Lisa Blair to attempt world record around Antarctica

by Lisa Morrison on 14 Jan 2017 Dodging icebergs, riding 10-storey tall waves and being buffeted by 80-knot winds are some of the dangers facing an attempt at a world record circumnavigating Antarctica. Lisa Blair hopes to become the first woman to circumnavigate Antarctica solo, non-stop, and unassisted. The 32-year-old will set sail from Albany, in Western Australia, on the estimated 16,000 nautical mile voyage on January 15.

Ms Blair hopes to break Russian adventurer Fedor Konyukhov's world record of 102 days, 35 minutes, and 50 seconds. 'I'm hoping to do it in 94 days,' Ms Blair said. Mr Konyukhov set the record in 2008 when he was the first solo sailor to complete the Antarctica Cup Ocean Yacht Race. The ocean 'racetrack' passes by the world's three most notorious capes — Cape Leeuwin, Cape Horn off the coast of Chile and Cape Agulhas off South Africa. Ms Blair will be racing the same course as Mr Konyukhov, which starts and finishes in Albany's King George Sound.

Taking on world's toughest ocean

Ms Blair does not take the life-threatening risks of the treacherous Southern Ocean lightly. She is prepared to dodge whales and icebergs and battle some of the strongest winds and biggest swells on the planet.

'The air temperature is about three degrees with a wind chill factor of minus 20 degrees,' Ms Blair said. 'It's bitterly, bitterly, bitterly cold. 'Your average seas are 30 to 50-foot waves and if you get a storm on top of that, you get anywhere up to 90-foot waves. That's a 10-storey building. You get winds up to 80-knots in a storm; 60 knots rips the roof off your house.'

Ms Blair has previously experienced 60-knot winds during a 'southern cyclone' on an ocean voyage to Albany. She was impressed with the way her yacht handled the high seas, even enjoying a cup of tea on deck. 'I do get quite nervous just ahead of a storm because you just don't know how bad it's going to be,' Ms Blair said. 'If the boat is doing okay, I actually sit on deck and have a cup of tea and just stare at it, because it's so cool.'

Power of the post-it note

Ms Blair's 50-foot fibreglass yacht was designed by Robert Hick and was built to race in the Melbourne to Osaka Yacht Race. Originally named Funnel-Web, Ms Blair renamed her Climate Action Now to raise awareness of the impacts of climate change. Ms Blair said during her 12 years' sailing experience, she had noticed the impacts of man-made climate change on the environment and on oceans.

'I really wanted to use this opportunity to promote a positive message and focus on solutions, not problems,' Ms Blair said. Her post-it note campaign collects messages of climate change action that people have taken around the world. 'They might recycle, turn the lights off, never use single-use coffee cups … whatever it is they're doing as their small bit,' Ms Blair said.

'People forget that as an individual you have power, you can create that movement of change. 'It doesn't matter if it's something small or seems insignificant, when you've got a million people doing it, it can benefit the environment.'

Going 'a little bit crazy'

Ms Blair has been preparing for her epic voyage for more than three years and is confident she is physically and psychologically ready to spend at least three months alone at sea.

'I do go a little bit crazy,' Ms Blair said. 'I'll dance on the boat, have a sing-song. I just entertain myself.'

Ms Blair will sail out of Albany at 1pm on January 15 and is planning to return in mid-April. Original article by the ABC

She will be interacting with people following her journey by blogging and posting photos and videos at Lisa Blair Sails The World.