Sailing at 59kts..solo sailors off to Cape Horn..Bounty survivor tells
by Nancy Knudsen, Editor on 22 Nov 2012
Paul Larsen has just beaten the world speed sailing record SW
It's yet to be ratified, but Australian Paul Larsen has just sailed a boat, albeit a very strange boat, at 59 knots for a sustained period. The information wouldn't help you cross an ocean though, as they've done it in the ideal sea and sky conditions of Walvis Bay in Namibia.
If you like the idea of solo sailing but can't give up your day-job, you can do it vicariously by watching the several solo sailors out to do non-stop circumnavigations of the world at the moment:
British sailor Jeanne Socrates, already the world's oldest female solo circumnavigator, is already a month into her voyage, heading for the equator on her way to Cape Horn. A few weeks ago Abhilash Tomy set off to become the first ever Indian sailor to achieve such a voyage, and this week a young sailor from China, Guo Chuan, wants to wear the same crown for China. They'll all be interesting to watch as they head for Cape Horn in mid summer.
The poignant story in this edition from one of the survivors of the sinking of HMS Bounty in Hurricane Sandy is enough to make one extra-conservative when checking weather before a voyage.
Another story of great interest this week was a rescue necessary because of the damaging of a rudder by a pod of dolphins. We all love to see them gamboling around the bow, but it's a reminder that 'dolphins are human too' and can make a mistake.
In the easy company of cruising sailors and the rapidity of new friendships on the water it's hard to remember that not all cruising sailors are the innocent wind-followers that we often think. Witness to this is the sad demise of a lovely Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 44 in the hands of some suspected drug peddlars, not to mention murder and mayhem on the high seas.
Good practical information in this week's edition too – John Jamieson with some more wise words about safer sailing, Des Ryan talks about the very minimum that your other crew member should know when short-handed sailing, and another anchoring product to think about – the Tandem Anchor, which has just won this year's overall DAME design award.
Much more too, so browse the headlines to find your interest, and...
Sweet sailing!
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