Open 85 yacht “Trading Network Alye Parusa” is on the final stretch to Cape Horn – less then 400 miles to go. Fedor set up a corridor of 30 n.miles between 56’30 and 57’00 South and keep the boat within this boundaries, gybeing every time the boat gets to the boarders. The wind is shifting within S-W N-W and the boat sailing 070 or 120 COG.
Fedor reported heavy snow and gusty winds, it may be considered a snow blizzard but snow melts once it reaches the ocean surface although you collect some snow in the cockpit corners. Visibility on deck is extremely poor and who knows are there any icebergs around – the radar is On.
The waves become shorter but traveling at very fast pace. Southern Ocean is streaming into narrow gap between Southern America and Antarctica – Drake Passage. The ocean current here is above 3 knots.
The forecast is typical for Cape Horn approach:
11/00: WNW 30
11/06: WNW 30-35 gust 40 knots
11/18: WNW/NW 35-40 gust 50
12/00: WNW 40-45 gust 55
12/06: WSW 35-40 gust 45
Apparently with this weather system Fedor will round Cape Horn for the 4 time in his life and 2 times on board Open 85 “Trading Network Alye Parusa”. Fedor reported that conditions “good and workable – it could be worse”.