ANTARCTIC NON-GOVERNMENT ACTIVITY NEWS
Tourism Industry |
Brief news items on Antarctic and sub-Antarctic
non-government expedition activities.
ANAN 71
Wednesday, 24 April 2002
News in this edition:
MAXI-CAT, COOK REPLICA, ROUND THE HORN, HEAD NORTH
[ANAN-71/01]
The 'Jules Verne' maxi-catamaran 'Orange', and 'Endeavour', the replica of 18th Century explorer Captain James Cook's ship, rounded Cape Horn last week after eventful voyages across the sub-Antarctic South Pacific Ocean. Both craft are now headed north up the Atlantic Ocean, 'Orange' to continue its attempt on the 'Jules Verne' record, while 'Endeavour' is heading for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
'Orange' passed Cape Horn on the morning of 13 April, just 12 days and 19 hours after it crossed the longitude of Cape Leeuwin, mainland Australia's most south-western point (ANAN-70/03, 10 April 2002), and setting a new record time for that route. Suitable wind and sea conditions made the fast passage possible, the catamaran averaging close to 20 knots over the 9,100 km and at one point making 39.7 knots.
Passage eastwards from Cape Leeuwin was made in the region between latitudes 50 degrees and 57 degrees south. A close watch was kept for icebergs during the entire journey from Cape Leeuwin. With half of the transit being made at night, a constant radar and lookout watch was maintained for ice of any kind. 'Orange' slowly worked southwards towards the latitude of the Horn as it moved eastwards, however, only one iceberg was seen, it being some 2,600 km west of the Cape in latitude 56 degrees south.
'Orange' passed Cape Horn almost exactly six weeks after starting its journey and in a time 3-4 days faster than 'Jules Verne' trophy holder 'Sport Elec' when it set the current 71-day record in 1997. While it is currently well placed to break the record and claim the trophy, Orange's speed has fallen as it approaches the more fickle wind conditions in the vicinity of the Equator. The 37-m craft needs to complete its circumnavigation of the globe by 12 May if it is to claim the 'Jules Verne' trophy.
In contrast to the catamaran, 'Endeavour' travelled east towards Cape Horn from Bluff, New Zealand, at speeds around 6-7 knots. 'Endeavour' finally passed the Horn on 16 April, 37 days after leaving Bluff, being delayed for almost a week north-west of the Cape in unsuitable wind conditions.
The vessel had been forced northwards by a severe storm as it approached the Horn. At one stage it was too close to the western entrance to the Straits of Magellan and had to head westwards to ensure it maintained sufficient sea room between it and the coast. After it rounded the Cape, 'Endeavour' headed for Stanley in the Falkland Islands where it made a brief visit last weekend. It is now en route to Rio de Janeiro.
Plans for a new yacht race that would see competitors circumnavigate Antarctica in high southern latitudes in identical 25-m craft, are currently being developed by a group of experienced Australian yachtsmen. If it goes ahead, the event, which is being called the 'Antarctica Cup', could offer a prize pool of around $US6m, a figure organisers claim would make it the richest yachting contest in the world.
The race, which could be held every two years and involve up to 15 yachts, is to be based in the south-west Australian city of Fremantle. From there, competitors would sail passed Cape Leeuwin, mainland Australia's most south-western point, before heading south and eastwards around Antarctica, primarily between latitudes 50 degrees and 60 degrees south as dictated by weather conditions.
Indications are that race rules will require the yachts to pass within sight of Cape Horn and then move north to the vicinity of the Cape of Good Hope, before they return to Fremantle to end the race some 45 days after setting out.
Compared with other global circumnavigation yacht races, the course is relatively short, at just over 23,000 km. Publicity material prepared for the race says that it will be of "high risk and gruelling" and that it is "an event for people who want a real adventure in their life". The experience of numerous 'around-the-world' sailing races or events that have passed through southern waters over the past two decades bear out that contention (ANAN-66/05, 13 February 2002).
Organisers say, however, that they have "addressed safety issues" for the Cup and that they are "confident no incidents" will occur. Few details of these arrangements have yet been released, although limiting competitors to latitude 60 degrees south will reduce, but not diminish, the risk that the fleet will encounter ice. Also, running the event at the height of the austral summer means that darkness will be limited to only a few hours each day over much of the journey.
