many others.

How are you planning to prepare for this event?

For now I am balancing launching my campaign, my business, my fundraising efforts, my sponsorship efforts and my day job, running a superyacht. From November, I will be full time on the project and will hopefully be able to shift my efforts more towards the boat prep, my sailing, and getting miles under her keel, both crewed racing and solo. I am so fortunate to have a team of people who have come on board, seeing the potential in my project, Racing to End Parkinson’s, so I know we can catch up and be ready for the start line next year.

What do you think will be the greatest challenge?

Getting to grips with a Class40, having never sailed one before I started the boat-buying process.

Tell us about your boat or the boat you would like to have.

I have bought Class40 #147. She is a great boat with a great reputation. Although more expensive than I planned, she is very well equipped so I can spend more time and money on training and development, which is what I need given my tight timeline. She is a serious Class40, and I think she represents the reason I am sailing perfectly. It was love at first sight.

Do you intend to link this personal challenge with a social message?

My campaign is about one thing only: Racing to End Parkinson’s.

I want to raise €1m globally and we are partnering with an ever-growing list of global Parkinson’s charities to maximise the return to Parkinson’s during this event.

Experience

7 years full time professional at sea. Currently a superyacht captain. Approximately 60,000NM sailed

Boat details

Boat model: Halvard Mabire designed Class40
Designer: Halvard Mabire
Boat name: La Licorne
Sail number: IRL 147
Year launched: 2016
Length overall: 40 ft
Displacement: 4580