Challenging Southern Ocean Sailing

When it comes to the solo sailors who have reached the Southern Ocean, they have numerous challenges before them including a series of low-pressure systems. They will have to deal with for a month or more. They will sail the islands of Tristan da Cunha and Cough.

Then they will reach Cape Horn. They have to sail around 12,000 miles. And they will be sailing along the wall of ice. Without any doubt, this is one of the toughest parts of the rough Indian Ocean. Same goes for the long Pacific swell as well.

However, that’s not the end of all. They still have to cover 7,000 miles. They will head to the coast of South America first and then to the North Atlantic. Finally, they will see the South Nouch Buoy, which is the finishing line. And that summarizes the challenges faced by the Vendee Globe sailors.

What makes it most challenging is that, in the space of a less than a month, they have to deal with extreme climates. They have to deal with the icy conditions in the Antarctic. Then they have to deal with the tropical downpours.

They also have to deal with the extreme heat of the equator. Last but not least, they must deal with the cold weather in Vendee – this is nothing like when you Charter a Yacht in Kastela! As far as the whole round the world voyage is concerned, the Southern Ocean represents nearly 3/5th of the total distance. They have to constantly deal with low-pressure systems one after another. They will be dealing with the low pressure systems in New Zealand, Madagascar and Brazil.

They have to constantly deal with the succession of downwind scenarios. For example, it is hard to deal with the North Westerly winds. It is equally tough to handle the extreme Westerly Squalls. Last but not least, it’s never easy when it comes to the icy South Westerly. For a solo sailor, this can be really challenging and demanding. Same is the case for their boats.