After theAtlantic Od yssey and the Pacific Odyssey, the volcanic mind of ocean navigation guru Jimmy Cornell (the inventor of the ARC) has come up with another one of his own. The World Odyssey Race is the latest, ambitious project of the Romanian yachtsman and “au large” event organizer: it is the first race for non-professional sailors around the world.
DEPARTURE FROM FRANCE
It is scheduled to start in July 2016 in an as-yet unspecified location in France: the first leg of the long journey (about 28 thousand miles) is scheduled to take place in Lanzarote (Canary Islands). The route, divided into 11 stages, includes passage through the three “classic” capes, Cape Good Hope, Cape Leeuwin and Cape Horn.
WHO WILL BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE
Cornell had been receiving requests for such an event for some time, and it was finally decided: entries from verla boats between 40 and 60 feet will be accepted. The regatta will run for 6 months and every two years, with stops in heavenly places. It is also planned for crews to participate in meteorological and oceanographic projects. With the help of sophisticated surveying equipment, the collected data will be transmitted to the UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) who will study it minutely.
THE PROVISIONAL REGATTA SCHEDULE
1. Start port (to be determined) – Arrecife (Lanzarote) 1,200 nm Saturday, 07/23/16
2. Arrecife – Rio de Janeiro 3,650 nm Thursday 4.08.16
3. Rio de Janeiro – Cape Town 3,320 nm Wednesday, 7.09.16
4. Cape Town – Fremantle 4,720 nm Sunday 9.10.16
5. Fremantle – Melbourne 1,720 nm Sunday, 11/20/16
6. Melbourne – Wellington 1,660 nm Saturday 10.12.16
7. Wellington – Ushuaia 4,600 nm Monday 2.01.17
8. Ushuaia – Mar del Plata 1,180 nm Sunday 19.02.17
9. Mar del Plata – Salvador da Bahia 1,920 nm Thursday 8.03.17
10. Salvador da Bahia – Horta (Azores) 3,200 nm Sunday, 03/26/17
WHO IS JIMMY CORNELL
Jimmy Cornell (whose real name is Dragos Corneliu Cismasu, since he was born in Romania 73 years ago) has been a true guru for generations of cruisers (his book “World Cruising Routes” has sold 150,000 copies, so many in the boating niche): his intention is to return to the original spirit of the ARC, that is, non-competitive sailing that places more emphasis on safety and fun than racing.
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