Entry fee for the proposed race is put at around $US4.4m. For that, each syndicate is provided with, and then owns, one of the identical 25-m craft to be used in the race. As all are to be built near Fremantle, if the event is run every two years as currently envisaged, it could be a significant stimulus for the boat-building industry in that region.
The winner of the event could receive around $US2.4m out of a total prize pool of $US6m, while some $US100,000 would be won by the 'winner' of each of the three legs of the race between the major Capes. Given the high cost of entry, even the winner cannot expect to cover the costs involved, therefore each competing group will require major commercial sponsorship or other support if they are to take part in the race.
Race organisers say that they are hoping to run the first 'Antarctic Cup' in December-January 2004-05. They anticipate holding a meeting in July this year in Fremantle with all potential competitors in the race to "work up" final arrangements for the event. A second race is currently possible in 2006-07.
Please forward notice of events via e-mail to: tourism@aad.gov.au. Up-dates are made to ANAN's web site at: http://www.antdiv.gov.au/goingsouth/tourism/Research/BibConf/Confer/default.asp as soon as new information comes to hand.
YEAR 2002
29-30 April (Aspen, United States)
IAATO intersessional meeting on Antarctic tourism (see ANAN-69/01, 27 March 2002)
Contact: iaato@iaato.org (Denise Landau)(invitation required).
1-5 July (Cambridge, U.K.)
IAATO year 2002 annual meeting.
Contact: iaato@iaato.org (Denise Landau)(invitation required).
15-19 July (Shanghai, China)
COMNAP XIV (including the sub-committee on Tourism and Non-Government Operations).
Contact: jsayers@comnap.aq (Jack Sayers).
15-26 July (Shanghai, China).
XXVII SCAR (Scientific Committee for Antarctic Research).
10-20 September (Warsaw, Poland)
Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting XXV
YEAR 2003
4-11 January (South Geographic Pole)
High Plateau Marathon (ANAN-65/02, 30 January 2002).
Contact: general@adventure-network.com
3 March (King George Island, Antarctica)
Sixth Antarctic Marathon and Half Marathon (ANAN-68/09, 13 March 2002).
Contact: marathon@shore.net (Thom Gilligan).
July [Dates to be set] (Seattle, United States).
IAATO year 2003 annual meeting.
Contact: iaato@iaato.org (Denise Landau)(invitation required).
24 November (Queen Mary and Dronning Maud Land regions).
Total solar eclipse (See ANAN-61/09, 5 December 2001).
Next edition issued on Wednesday, 8 May 2002 @ 0600 UTC.
Deadline for items: Sunday, 5 May 2002 @ 2359 UTC.
ANTARCTIC NON-GOVERNMENT ACTIVITY NEWS (ANAN)
IN READING PLEASE NOTE: This newsletter is produced in the interest of improved information sharing in the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic community. Inclusion of information in it should not be taken to imply endorsement, by the publishers of ANAN News, of any company, program or associated activity that is listed, nor that the activity has necessarily completed all environmental impact assessments required under the legislation of the 'home' nation concerned.
Links provided in ANAN stories are working at the time of first publication.
AVAILABLE ON LINE TWENTY-FOUR HOURS A DAY:
ANAN archive (including this issue with its built in links):
http://www.antdiv.gov.au/goingsouth/tourism/News/default.asp
Coming events related to non-governmental activity:
http://www.antdiv.gov.au/goingsouth/tourism/Research/BibConf/Confer/default.asp
Links to tourist industry web sites:
http://www.antdiv.gov.au/goingsouth/tourism/Industry/default.asp
EDITOR: Dave Moser (David.Moser@aad.gov.au).
POSTAL: Australian Antarctic Division, Kingston, Tasmania, Australia 7054
TELEPHONE: +61-3-6232-3347 (2200-0600 UTC).
FACSIMILE: +61-3-6232-3357.
RESEARCH/WRITING: Martin Betts (Martin.Betts@aad.gov.au)
TELEPHONE/FACSIMILE: +61-3-6267-4790 (2200-1100 UTC).
FACSIMILE: +61-3-6232-3500.
© Commonwealth of Australia 2002
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