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Photo: Francisco Vignale/MAPFRE/Volvo Ocean Race |
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Photo: Stefan Coppers / Team Brunel / Volvo Ocean Race |
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Photo: Anna-Lena Elled / Team SCA / Volvo Ocean Race |
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Photo: Yann Riou / Dongfeng Race Team / Volvo Ocean Race |
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Photo: Amory Ross / Team Alvimedica / Volvo Ocean Race |
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Photo: Ainhoa Sanchez / Volvo Ocean Race |
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Photo: Ainhoa Sanchez / Volvo Ocean Race |
In all, the boats will sail nine legs and visit 11 ports. They finish the race on June 27 in Gothenburg, Sweden. Everything you need to know about Cape Horn
They said it: Cape Horn "is enough to make a landsman dream for a week about shipwrecks, peril and death" - Charles Darwin.
Something to write home about. Cape Horn, close to the southern-most tip of South America, is regarded by sailors as the most iconic and feared landmark in the world.
What makes it so challenging? It's cold, it's bleak and it's dangerous. It's home to biblical storms and gale force winds, making visibility difficult. Lying just 500 miles from Antarctica, look out for the odd iceberg too.
Making history. The first to make it around was Dutch mariner Willem Schouten, who named it after Hoorn, his hometown in the north of the Netherlands. Only the toughest. Even today, more people have reached the summit of Everest than have sailed around Cape Horn.
Middle of nowhere. The need for ships to round Cape Horn was greatly reduced by the opening of the Panama Canal in 1914, which makes a modern-day visit there even more special. There are no commercial routes around the Horn, and modern ships are rarely seen.
Location, location, location. Set your sat nav to 55°58′48″S 067°17′21″W.
Lest we forget. On Hoorn island, there's a large sculpture by Chilean artist José Balcells featuring an albatross in remembrance of the sailors who died while attempting to round the Horn.
Rich traditions. Sailors celebrate a successful rounding of Cape Horn in many ways, including lighting up cigars and pouring a small bottle of alcohol into the sea to toast those who didn't make it, and thank King Neptune for a safe passage.
Waves bigger than houses. The strong winds of the Southern Ocean mean equally large waves, and, free of any interruption from land, these waves roll at a great height, some even 30m tall. But south of the Horn, the waves become shorter and steeper, which can be a nightmare for passing boats.
Gold rush. During the 1800s, Cape Horn was deemed so dangerous that the Spanish dragged their plundered gold across land rather than risk shipping it around the landmark. The current has thrown many sailors and ships onto the rocks.
Permanent reminders. Those who have successfully made it around the landmark are entitled to wear a gold hoop earring in whichever ear passed closest to Cape Horn. Also, if you see someone with a tattoo of a full-rigged ship, give him a pat on the back. According to maritime tradition, it means he’s been around the Horn.
Volvo Ocean Race Media
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