News

May 6, 2008

Dateline 20:20 UTC 5th April 2008
Position: 36°08.90’S 115°47.20’E
Course: 37° Speed: 6 knots
Wind 10knots WNW
Distance to finish: 150 n.miles

Fedor plans for Wednesday morning WST finish – whales willing!

Day 100: Russian circumnavigator Fedor Konyukhov is now within 150 miles of sailing into the record books as the first to complete a circumnavigation of Antarctica below 45°S. The 56 year old adventurer now expects to reach Albany, the start and finish point for the Antarctica Cup Ocean Race, on Wednesday morning – providing there are no more moments like last night when he came within a few metres of hitting a whale.
Fedor reports:
“I went on deck as the sun was setting – and just in time spotted a giant sperm whale on a collision heading with my yacht. It was steaming towards the southern ocean without paying any attention to my vessel – like a 20m long piece of driftwood, with a powerful fountain!
I just managed to bear away as it passed 5-6 meters from the bow. If I had not taken rapid action I would certainly have hit it. It reminded me never to say one is in safe waters until the boat is alongside the jetty. Even within 150 miles of the finish anything can happen.
Right now I’m in a tricky situation. I have all sails set with nightfall approaching together with some menacing black clouds I’m fighting the temptation to reduce sail to be on the safe side in case of a sudden squall, but at the same time I don’t want to slow down the boat. It would be crazy to damage the rig or a sail so close to the finish, yet I need to reach Albany by Wednesday – before the winds fail. This is going to be stressful and sleepless night. The ocean is smooth and it is very, very, calm – well much calmer than the weather I had to endure three days ago.”