[Tom Bishop]

The Antarctic circumnavigation world record of 92 days is at odds with the global circumnavigation (or 21,600 nmi) world record of 41 days, despite that it is known that the winds are faster in the Southern Hemisphere. Over the last hundred or so years there have been a community of sailors who have been competing to beat records. These aren't one-off attempts and represent the best possible record.

For the world record for circumnavigation around Antarctica, Lisa Blair set it at 92 days.

In contrast, the sailing world record for circumnavigation around the globe (or 21,600 nmi) is 41 days.

In this sort or race for the "around the world sailing record", the goal wasn't necessarily to make a perfect circumference around the globe for obvious reasons, and is really the fastest time someone could sail a distance of 21,600 nautical miles. Francis Joyon and François Gabart made this path:

https://goldengloberace.com/the-route/



This path takes place further northwards near the continents. The total course is 30,000 miles, but they only count the best time to 21,600 nautical miles for the specific record, since this is the circumference of the RE in RE Theory.

Not only is the Antarctic circumnavigation a shorter distance on a RE than the distance circumnavigation around a RE (or 21,600 miles), but it is known that the winds are anomalously fast in the Southern Hemisphere. A number of quotes can be found which suggest that the winds in the South are of an anomalous nature as compared to the North. They become more anomalous as you travel Southward:

See: BBC Earth

http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20151009-where-is-the-windiest-place-on-earth

  “ There are huge belts of wind caused by the uneven way the Sun heats the Earth's surface. 30° north and south of the equator, the trade winds blow steadily. At 40° lie the prevailing westerlies, and the polar easterlies begin at around 60°.

Ask any round-the-world sailor and they will quickly tell you the stormiest seas, stirred by the strongest winds, are found in the Southern Ocean. These infamously rough latitudes are labelled the "roaring 40s", "furious 50s" and "screaming 60s". ”

One would think that higher wind speeds would help, rather than impede, Antarctic world record racers.

While nothing is really proven to a certainty by looking at these times alone, this is just another feather taken out of the cap of the Round Earth Theory that there is a mountain of evidence in its favor. When we look closer at the details we just see anomalies and that things are not really in accordance with what is generally claimed at face value.

[Longtitube]

You're comparing racing cycles with motorbikes: Lisa Blair's monohull ex-racing yacht, although no slouch, is nowhere near as fast as IDEC SPORT, formerly IDEC 3, a multihull built especially to break transoceanic sailing records. IDEC averaged almost 30 knots crossing the Atlantic in 2007, at least three times the speed of a racing monohull like Climate Action Now.

[RonJ]

One would think that higher wind speeds would help, rather than impede, Antarctic world record racers.

When you are sailing, the wind can help you or hurt you.  It all depends on the wind's direction and your desired course.  You can't sail directly into the wind on a sailboat.  Tacking back & forth is necessary to go against the wind.  That takes longer because you can't take the shortest distance between two points.  If the wind becomes too strong you have to haul in your sails to keep them from being ripped off the mast.  Then a sea anchor is your only option.  Icebergs could be another issue.  You don't want to end up like the Titanic, so you have to stay away from them.  Icebergs can also mess up the wind flow and make going around them while sailing a real challenge.   

[markjo]

Not only is the Antarctic circumnavigation a shorter distance on a RE than the distance circumnavigation around a RE (or 21,600 miles), but it is known that the winds are anomalously fast in the Southern Hemisphere. A number of quotes can be found which suggest that the winds in the South are of an anomalous nature as compared to the North. They become more anomalous as you travel Southward:

Not anomalous, just different.  Given the uneven heating mentioned in your BBC quote and the fact that, except for the southern  part of South America and New Zealand, there is little to no land mass between 40 degrees and 65 degrees south latitude to get in the way, one should expect the prevailing winds in the south to be significantly faster than in the north. 

[DuncanDoenitz]

Same Antarctic-lady, Lisa Blair, also holds the record for circumnavigating Australia in the same boat.   

