Around Americas non-stop..piracy report..world's largest yacht..more..
by Nancy Knudsen, Editor on 26 Apr 2012
Matt Rutherford arrives showing his barnacles from over 300 days of continuous sailing including the North West Passage and rounding Cape Horn SW
Without doubt the most thrilling news of the week was of
Matt Rutherford, who, ten months ago, set out on a most unlikely mission. He wasn't sure he could do it and said so. Many others (including me) thought that sailing
solo and non-stop around the Americas in a very ancient donated Albin Vega boat, so small he couldn't stand up in it, was the stuff of impractical dreamers.
Well, he did it, through the icy North West Passage, down the vast Pacific and around the dreaded Cape Horn. Both the boat and he were a little the worse for wear when he turned up in Annapolis, but it's not only an achievement it's heart-warming story of real grit and seamanship.
Talking of difficult sea routes, if you have a yen to explore where few have been before, Des Ryan tells us of
three possible sailing routes opening up through the Arctic in the near future thanks to Global Warming.
Closer to home,
Ian Thomson, the Save Our Seas plastic bag campaigner, who held the record for a solo circumnavigation of Australia for several months, has been having a little name trouble. He's curiously renamed his organisation Ocean Crusaders, but what's in a name. The quest is valuable, caring for our ocean and its sealife.
There's been a lot of sailing going on in Port Stephens, an overnight sail north from Sydney, recently. Apart from the hard-core racing fraternity Sail Port Stephens attracted many boats who were principally there for the fun not for the racing. Matt King has collected some great photos, especially of youth sailing - that's what secures the future of the sport!
Read about the largest sailing yacht in the world, Dream Symphony just being constructed in Turkey. Amazingly, it's being made of wood!...and read how the oldest sailing junk still in existence it finally going home to China.
John Jamieson has some Winch Wisdom to spread around, there's a new fuel purifier (not a filter) on the market, and a world-first personal device with AIS is a big technological step up in MOB rescue. Of course, I have add there's no safety measure to beat making sure you stay on the boat!
Sweet sailing!
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