Stunning Circumnavigation

[SaltyMonkey]

Testosterone Returns to World Record Sailing

July 23, 2010 – Les Sables D'Olonne

"With the flurry of attention over teenage girl circumnavigators having at least temporarily subsided, we’re thrilled to note the successful completion of a very ‘manly’ round-about. Yesterday, 39-year-old French/Italian geologist Alessandro di Benedetto sailed Findomestic back into Les Sables D’Olonne Harbor after a nonstop circumnavigation that took 268 days, 19 hours and 36 minutes. What makes this voyage notable — and a ‘first’ — is not the route or the time. The former is the same racetrack used by Vendée Globe soloists, and the top guys usually complete it in about three months. Di Benedetto’s claim to fame is that he did it on a Mini TransAt boat which, at 21 feet, makes it the smallest boat ever to complete a nonstop circumnavigation....


READ MORE HERE:

Latitude 38 - 'Lectronic Latitude

[barnakiel]

Don't know about the record. Will be easy to beat - just buy a Pogo and chop off an inch, then send a teenage girl to do the rest.

But he did have some great watermaker and energy generating system to run it ... I think Superwind windmill and IQ sol panels.

What make watermaker, anybody?

b.

[clockwork orange]

Thats a pretty good time considering the boat is 21 ft AND he lost his rig 1000 miles from the horn,erected a jury rig and sail half the trip with a greatly reduced sail plan,this guys feat is so far above anything else in recent years its laughable, the guy is a god.
Steve.

[pressuredrop]

Originally Posted by clockwork orange

Thats a pretty good time considering the boat is 21 ft AND he lost his rig 1000 miles from the horn,erected a jury rig and sail half the trip with a greatly reduced sail plan,this guys feat is so far above anything else in recent years its laughable, the guy is a god.
Steve.

AMEN, anyone know if there are some decent pictures of his jury rig floating around?

[dcstrng]

Originally Posted by SaltyMonkey

Di Benedetto’s claim to fame is that he did it on a Mini TransAt boat which, at 21 feet, makes it the smallest boat ever to complete a nonstop circumnavigation....

That’s impressive… so many of the smallish boat voyages are either characterized as expensive publicity stunts or genuinely are in that category; however, this sounds like a serious piece of seamanship in a well thought out effort – not to mention some real-life resourcefulness… I’m a tad ambivalent about all the record-setting going on in the sailing world in recent years, but the fact of the voyage alone is remarkable of itself… if someone comes along in a 22-foot boat and completes a non-record voyage with similar competency that would be impressive too… Hopefully there will eventually follow a more definitive write-up (in English…) or book…

[alanvdh]

You can get more info here: Solo Circumnavigators
Cheers,
Alan

[dcstrng]

Thanks !! Great site... thought I had most of `em, but didn't have that one...