1000 days at sea??

I have been a Reid Stowe skeptic.  

When I heard his pitch at a New York maritime event "If we don't think humans can spend 1000 days non stop at sea, how can we expect astronauts to spend 1000 days in a tiny capsule in space?", and saw the girl at his elbow, and saw his unromantic steel schooner Anne at the 23rd St. RR barge - I thought the real objective was to set the Guinness record for man alone at sea with a woman half his age.  And when he set off with novice crew I was sure, but Soanya proved herself game, if not up to the whole voyage, departing off Perth after 300 some days.  

Reid has continued on his own sailing idly across oceans, contemplating the meaning of it all.  Now at New Years 2009, day 618 he was approaching Cape Horn, with tales of gales and repairs, and still dreaming his dreams. 

He may not be much of a philosopher but he's proven he's a hell of a sailor. You can follow his voyage and his musings at 1000days.net

Vendee - Desjoyeaux First Around the Horn

      At 0310 this morning (UTC), leader Michel Desjoyeaux on Foncia rounded Cape Horn after 56 days, 15 hours and 08 minutes of racing — a little faster than the time taken in 2004 to reach the Horn (56d 17h 13’), even though this year’s route has been extended by some 1200 miles.

Foncia is the first boat to exit the Pacific and enter the Atlantic Ocean — and begin the final climb north to the finish line. Mich Desj passed just a couple of miles off the coast of the fearsome landmark, reporting squalls of 35-40 knots, gusting 45, at around midnight in local, Chilean time – his path flagged by the famous lighthouses on the rocks. However, on rounding the tip of South America Foncia is experiencing flatter seas. After a strong NW'ly wind this weekend, the leaders are being greeted by a 20-25 knot westerly, likely to ease further as a high pressure zone develops off the tip of Patagonia.  For more go to VendeeGlobe.org/en