Last night from Les Sables-d’olonne in France in the direction to the Arctic ocean left the yacht AAL traveler Innovation of the Austrian Norbert Sedlacek.
Actually about the same started the news we Yacht in Russia has published almost a year ago – July 31, 2018. The same Sedlacek then I went from the same Les Sables d’olonne and headed for Greenland. The aim was alone in AAL Innovation to describe the “eight” – to go through the canadian Northwest passage in the direction “against the grain” (East to West), descend along the West coast of the US to forge, to make a loop around Antarctica, rounded the fearsome Cape twice, then across the Atlantic back to France. The length of the route – 34 000 nautical miles!
Only here a year ago, Sedlacek, passing Ireland, decided to stop the expedition and turned back. Problems arose and the Austrian felt that risk is meaningless: much better getting rid of problems, to start next year.
Here on the evening of 21 July 2019 and started. Good luck to him!
Actually Sedlacek is well known to sailing enthusiasts. Former Vienna motorman alone, without support of some powerful sponsors, was able first to organize a non-stop solo voyage around Antarctica, and then to take part in the race Vendee Globe 2004 (then he had to go the distance), and later (in 2008) is still successfully complete the race (11th place out of 30 participants). And here is a new project: “eight” around the globe. Project name – Ant Arctic Lab.
For the project (we wrote about it a year ago) Norbert built himself a new yacht – like, IMOCA 60, but really not an ordinary IMOCA. Yacht AAL Innovation constructed from basalt fibers – inorganic material obtained from the melt of some natural minerals. It has its constructive advantages, for example, conventional E-glass, but mostly for Norbert is (as he declares) by the following fact: the ability to subsequently (after the operation) completely rework the boat into secondary raw materials (basalt fiber allows for recycling and reuse).
This type of construction material has already been tried in yachts: son Norbert, Harald – without technical problems crossed the Atlantic on a small (4.90 meters) ahtoska built of basalt fibers.
There is also one more innovation: in front of the keel AAL Innovation installed a special “cfootball”, which, according to the yachtsman, needs to prevent injuries caused by the keel of large marine mammals with possible collisions. This detail and the use of unusual construction material made AAL Innovation about two tons heavier than the “normal” Open 60 of the last generation.
But this yacht also almost with good reason – called “steadfast”.
The website travel –
