Definition of Round the World?

[BlueSkyNick]

All this stuff about Ellen, not to mention the Vendee Globe and Global Challenge, begs the question of the route.

For example, if Ellen started from Sydney, Auckland, Durban, or anywhere else in the Southern Hemisphere, she could still circumnavigate the planet by crossing all longitudes, but in a lot less time.

So who says anybody has to start from UK or France, then?

<hr width=100% size=1>Tide and time wait for no man.

 

[Bergman]

I think the convention is that you have to cross the equator twice as well as all lines of longitude.

Suppose starting just nth of equator would be best place for quick time although the start line for Ellen was Lizard - Ushant. Perhaps thats a sort of standard.

Looks much more impressive on Mercator projection than on polar view - although pretty impressive trip from any view - I wouldn't fancy it certainly not single handed in a boat that size.

Hope she makes it OK

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[fireball]

Perhaps a new definition of RTW should be made including a trip up north in the pacific ... any suitable marks to go round?

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[Ships_Cat]

There are certainly some precedents for what you suggest.

When USS Triton did it submerged (about 60 days) they followed Magellen's route which took them, if I recall correctly, past Guam and the Phillipines. For The Race (the millennium one) the boats had to go through Cook Strait rather than the shortest possible between Cape of Good Hope and Cape Horn.

More trans equatorial crossings might start making the time around more of a gamble for sailboats though.

John

<hr width=100% size=1>I am the cat but I am only 6.

 

[fireball]

I just thought it would actually make for a more challenging race ... being as the current RTW are just go south, hang a left (or right) round antartica and back up ... (just!!) might make it more interesting for these large bugdet boats ... ok .. perhaps not! Just a thought really!

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[tcm]

yep. it's something like all lines of longitude, and two corresponding antipodes.

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[Ships_Cat]

<<<two corresponding antipodes>>>

Could a sail around NZ and Australia count? - as long as we correspond ;-)

John

<hr width=100% size=1>I am the cat but I am only 6.

 

[tcm]

what a very catty cat you are this evening! No! I meant two opposing points of the globe. NOT two places often referred to as "the antipodes" cos they are simply miles away from all civilisation (NZ/Oz hence excluded from this definition)

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[Ships_Cat]

Awww. My eyes were big round orbs in anticipation of a quick record, but now gone back to little vertical slitty things, and am now crawling away on all 4 elbows /forums/images/icons/frown.gif.

John

<hr width=100% size=1>I am the cat but I am only 6.

 

[Koeketiene]

I've been to Antarctica & walked round the flagpole that marks the South Pole, so technically I've been round the world.

Thinks you have to cross the equator twice to qualify as a RTW trip.

<hr width=100% size=1>Experience is a good teacher, but she sends in terrific bills.

 

[Shakey]

If you've stood at the South Pole, then everywhere you looked must have been 'Oop North'.

Was it grim?

<hr width=100% size=1>It could have been worse - it could have been me.

 

[Colin_S]

Don't suppose you took a set of scales and weighed yourself while you were there? Always wondered if you weigh more at the poles than on the equator.

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[Keen_Ed]

Well, the World Speed Sailing Record Council definition of Round the World is:

To sail around the World, a vessel must start from and return to the same point, must cross all meridians of longitude and must cross the Equator. It may cross some but not all meridians more than once (i.e., two roundings of Antarctica do not count). The orthodromic track of the vessel must be at least 21,600 nautical miles in length. In calculating this distance, it is to be assumed that the vessel will sail around Antarctica in latitude 63 degrees south. A vessel starting in the Southern Hemisphere has to round an island or other fixed point in the Northern Hemisphere that will satisfy the minimum distance requirement.



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[Jeremy_W]

I blame the Sunday Times!

The first sailing race around the World was the Sunday Times "Golden Globe" which started and finished in England. When Fougeron and Moitessier threatened to depart from France the ST relented and allowed departures from anywhere North of, I think, 45N. But after a seriously alcoholic weekend in France Murray Sayle persuaded Moitessier to leave from England. As the next two RTW races, the Whitbread and the FT, started in England too, a Northern Hemisphere start became accepted.

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