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Fedor Konyukhov departed for solo circumnavigation for the classical route from the West to the East approved by the World Sailing Speed Record Council (WSSRŃ): around Cape of Good Hope (Africa), Cape Lewin (Australia) and Cape Horn (South America) on a maxi-yacht. Such navigation is also called “sailing around Antarctica” in prevailing winds as for the most part of the time the yacht, doubling the ice continent, sails in the South Ocean – in the “roaring forties” and “furious fifties”.
The start of the maxi-yacht «Trading Network Alye Parusa» took place in the harbor of the English Port of Falmouth (Cornwall) on November 24, 2004. Fedor Konyukhov intended to sail around the world in 120 days planning to spend one month for each ocean. In December it was planned to sail across the Atlantic Ocean along the meridian from the North to the South. In January – to sail across the Indian Ocean from Cape of Good Hope to the Island of Tasmania. In February – the Pacific Ocean, from the Island of Tasmania to Cape Horn and in March – the Atlantic Ocean, from Cape Horn to England. In case of favorable weather conditions and absence of any breakages and breakdowns on the yacht, as a super-task, they considered accomplishing the circumnavigation in 100 days. As a meteorologist, they invited a leading US expert in meteorology for sailing yachts - Lee Bruce from Tactical Weather - global adventure meteorology.
In the course of the whole navigation each ocean presented its personal share of trials to the maxi-yacht «Trading Network Alye Parusa» and to its fifty-three-year-old skipper. Having started in November under quite favorable weather conditions, the yacht was rubbed into a series of heavy gales in the outflow from the Bay of Biscay and then abeam Portugal. This was followed by the exhausting zone “Doldrums” as a forerunner of the Equator.
In 8 of June 2005 the legendary maxi-yacht “Alye Parusa Trading Chain” sailed into the Falmouth Bay and accomplished its round-the-world epic voyage. All the discussions and speculations whether one person is able to cope with a yacht that is normally operated by a crew of 10-12 persons are far behind. And not somewhere in the Mediterranean but under the hardest weather conditions of Southern Ocean and Cape Horn.
Ahead, Fedor Konyukhov and the Trading Network Alye Parusa have several years of interesting oceanic record programs on the legendary maxi-yacht. During the voyages promoting Russia as a sailing power, the biggest Russian sports yacht will visit the largest ports: New-York, San-Francisco, Yokohama, Cape Town, Montevideo, Sydney.
Fedor Konyukhov and his team would like to thank all friends, supporters, suppliers and sponsors who helped Fedor make his dream - to sail on a maxi boat around the world – come true. 08.06.2005
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