No, I'm not a sailor, but I have recently been sucked in to the sailing world and have found a new pastime. Tracking the Velux 5 Oceans solo race around the world.
They say that there are approximately 1,000 people who have summitted Mt. Everest. There are only about 250 people who have successfully sailed around the world alone. Quite a feat!
Every 8 years sailors pick up the challenge again. Formerly known as the BOC Challenge and the Around Alone, this solitary race pits man and boat foremost against nature. Competitors are a concern, but can be an afterthought in the drama of the moment.
With four stops, this nine month race kicked off from La Rochelle, France on October 17th. Now, they are midway to Cape Town, South Africa, their first port of call. After rest and repairs, the 5 sailors competing this year will be off to Wellington, New Zealand, then Salvador, Brazil, before hitting Charleston, SC, USA in preparation for the final sprint back to La Rochelle.
It will be March or April 2011 before they finish.
Fascinating! You can follow their progress on the map at Velux 5 Oceans raceviewer.
I wish all 5 sailors a successful circumnavigation! But secretly, I'm rooting for the hometown candidate from the good ole' US of A.
No comments:
Post a Comment