At 58 days, this was 17 days longer than the global circumnavigation record, proving almost beyond doubt that Australia is bigger than the Earth. Even more curious; Australia is entirely in the southern hemisphere, where the spooky anomalous winds blow. 

If Lisa's average speed for the Australia-gig (5.69 knots) were extrapolated onto the Antarctic expedition, that would give a distance of 11,000 nautical miles to travel around the ice-wall. 

I'm sure other correspondents on here can advise further about tacking, gibeing, spinakers, and so forth.   

[Action80]

She would be required to tack in her trip around Australia.

Winds on the inside of the ice ring always travel the same way.

[AATW]

I couldn't find the diameter of the FE in the Wiki but I'd be interested to know what the distance travelled would have to be on a FE to go round the ice wall. What speed would she have had to be doing to get round in 91 days and would that have been possible with her boat?
I thought Tom was a bi-polar kinda guy these days anyway.

[Tom Bishop]

It looks like you guys are claiming that she had a bad boat. According to Guinness World Records Lisa Blair holds the record for "Fastest circumnavigation of Antarctica by sailboat". She did it in 92 days 18 hours 21 minutes 22 seconds. We know that hundreds of people are trying to beat world records, and there are even yearly races around Antarctica (which we are often pointed to, but the details are rarely discussed). This represents the best boat, so your arguments are pretty invalid.

Like many other topics, we would need to believe in a series of excuses to keep the round world theory together. Instead of providing direct and compelling evidence we are just seeing continual excuses.

[DuncanDoenitz]

Winds on the inside of the ice ring always travel the same way.

That is simply incorrect. 
 
https://www.windy.com/?-74.235,-66.562,3 

[markjo]

We know that hundreds of people are trying to beat world records, and there are even yearly races around Antarctica (which we are often pointed to, but the details are rarely discussed). This represents the best boat, so your arguments are pretty invalid.

Most of also know that many world records, including circumnavigation records, have any number of categories based on the particular type of craft and crew size, so context matters.  Picking one record and saying that the rest don't matter is nothing more than cherry picking.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Around_the_world_sailing_record

[Tom Bishop]

We know that hundreds of people are trying to beat world records, and there are even yearly races around Antarctica (which we are often pointed to, but the details are rarely discussed). This represents the best boat, so your arguments are pretty invalid.

Most of also know that many world records, including circumnavigation records, have any number of categories based on the particular type of craft and crew size, so context matters.  Picking one record and saying that the rest don't matter is nothing more than cherry picking.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Around_the_world_sailing_record

Lisa Blair holds the generic record for fastest circumnavigation of Antarctica by sailboat.

If you are sure that there is a category where sailing boats have sailed around it in a faster time then I would suggest finding it and then contacting Guinness World Records to inform them that they are incorrect about Lisa Blair holding the record for fastest circumnavigation by sailboat.

Come on guys. Now we are accusing Guinness World Records of being incorrect about the records. How about a response with something more than "NoOoO it could be this!"

[DuncanDoenitz]

I don't think we need to start writing letters to the editor yet, but we can perhaps clarify something, and put a bit of meat on the bone.

Yes, the record for global circumnavigation is 41 days, but as Longtitube suggested earlier, that was in a multihull vessel.  The record for a single-handed monohull is actually 74 days (Armel le Cleach, 2016-17 Vendee Globe).  Still faster than Lisa, but 41 days/74 days illustrates the variables involved.  (Bit of a stretch to suggest that we are claiming it's a "bad boat" btw).  And go back to 2001, same race, the record stood at 93 days.  I guess the moral is (like all things), keep plugging away, get a faster boat, the records fall. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Around_the_world_sailing_record#

Speaking of which, of course, a Round-the-World record is really the Blue Riband event; boats and sponsors are tripping over themselves to break records and pick up the kudos.  On thre other hand, refer back to the Sail-World article in the OP and we find that Lisa is actually only the 3rd person to ever perform the Antarctic journey.  Not bad, for a tree-hugger. 

