The Arctic has lost so much ice that now people want to race yachts through it
Source: Washington Post
This year, weve seen yet another Arctic milestone sea ice covering the top of the world reached the lowest maximum extent yet observed in winter, when ice is at its peak. That means that in the last four years, Arctic sea ice has seen a new low both for its seasonal winter peak (in 2015) and for its summer minimum (in 2012).
We often hear about how damaging this will be to Arctic ecosystems and cultures but many people see new opportunities in a less icy Arctic. Its not just shipping and industry, its also competitors and adventurers. One case in point: Sailing the Arctic Race, an extreme yacht race that is being proposed for the summer-fall of 2017, when crews would race 7,700 miles through the fabled Northwest Passage on a trip from New York to Victoria, British Columbia via the top of the world.
The more ice thats being melted, the more free water is there for us to be sailing, says Robert Molnar, a lifelong sailor, entrepreneur, and the founder and CEO of the race. Normally we should not be able to do that, but we can.
The race lists, among its partners, Harken, a major U.S. based maker of sailboat gear. But its also drawn skepticism in sailing circles Mark Pillsbury, the editor of the sailing magazine Cruising World, recently called the idea ambitious and improbable.
Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/04/08/the-arctic-has-melted-so-much-that-people-want-to-race-yachts-through-the-northwest-passage/?tid=sm_fb
jtuck004
(15,882 posts)LiberalFighter
(51,170 posts)OnlinePoker
(5,727 posts)They should be required to pay a rescue bond before setting out on anything like this, refundable if not used.
Elmer S. E. Dump
(5,751 posts)Dont call me Shirley
(10,998 posts)Brother Buzz
(36,478 posts)They need to move the finish line to San Francisco so the record can be broken...again.
Within six weeks of launch Flying Cloud sailed from New York and made San Francisco 'round Cape Horn in 89 days, 21 hours under the command of Captain Josiah Perkins Creesy. In July, during the trip, she ran the following nautical mileage, 284, 374 and 334 for 992 nautical miles total over the three consecutive days.[5] In 1853 she beat her own record by 13 hours, a record that stood until 1989 when the breakthrough-designed sailboat Thursday's Child completed the passage in 80 days, 20 hours.[6] The record was once again broken in 2008 by the French racing yacht Gitana 13, with a time of 43 days and 38 minutes.[7]
In the early days of the California Gold Rush, it took more than 200 days for a ship to travel from New York to San Francisco, a voyage of more than 16,000 miles. Flying Cloud's better-than-halving that time (only 89 days) was a headline-grabbing world record that the ship itself beat three years later, setting a record that lasted for 136 years.
valerief
(53,235 posts)or
Since We Befouled Mt. Everest, Come to the Pure Arctic!
or
Ice--It's Not Just for Cocktails Anymore
appalachiablue
(41,182 posts)needed for heated tents, nice meals & all the rest on the elite-with-$-to-burn treks-
valerief
(53,235 posts)OnlinePoker
(5,727 posts)Very few are actually brought back down the mountain who die up there.
valerief
(53,235 posts)up there. People who aren't looking to just show off at their club. "Oh, Scooter, I climbed Everest. Have yoooooou? Ha, thought not."
IronLionZion
(45,563 posts)GeorgeGist
(25,324 posts)May the polar vortex sink them all.
valerief
(53,235 posts)tclambert
(11,087 posts)Don't they know they will just crash their sailboats into the ice which he imagines still exists? These liberal yacht racers must not read the Bible.
zonkers
(5,865 posts)daleo
(21,317 posts)By Poe, updated.