Summer is already in full spate at the end of December in the Southern Hemisphere. However, bad weather is raging in the extreme south of the American continent, where the trimaran of the circumnavigation expedition of the Tomsk regional branch of the Russian Geographical Society is now located. There, in one of the most dangerous areas of the planet for navigators, freezing Antarctic winds blow, prickly rains fall and huge waves rise with foam crests. In such harsh conditions, brave Russian travelers stormed Cape Horn on December 30. They are going to celebrate the New Year there.
Four days ago, on December 26, the expedition left the harbor of the southernmost city of the Earth — Argentine Ushuaia. Going on a journey to the south, Stanislav Berezkin and Evgeny Kovalevsky recorded New Year's greetings for all compatriots. Our circumnavigators wished the Russians happiness, health, peace, prosperity and interesting travels.
Before storming Cape Horn, the crew of the trimaran entered the harbor of the small Chilean town of Puerto Williams, which is located on Navarino Island on the shore of the Beagle Channel. Initially, Kovalevsky and Berezkin planned to move to the destination not by the traditional route — through the Picton Channel, but by the quieter Murray Channel. However, this route is closed to all vessels except Chilean ones, and the local authorities have not given the Russians permission to pass.
001-05.jpg
For three days the expedition waited for good weather, carefully analyzing the meteorological situation and forecasts. However, the weather forecasters were not encouraging.
"The weather is unenticing indeed. Every day there is a headwind with gusts up to 40-50 knots, even up to 60 knots. We gain opportunities to go in short runs. We will try to leave Puerto Williams on December 30. In a favorable scenario, there is a chance to reach Cape Horn on December 31. And there we will hope that the heavens will help, because the wind is contrary and destructive," admitted Evgeny Kovalevsky.
001-06.jpg
All these three days, the crew carefully prepared their vessel for the decisive, perhaps one of the most difficult stages of the entire circumnavigation. All 11 sections of three inflatable cylinders were pumped with a hand pump, the main sail was replaced with a storm sail, all the tent fasteners were re—tied - it is necessary to minimize the wind getting inside, the anchor and anchor rope were checked, the "operational" clothes were dried. This is exactly how Evgeny Kovalevsky put it, since the circumnavigators are preparing to go to Cape Horn "as to make a breakthrough".
"According to forecasts, in different parts of the short but dangerous ring, the key point of which is Cape Horn, the wind speed on gusts ranges from 45 to 80 knots," Kovalevsky stressed.
001-02.jpg
Four crew members are going to reach the southernmost point of South America: Stanislav Berezkin, Evgeny Kovalevsky, as well as temporary members of the expedition — blogger Oleg Prikhodko from Yekaterinburg and Russian Brazilian Egor Muzileyev. They will be accompanied by a small dog named Pasoka, traveling with Egor.
"Our task is to reach Cape Horn in a day, then we will act according to the weather. Ideally, after taking photos and videos on the cape at the albatross monument, celebrate the New Year and move north in order to have time to break as far as possible through the headwind before it intensifies from January 1 to January 2. Come what may. Good luck to us!" Evgeny Kovalevsky emphasized.
We also wish our circumnavigators good luck! And we will wait for good news from Cape Horn.
4c511a6e-329a-4088-8a6e-87f382ff75e2.jpg
On July 1, 2021, Siberian travelers Evgeny Kovalevsky and Stanislav Berezkin set off along the route of the first Russian round-the-world expeditions of the 19th century: Ivan Kruzenshtern’s (1803-1806), Yuri Lisyansky’s (1803-1806), Otto Kotzebue’s (1815-1818, 1823-1826), Vasily Golovnin’s (1817-1819), Fedor Litke’s (1826-1829), Faddey Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev’s (1819-1921). The international project of the Tomsk Regional Branch of the Russian Geographical Society "Following the paths of Russian explorers" is dedicated to the 250th birthday anniversary of Krusenstern and the 200th anniversary of the discovery of Antarctica by Russian sailors. These events for a long time determined Russia's leadership in the development of the oceans and the discovery of new lands. You can learn more about the project and provide all possible assistance in its implementation on the website of the expedition.
Alexander Zhirnov