08/25/08

Great Adventures, Small Catamaran

Brazilian Roberto Pandiani and South African Duncan Ross have crossed the Drake Passage aboard an open 21-foot sailing catamaran named ‘Satellite’.  The Drake Passage is the body of water between Cape Horn and the Antarctic Peninsula.  This is some of the most notorious and roughest ocean in the world.  

Photo:  Julio Fiadi

Photo:  Gui Von Schmidt

The pair of adventurers sailed a highly modified cat based on a Hobie 21 hull with high tech reinforcement from Carbon Fiber and Kevlar over a 12mm Divinycell foam core.   

Pandiani and Ross faced a variety of conditions from dead calms to winds of 25 knots and waves over 15 feet.  While the sailors had a support vessel following their course for emergencies, this was no Sunday joy ride.  There were major physical challenges to overcome including seasickness, freezing air and ice-cold water temperatures.  The worst weather would come on the leg to the Melchior Archipelago, 120 miles of sailing.  A deceiving weather forecast predicted winds of 4 to 8 knots but Satellite faced 37-knot winds on this leg.  Rolling white water on the tops of a long-range swell from the west met a wind generated swell from the NE to produce an unenviable sea condition.  Between dodging floating ice and a near collision with a whale, it is amazing that this team accomplished this remarkable feat.

Much more information and an opportunity to donate to the adventurers fund can be found at the team’s website:  Travessia do Drake.