How long does it take to complete one circumnavigation?

[Wckoek]

I have just read about Eilco Kasemier's boat Bylgia II, just shy of 40 feet is the smallest powerboat to have completed a circumnavigation at under 7 months.
I think he stopped only in between for fueling and provisions.


I wondered for those who have circumnavigated, how long does it take for you to complete a circumnavigation?

[Pete7]

I always thought the bet was 80 days

[GordMay]

How long is a piece of string?

The first around the world [circumnavigation] sailing record was by Juan Sebastián Elcano, and the remaining members of Ferdinand Magellan's crew, who completed their journey in 1522, aboard “Victoria”. Their journey took about three years.

These circumnavigation records stand correct as of June 2020:
The current holder, for a crewed yacht, is Francis Joyon, who completed the route in 40 days, 23 hours, 30 minutes and 30 seconds. He set this record on his yacht “IDEC Sport”, in January 2017.
The record, for a single-handed multihull was set by François Gabart, who completed the route in 42 days 16 hours 40 minutes and 35 seconds, on his yacht “Macif”, in December 2017.
The record, for a single-handed monohull was Armel Le Cléac'h, the same man who also holds the single-handed East to West transatlantic sailing record. Le Cléac'h completed this route in 74 days, 3 hours and 35 minutes on the monohull “Banque Populaire VIII”, in January 2017.

Is the "Jules Vern" trophy awarded to anyone completing the journey, in under 80 days? IDK.

[sanibel sailor]

A little under 41 days, although most take longer.

In 2017, trimaran IDEC 3 with sailors: Francis Joyon, Alex Pella, Clément Surtel, Gwénolé Gahinet, Sébastien Audigane and Bernard Stamm completes the fastest circumnavigation of the globe ever; in 40 days, 23 hours, 30 minutes and 30 seconds. The voyage followed the North Atlantic Ocean, Equator, South Atlantic Ocean, Southern Ocean, South Atlantic Ocean, Equator, North Atlantic Ocean route in an easterly direction.

Cornell’s World Cruising Routes lays out itineraries for 2 and 3 year plans.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by Pete7

I always thought the bet was 80 days

93 minutes if you're on the ISS.

[LittleWing77]

Just from the scuttlebutt I've shared with fellow sailors over the years, a lot start off by allocating a year, but once they've settled into the travelling, the lifestyle, they end up taking anywhere from 2-3 years up to 7 years... and beyond.

For me, crossing a large chunk of the South Pacific alone took 7 months and we felt we rushed through some places that we would have loved to stay longer.

Cheers,
LittleWing77

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by StuM

93 minutes if you're on the ISS.

Close enough, for me, but it's not quite that simple.
Each orbit of the International Space Station take betweens 90-93 minutes, depending on the exact altitude of the ISS.
The ISS orbital altitude drops gradually, over time, due to the Earth's gravitational pull, and atmospheric drag. Periodic reboosts adjust the ISS orbit. As the ISS orbital altitude decays, the orbit tracks on Earth change slightly, shifting to the west, by approximately 22.9° of longitude (measured as the position where the orbit crosses the equator).

[carstenb]

Originally Posted by LittleWing77

Just from the scuttlebutt I've shared with fellow sailors over the years, a lot start off by allocating a year, but once they've settled into the travelling, the lifestyle, they end up taking anywhere from 2-3 years up to 7 years... and beyond.

For me, crossing a large chunk of the South Pacific alone took 7 months and we felt we rushed through some places that we would have loved to stay longer.

Cheers,
LittleWing77

we set off 5 years ago and have made it about half-way as of now. Not sure when we will be back in Denmark

[Paul L]

Assuming you are referring to cruising boats, the World Arc Rally schedule is about as fast as is practical, at 15 months. Many drop out of that rally because it is just too quick. You primarily have time to fix your boat, reprovision and do a few touristy things at each port. The rally boats typically have crew onboard, not just Mom and Pop that you see on cruising boats,
Cruisers doing it at a reasonable pace take 3-5 years up to pretty much anything. We are 3/4s around and have been cruising 11 years.

[belizesailor]

Why do people want to sail around the world anyway? Because its round-ish?


Well...its taken me 17 years to get from Florida to Panama on my boat. Obviously by the scenic route. Ive sailed some long legs in other regions on OPBs too, but at this rate I dont think I will live long enough to finish a complete circumnav. Of course, I never set out with that as s goal so thats OK.

That is antithetical to the aparrent goal of the ARC crowd, which is to get around once as quickly as possible without experiencing much...really, an aircraft would be a better choice for that objective.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by sanibel sailor

A little under 41 days, although most take longer.

In 2017, trimaran IDEC 3 with sailors: Francis Joyon, Alex Pella, Clément Surtel, Gwénolé Gahinet, Sébastien Audigane and Bernard Stamm completes the fastest circumnavigation of the globe ever; in 40 days, 23 hours, 30 minutes and 30 seconds. The voyage followed the North Atlantic Ocean, Equator, South Atlantic Ocean, Southern Ocean, South Atlantic Ocean, Equator, North Atlantic Ocean route in an easterly direction.

Cornell’s World Cruising Routes lays out itineraries for 2 and 3 year plans.

Also impressive is the single handed record of 42 days, 16hrs, 40mins and 35secs.

Man, thats hard core.

https://www.yachtsandyachting.com/ne...olo-RTW-record

[sanibel sailor]

From the article... "Gabart becomes the fourth person to hold the record after Joyon, Ellen MacArthur and Coville"


That leaves out a lot of people who solo'd prior to these four.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by GordMay

As the ISS orbital altitude decays, the orbit tracks on Earth change slightly, shifting to the west, by approximately 22.9° of longitude (measured as the position where the orbit crosses the equator).

You are incorrectly conflating two entirely different issues.
The orbit track only changes by fractions of a degree because of orbital decay.


That approximate 22.9° shift has nothing to do with orbital decay, it's because the earth is rotating at 360° per day beneath the ISS which is in a fixed orbit about the Earth's centre..
Roughly: Assume the ISS's orbit around the centre of the earth takes 90 minutes. That is 16 orbits per day. The Earth is rotating under the ISS at 360° per day or 360/16 = 22.5° per orbit.


(Incidentally, that 22.9° = 15.72 orbits per day or 91.6 minutes per orbit which is right in the middle of your 90-93 minutes )

[donradcliffe]

It took me 15 years, but I was more interested in visiting places than setting speed records.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by donradcliffe

It took me 15 years, but I was more interested in visiting places than setting speed records.

15 years? Pfft... we left SFO in 1986 and have only made it as far as Tasmania. Done a lot of circles in the S Pacific, though. The urge to circumnavigate, never really strong, has weakened further... doubt if we will make it now, but that's ok with me. Our motto is if you are having a good time where you are, why leave?

Jim