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Fedor is off! Sailing around the world - and over Antarctica
Nov 26, 2004 16: 35 EST
Wednesday, November 24, Fedor Konyukhov 53, started his round the world single-handed non-stop sail. He headed west to the Atlantic Ocean on a 85 ft Open maxi boat from Falmouth Bay (Cornwall, England). The trip will take around 120 days.
One of world's greatest all-round explorer's
This Russian gets the all around, all-star Explorers badge. Let's go through his tick list: An unsupported South Pole ski, supported North Pole crossing (three NP trips all together), crossed the Atlantic 12 times, once in a rowboat, climbed Everest and the rest of the seven summits, three circumnavigations of the world in a sailboat (once against the prevailing winds, and once in a solo race around the world), traveled from Vladivostok to St Petersburg by bike, an Iditarod, and rode the Great Silk Path on a camel.
Where am I, who am I?
Some search for the meaning of life in a book, others at church, for Fedor, he appears convinced it's somewhere hidden in the most inaccessible places on earth.
"I am searching for an explanation for the sense of life through my journeys. I want to know why man is born, grows, lives through many difficulties, gets married, has children and then dies. The same is true for his children."
Oceanrowing record
Following this trip, Fedor will go straight to Greenland to run tests on a specially designed iceboat he plans to use for an Antarctic crossing. He figures that a, "crossing of Greenland Island will be the best preparation for Antarctica and great adventure itself."
The same folks in the UK that built his Ocean Rowing boat built the iceboat. Back in 2002 he set the current solo, unassisted record for an Atlantic Ocean row, 46 days and 4 hours - and he was over 50 years old.
Antarctic crossing
Just because he has completed many adventures before does it mean that the Antarctic crossing will be a walk in the park. Just recently a couple of folks brought their iceboat down to Antarctica to go from the Pole to the Coast.
This craft was even conceived by a retired Formula 1 car designer. They had to abort simply because they had no wind! Something tells us lack of wind won't entirely stop Fedor in his tracks - he's probably got a towline and some crampons so he can lug the thing across if all else fails!
Fedor Konyukhov was born December 12, 1951, in a family of fishermen in Priazovye, at Azov sea. He is a distant sailing captain and a yacht captain who has covered more than 150,000 nautical miles solo by sail. He is also an honorable resident of the city of Nakhodka (Primorsk Region, Russia), the city of Terni (Italy), and the village of Bergin (Kalmykia, Russia).
Image of Fedor courtesy of his website.
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| Fedor - less than a week to go! Jun 3, 2005 | | Saito San - closing in on home and record! Jun 2, 2005 | | Atlantic Four: And they are off! Jun 1, 2005 | | Ollie - is anybody out there? May 31, 2005 | | ExplorersWeb Week in Review May 30, 2005 | | And they are off! May 27, 2005 | | Ellen gives transatlantic record a second battle May 27, 2005 | | Vagabond update - Polar bears, 200 candles and ice melting in Inglefieldbukta May 26, 2005 | | ExWeb interview - Atlantic Four: "It was all about persuading our wives" May 25, 2005 | | Iridium: "Invalid battery - matches found, 0" May 24, 2005 |
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