Yesterday, the Class40 BELGIUM OCEAN RACING – CURIUM, skippered by Benoit Hantzperg and Djemila Tassin, passed POINT NEMO.
But who exactly is this Mr. Nemo? It’s located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, the point in the ocean furthest from any land on planet Earth, in scientific terms, the maritime pole of inaccessibility; in short, no land within 2,688 km. The nearest humans are on the International Space Station at an altitude of 300 km, making communication difficult. 4,000 km to the west lie the first New Zealand islands, to the north Pitcairn Island and Easter Island, to the east the Chilean coast, and to the south Antarctica. In short, the vast emptiness of the open sea.
The skippers have already covered 3,820 miles since leaving Sydney on January 1st, with approximately 2,400 miles remaining to reach Valparaiso. The race’s landscape features the often daunting conditions of the Southern Ocean, with massive waves and grey skies presenting significant challenges.
Despite the adversities, competitors are maintaining an impressive average speed of 14.37 knots, setting new records and regularly sailing 400 miles in a single day. The current ranking shows a Belgian team leading by a slim margin of 25 miles.
In addition, BARCO BRASIL is currently positioned favourably among the fleet, while other boats like WILSON and WHISKEY JACK have opted for different strategies to navigate the recent poor weather systems. Meanwhile, the team NEXT GENERATION is preparing to return to the race after necessary repairs.
Mapping to follow the race; click here.
Episode 3, “Reunion Island,” of the GLOBE40 Around the World web series, is available to watch at click here.
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