Lisa Blair crosses Cape Horn on 50th day of Antarctic circumnavigation
by Lisa Blair Sails the World on 13 Mar 2017
Lisa Blair crosses Cape Horn on 50th day of Antarctic circumnavigation Lisa Blair
Sydney-based sailor and adventurer Lisa Blair 32, has today reached 50 days at sea and successfully crossed Cape Horn in her attempt to be the first woman in history to circumnavigate Antarctica solo and unassisted.
She is also on track to being the fastest, and only the third person to ever accomplish this feat.
Day 49 was marked with Lisa's first sighting of land - the snow capped mountains of Chile - since departing Albany, Western Australia on 22 January 2017.
Her 50th day, Monday 13 March, saw her successfully round the perilous Cape Horn at 2108 AEDT (1008 UTC) with an elapsed time of 50 days, 7 hours, 44 minutes, 00 seconds.
Cape Horn is considered to be the Mount Everest of sailing and is located on a perilous stretch of water which passes between the bottom tip of Chile, South America and Antarctica.
The region is plagued by shallow waters, unpredictable winds, large waves and icebergs.
After facing one storm front in the last fortnight, Lisa had been attempting to reach Cape Horn ahead of another which boasted winds expected to reach 70 knots.
The Antarctic circumnavigation is expected to take Lisa three (3) months and does not permit land stops, physical contact with another person, or assistance of any kind.
Lisa is racing on the Antarctica Cup Racetrack and is set to complete a time trial world record, set by Russian Fedor Konyukhov in 2008.
Konyukhov completed the Track in 102 days 00 hours 56 minutes and 50 secs and is the only person to have done so to date.
Currently Lisa is approx 200 nautical miles as the crow flies from the half way point of 62 degrees west and on target to beat Kunyukov's record.
She is targeting a return to Albany in late April.
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