Not that I am a fan, such as the the youngest child to solo cross the Atlantic, or the oldest to circumnavigate, the one to do it with the smallest boat, or with the oldest one, that kind of stuff. Many of these guys are crazy dreamers that are brought back to reality by the stormy sea. Few manage to do what they have proposed to do even if some, against all odds and showing an incredible determination are well succeeded.
Some post back we talked about Yrvind that at 72 years of age wants to circumnavigate non stop with a strange 3.0 m boat (600 days). Yes, pretty crazy, but on his behalf he counts already with several transats in much more fragile and equally tiny boats.
The list of madmen that managed incredible things is a big one, even so a lot smaller then the ones that tried and failed. I will add two recent ones to that list of crazy attempts:
Ivan Dimov that wants to beat Alexandro di Benedetto record regarding circumnavigating non stop on the smallest boat... I don't think he has some real chances of success. Benedetto was, and is, a hell of a sailor, Ivan seems to me someone that wants to beat a record but does not really know what awaits him. Not a big sailing experience and his boat is not as seaworthy as the mini racer from Benedetto (with all special preparation and alterations on it):
Harald Sedlacek, soon of Norbert, a good sailor that made the Vendee globe once, to promote a new material (see previous post) and have chances to have them sponsoring him a true boat for the next vendee, decided to cross the Atlantic (on the two ways) on a 16ft boat made with a volcanic composite. I guess he grossly misjudged the boat sailing abilities and the crazy weather of this unusual year. He had thought as the worst scenario 60 days to cross the Atlantic and had provisions for that.....but the voyage has taken him already 82 days and he has still some days to go.
82 days at sea on that tiny boat is far more difficult than making a Vendee Globe, not only in what regards time but also in what regards comfort, specially because since almost the beginning he has no Autopilot and has to be outside almost all the time sitting on that cramped tiny boat, washed by the sea, steering it. More than 20 days ago I thought he would have to give up but he is one of those that don't know the meaning of the word and now at only 260Nm from Miami I am almost sure he is going to make it....even if I don't understand what he is eating.
If you are nearby on the American East Atlantic coast maybe you would like to welcome Norbert, he surely deserves it. Look at this forest, each tree is a day at the sea, and sure there are a lot of trees!!!
I have to confess my big admiration towards this guy. without food and autopilot, certainly exhausted I thought that at least he was going to make it to the first of the Caribbean Islands, just for provisions, after all he would have crossed the Atlantic anyway and given the conditions nobody would think lesser of him. But no, he was bound to Miami, so no way he is going to stop on the Caribbean, he would make it along most of the Islands till Miami without stopping.
A very determined sailor, to say the least. I am impressed. You can find where Norbert is by following him on this tracker:
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