Vuelta Vertical receives a major energy boost at its official launch

Nov 10, 2025 | Sailing news, Sailing news, Vuelta Vertical, Vuelta Vertical

The Copernicus Hall in Madrid hosted a party this Saturday to present the details of this expedition to collaborators, sponsors, and friends.
A warm welcome was given to this enormous challenge: a 12-month voyage, 65,000 kilometers circumnavigating the Earth and linking the two poles, with 24/7 online tracking.

VUELTA VERTICAL Paula y Pedro en presentación oficial

MADRID | 09 NOVEMBER | COORDINATES 40°25′00.84″ N 3°42′12.24″ O

Vuelta Vertical, the unprecedented Spanish expedition that will circumnavigate the globe by sail, linking the two poles, celebrated its official launch this Saturday at the Copernicus Hall in Madrid. The event, attended by collaborators, sponsors, and friends of the project, provided its protagonists (Paula Gonzalvo and Pedro Jiménez, the two captains) with an overwhelming surge of energy. A morale boost, undoubtedly essential for facing the 12 months of solo sailing that await them.

“It’s wonderful to see this room full,” Paula remarked to the audience, to which one attendee later responded: “You’ve got us all fired up!” “It’s like a dream come true,” confessed Pedro, just a week before setting sail from the port of Castellón. The departure is scheduled for 1:00 PM next Saturday, November 15th. And it will be the start of a 65,000-kilometer voyage, almost equivalent to circling the Earth one and a half times.

All of this, it should be remembered, will be done following a ground-breaking route, from the 0° to the 180° meridian, that is, from the Arctic to Antarctica. They will cross the equator twice, in an expedition that blends adventure, challenge, and scientific research. This includes an initiative called Ocean Classroom, which offers direct connections between school classrooms and the Vertical Circumnavigation and its environmental survey work.

A gift to science.

Regarding this research aspect, César Bordehorde, from the University of Alicante, pointed out that “the expedition is a gift to science.” Among other things, a collection of marine biodiversity samples will be carried out using what is known as environmental DNA. As Bordehorde explained, the passage of any animal in recent days in any water they navigate will be detectable by the DNA traces it leaves behind. A complex system of physicochemical probes and a powerful computer in a “science cabin” will allow for the proper processing of all the samples obtained.

In addition, analyses will be conducted on the presence of microplastics in polar waters, and underwater noise and various ocean parameters will be recorded. This work has the support of prestigious academic institutions, in addition to the University of Alicante itself, such as the Ramón Margalef Multidisciplinary Institute, UCN, the UN Decade of Action on Oceans, and True World.

Online tracking and a future documentary.

The entire expedition can be followed online at vueltavertical.com and on YouTube, with live feeds from multiple cameras on the deck of the Alegría Marineros sailboat. Viewers can experience the six-hour solo watches and maneuvers in the face of storms and icebergs, as if they were aboard the vessel.

Furthermore, as was also mentioned in the Copernicus Room, a documentary about the voyage is in production, with the aim of reaching major streaming platforms. David Ávila, who describes himself as “in love with the project and its captains,” is already working to chronicle every detail of this unique expedition “from the very beginning.

Two experienced captains.

The voyage that Paula Gonzalvo and Pedro Jiménez face will take them through storms, gales, hurricane-force winds, and waves that will reach over 10 meters. But Paula Gonzalvo and Pedro Jiménez, experienced captains with over 265,000 nautical miles sailed between them, are not afraid.

With their characteristic passion, they explained on stage all the modifications made to the sailboat to prepare it for this epic adventure. “The best part of this project is all the strategy involved in deciding when to act at every moment,” Paula explained. Pedro, for his part, pointed out that the Vertical Tour “will depend a lot on luck, on everything flowing smoothly.”

As they explained, detailing their route across five oceans, the Pacific is unpredictable, and in the Arctic, they have to wait for the ice to allow passage. 35,000 miles, 12 months, 6 legs, five stops. Everything about Vuelta Vertical sounds exciting. There are barely seven days left until the start of this adventure, which they will face with their experience, “a very well-stocked first-aid kit, first aid knowledge”… and little else, they said with smiles. Smiles that undoubtedly had a lot to do with the energy they received at this official presentation.