Another Solo Sailor for the Horn

by Nancy Knudsen on 3 Feb 2006 While Dee Caffari pounds through the Southern Ocean after rounding the Horn in her bid to be the first woman to circumnavigate the world the ‘wrong way’ non-stop, Kenyan born father of two Adrian Flanagan is just approaching the Horn after 100 days at sea on a very different ‘round world’ route.

After the Horn he will head up the Pacific Ocean to pass over the top of Russia and return to Europe and then England through some of the toughest arctic sailing there is.

The two couldn’t be more different. Dee has had little or nothing so far that she couldn’t mend, and the boat is in fine condition, whereas Adrian Flanagan has had one lost spinnaker, rudder problems, a failed engine, and fouled water. He’s even lost the use of the wind generator, and the steering keeps failing.

They’ve both had high wind conditions but Adrian admits that his boat does not like windward conditions. Dee’s boat, however, is designed for just such conditions, and has already been around the world once with Dee as skipper.

However, with Adrian’s planned route, he will be at sea nearly double the time that Dee will – a planned 300 days, sailing a giant 35,000miles.

And why is he doing it?

When he was sixteen, Adrian, who had sailed since he was eight years old, read about Sir Francis Chichester's epic circumnavigation. During the years Adrian never stopped nurturing his ambition to sail a single-handed, non-stop circumnavigation, preparing physically, emotionally and psychologically for what he says will be ‘the ultimate challenge to his endurance, character and beliefs.’

…and it hasn’t been all bad – Adrian tells of magical experiences with albatrosses blue whales and sail fish, and sometimes the weather has been grand enough to enjoy a bask in the sun – he’s reading, cooking and enjoying the sunsets and sunrises.

Alpha Global Expedition is the title of Adrian’s expedition, which is supported by a wide range of sponsors. To read the full story, click HERE

Sail-World will follow Adrian’s expedition from time to time. Of special interest will be the trip through the Bering Straits and along the northern coast of Russia.

In the meantime, in the next week, Adrian and his specially built steel boat Barrabas, will achieve what many blue water sailors only dream about – he will round Cape Horn.