One of the more common questions I get is "why would you want to do the voyage nonstop?" What kind of a person would want to leave the comfort and safety of home to sail around the world and not stop to enjoy the sights? There are many reasons I am planning the voyage nonstop, and I will try to briefly explain some of them here.
To complete any passage from one port to another gives the sailor a great satisfaction in knowing their vessel and themselves were up to the task. The ultimate passage would be one that goes all the way around the world. Instead of going from one port to another, you leave from one point and go all the way around the world to get back. In between, there are hundreds of days at sea, calms and gales, albatross, and a wake that is 27,000 miles long. What could be simpler;
One Boat
One Sailor
Three Oceans
27,000 Miles
You head south until it's freezing cold and keep the Great Capes to Port. Of course, what sounds so great now probably will lose some of its appeal in a force ten storm!
When I initially imagined sailing around the world, it wasn't
the Roaring Forties that I thought of, but the exotic landfalls and and coral atolls of paradise. But, to sail around the world at my age one usually does not have thousands of dollars to invest in a boat and equipment. This situation lead me to one of the more difficult parts of being a modern day adventurer; the quest for sponsorship. So many people have sailed around via the trade wind route that the solo sailing society has lost count. However, only 100 or so have sailed solo, nonstop, and unassisted around the world. This voyage presents one of the greatest challenges today. For me to make a voyage worthy of sponsorship, it needs to be something a bit different from the norm. As they say, if you're not living on the edge you are taking up too much space. I think this trip will qualify for living on the edge!
Cheers,
Ryan