My Story
Daniel Pinsky (35)
My adventure began at the age of 14, when I left home to study at the Ktziney Yam maritime boarding school in Akko. That’s where I first fell in love with the endless horizons of the sea.
After 3 years of Navy service as a chief engineer, my desire to leave the coastline behind and head out into open waters only deepened.
Most childhood dreams fade when they meet reality, but mine refused to let go.
At 23 I bought Asterix, a 1986 Endeavour 38 sailboat. that quickly proved to be a serious challenge. I fully refitted her, learned, upgraded, and in the process, the dream of leaving everything behind and sailing the world slowly began to take shape.
In 2021, I set sail.
The plan was for one year, but my journey became a way of life.
I crossed oceans, anchored in remote Caribbean islands, and lived close to nature and far from civilization.
Since 2018, when the original 1968 Golden Globe Race was revived, the idea of taking part has never left me. Back then, I didn’t yet have the experience, the skills, or the maturity I have today, but now I feel that my time has finally come. All the pieces have come together into a single line, pointing toward the starting line in France.
In October 2025, I bought Exodus,a 1980 Baba 35 and together,
we have ten months to prepare for the race of our lives.
This race is one of the longest and most demanding challenges imaginable. I will be sailing it alone, but without your support, my chances of success are significantly lower.
I invite you to follow the journey, join the community, support the project, and hopefully to see the 1st Israeli skipper crossing the finish line. 🇮🇱
Why am I doing this?
The National Layer
After some of the most difficult years our people and country have experienced, with much of the news dominated by division, pain, and war, I want to bring a different voice.
A voice of hope, of adventure, of dreams being realized.
I want that when Israel is mentioned around the world, it will not be only in the context of war, but also through moments of inspiration, courage, and human achievement such as the Golden Globe Race.
The Interpersonal Layer
Since 2021, when I set out on my journey, it was important for me to share it.
Many told me to do it in English, saying “there’s no audience for sailing in Israel.” But I insisted on the opposite.
I wanted to reach an Israeli audience to inspire and show that dreams can be realized without being wealthy or exceptional.
I want people to understand that the world of sailing is open and accessible to everyone, you just have to dare to step into it.
I hope that my participation in this race will expose more people to the culture of the sea, and help sailing become a more natural part of Israeli culture.
The Personal Layer
The events of October 7th and the Wars that followed have shaken all of us deeply.
They reminded me how fragile life is, how day after day, young people my age or younger are being lost before they ever truly had the chance to live.
None of us knows when our time will come.
That is why I choose to live my life fully and honestly and to pursue my dreams even when they seem a little crazy.
A life with color, with meaning, with stories worth telling.
So that one day, I’ll be sitting comfortly on my couch, looking back and share these stories with my grandchildren, just as my grandfather once did.
A Journey Inward
This race is not just a sailing competition, it is a mental journey that is hard to put into words.
Around 250 days alone at sea, facing nature, without communication, without distractions.
It is a journey inward, searching for answers within your soul and trying to understand what lies deep inside, beneath the surface.
I don’t know what I will find out there in the Southern Ocean…
Will it be God? Myself? Or something else entirely, But
I do know that curiosity and the drive to discover are what keep me moving forward.