List the sailors who have circumnavigated the world via the three capes
In 1969, Robin Knox-Johnston became the first sailor to complete a single-handed, non-stop circumnavigation of the world via the three capes. And as with every circumnavigation of the globe, Cape Horn - a mythical cape located at the tip of South America - marked the exit from the South Seas, but above all the return to the Atlantic, and thus the near end of the circumnavigation.
In 2020, 155 sailors will have completed a single-handed, non-stop circumnavigation of the globe and 141 with stopovers, passing through the three capes. To pay tribute to them, the International Association of Cape Horners (IACH) has decided to establish a register of these men and women who have achieved this feat.
To establish this "Cape Hornier" register, the association has relied on lists held by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the DH historian "Nobby" Clarke, the World Sailing Speed Record Council and other information from literature and the public domain.
"To compile a list of all the sailors who have sailed around the world alone, with or without stopovers, was a huge task. This is a very important part of the history of navigation and I hope that many more names will be added over time." explains Jean-Luc Van Den Heede, who has sailed a total of 10 Cape Horn passages, including the last one in the Golden Globe Race 2018.
Who's on inscrit??
All those who have sailed around the world via Cape Horn are invited to join the association - in return for a membership fee of £20 per year. They will then receive an official certificate.
Specifically, this certificate will be available to all those who circumnavigate Cape Horn under sail in a non-stop passage of at least 3?000 nautical miles that passes over the latitude of 52° South in both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans and is completed without the use of engines for propulsion. Members already include Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, Sir Chay Blyth, Don McIntyre, Tracy Edwards and Jean Luc Van Den Heede.
Participants in the Whitbread and Ocean Race (ex Volvo Ocean Race), Sir Chay Blyth's Global Challenge, the Jules Verne Trophy, the Vendée Globe, the Five Oceans, the Barcelona World Race and the Golden Globe races will be able to register. Membership is also open to those who have sailed around this famous cape under sail out of the race.
"Those who qualify for AICH membership will have circumnavigated the Horn after a long, arduous and most likely dangerous journey under sail. To be a member is a singular honour. I urge all those who are eligible to join this special association of sailors", said the Earl of Portsmouth, the new President of the Association.
Round the world records
The single-handed, non-stop round-the-world sailing record is currently held by François Gabart. In 2017, aboard the trimaran Macif, he completed his circumnavigation in 42 days 16h 40' 3". In the Vendée Globe, the record is held by Armel le Cléac'h in 74 days on his IMOCA Banque Populaire in the last edition 2016/2017. Finally, the Jules Verne Trophy is still in the hands of Francis Joyon and his crew - since 2017 - on the trimaran Idec Sport in 40 d 23 h 30 min 30 s.
The oldest single-handed circumnavigator is the Australian Bill Hatfield, who at 79 years of age, completed an east-west circumnavigation of the world on his 11.58m monohull L'Eau Commotion in 2018, in 414 days. The youngest is fellow Australian Jessica Watson, who in 2010, at the age of 16, completed a non-stop single-handed round the world voyage in the southern hemisphere via the Three Great Capes in her 10.23m Ella's Pink Lady yacht, but failed to cover the 21?600 nm, the orthodromic distance set by the WSSRC to require a full circumnavigation.
