Monday, May 20, 2019

Fyodor Konyukhov completes South Pacific crossing

Russian explorer Fyodor Konyukhov rowed his way through the Pacific ocean & set several world records, including longest solo sailing in the ocean (154 days), biggest distance covered by rowing (11,525 km) while being the oldest solo rowing sailor (67yo)
So far, Fyodor Konyukhov has sailed around the world five time, crossed the Atlantic Ocean 17 times and became the first Russian to complete the Explorers Grand Slam: he climbed the highest mountains on all seven continents and visited the North Pole and the South Pole.
In 2007, Konyukhov circumnavigated the Southern Hemisphere aboard a sailing yacht dubbed the Scarlet Sails when he crossed the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans.

From Explorerweb by Peter Winsor 

After 154 days, 13 hours and 13 minutes, Fyodor Konyukhov arrived at the Diego Ramirez Islands off Chile to complete the first leg of his Southern Ocean row.
The prolific Russian adventurer left New Zealand in November.

Fyodor Konyukhov began his solo circumnavigation around the world on a rowing boat on December 6, 2018, setting off from the port of Dunedin in New Zealand.
The expedition is divided up into three parts: Dunedin (New Zealand) - Cape Hown (Chile), Cape Horn - Cape Leeuwin (Australia) and Cape Leeuwin - Dunedin.
In total, Konyukhov will have to row 16,000 nautical miles (27,000 km).

Konyukhov’s support team intercepted him on the windward side of the islands in dangerous conditions (40-45 knot winds and 6-7 metre waves).
With the conditions predicted to worsen, his team decided to tow the rowboat into the Drake Passage.

The longitude of the Diego Ramirez Islands is considered the end of an east-west crossing of the South Pacific Ocean, according to the Ocean Rowing Society.

Russian adventurer Fedor Konyukhov, who is currently on his round-the-world voyage aboard a solo rowboat, became the first person in history to cross the southern part of the Pacific Ocean, from New Zealand to Chile, aboard a rowboat, the Ocean Rowing Society International said.
"On May 09, 2019 at approx. 18:00UTC Fedor crossed the finish line of Diego Ramirez Longitude (68.68W) within vicinity of land and with this has officially completed his row across the South Pacific Ocean from west to east," the statement says adding that it took the Russian traveler 154 days 13 hours and 37 minutes to do it.

Konyukhov planned to complete the journey in 120 days but endured several cyclones during his five months in the notorious Roaring Forties.
Fedor Konyukhov in his rowboat AKROS, off the coast of Chile.
The rowing boat dubbed Akros, which the voyageur is sailing to circumnavigate the Southern Hemisphere, was designed specifically for the expedition by British engineer Philip Morrison.
The nine-meter long boat has water-proof compartments for food storage and three independent systems of producing energy: solar modules, wind generators and a chemical power supply station that uses methanol to produce energy.
The boat is also equipped with two types of satellite phones, a satellite tracker and a few duplicate systems of connection and navigation.
Photo: Oscar Konyukhov

He lost more than 100km during one gale.
The second leg of Konyukhov’s 27,000km journey across the Southern Ocean will take him from Cape Horn to Cape Leeuwin in Western Australia later this year.
The final leg, which begins in late 2020, runs from Cape Leeuwin back to Dunedin, New Zealand, where he began.

 The Akros design.
Photo: konyukhov.ru

In 2002, the adventurer set a world record by crossing the Atlantic Ocean solo on a rowboat in 46 days and four hours.
The record remained intact for around 11 years.
In 2013-2014, he finished a solo-rowing non-stop voyage across the Pacific Ocean, reaching the Australian coast after a 159-day adventure.
In 2016, Konyukhov also dared to break a world record and performed a non-stop solo hot air balloon flight around the globe in just 11 days and four hours. He covered over 21,800 miles. 

Links :

No comments:

Post a Comment