[Action80]

Winds on the inside of the ice ring always travel the same way.

That is simply incorrect. 
 
https://www.windy.com/?-74.235,-66.562,3

You show a picture of some eddy winds around something that is not the Ice Ring and where the boat would not sail anyway and you claim I am incorrect?

[DuncanDoenitz]

"...something that is not the Ice Ring and where the boat would not sail anyway ...".

Well this is bizarre.  Southern extent of the world's oceans, but not the Ice Ring?  And "not where she would sail"; did you scroll around?  The Earth's entire oceans are on the page, and I believe she sailed on an Earth-ocean. 

[RonJ]

The most pertinent thing here is what was the estimated sailing distance for the trips around Antartica?  In order to qualify for a record, the trips must be above the 60th Southern parallel.  This opens the door for some serious discrepancies between the flat earth model and the round earth one.  On the (verified) round earth model the distance between all longitude lines decreases the further you go either to the North or to the South of the equator.  The flat earth model appears to have increasing distances between the longitude lines South of the equator.  This would result in a big, estimated distance discrepancy for the trip around Antartica.  A trip around Antartica on the flat earth model would have to be a whole lot longer than on the round earth model.  To make a trip in a specific time would require a lot higher speed on the flat earth model than on the round earth one.  That's the basic discrepancy on this thread. 


Keep in mind that the trip by Lisa Blair was a single handed one.  That makes a big difference.  There has to be time for her to sleep so her sailboat would have to have the sails hauled in and a sea anchor put out to allow for some hours of sleep.  There were plenty of ice bergs to navigate around and lots of ice forming on the mast and sails to make things more difficult. Some of the other sail boats that made the same trip had multiple crew members allowing some to safely sleep while others were on watch.  This means they could be traveling ahead 24 hours a day for the whole trip.     

[Action80]

"...something that is not the Ice Ring and where the boat would not sail anyway ...".

Well this is bizarre.  Southern extent of the world's oceans, but not the Ice Ring?  And "not where she would sail"; did you scroll around?  The Earth's entire oceans are on the page, and I believe she sailed on an Earth-ocean.

I looked at your map. The only winds not traveling in the same easterly direction are those eddys forming close to land she wasn't sailing in those areas.

It is bizarre to provide your source as some kind of counter.

[DuncanDoenitz]

I looked at your map. The only winds not traveling in the same easterly direction are those eddys forming close to land she wasn't sailing in those areas.

It is bizarre to provide your source as some kind of counter.

A source for her route? 

You realise of course that this is a live map, not instantaneous indications of the wind at the time she was in each area.  At the latitudes between 45S and Antarctica the general trend is westerly (ie blowing towards the east), but there are significant times when the wind varies considerably, from all points of the compass.  Do you think that those times and "eddies" don't count?  To claim that "winds on the inside of the ice ring always travel the same way" is complete fantasy. 

But don't take my word; this from her blog Day 79:

"Hi All,
 
 Last night I finally managed to get to bed by around 3am and by 4am the winds had started to veer from the SW to the W before shifting to the NW and build in strength.  I needed to put a gybe in, but I decided to wait until first light to make it a little easier". 

You'll know of course that a gybe is a similar manouver to a tack, but performed before the wind, so more hazardous. 

[Action80]

I looked at your map. The only winds not traveling in the same easterly direction are those eddys forming close to land she wasn't sailing in those areas.

It is bizarre to provide your source as some kind of counter.

A source for her route? 

You realise of course that this is a live map, not instantaneous indications of the wind at the time she was in each area.  At the latitudes between 45S and Antarctica the general trend is westerly (ie blowing towards the east), but there are significant times when the wind varies considerably, from all points of the compass.  Do you think that those times and "eddies" don't count?  To claim that "winds on the inside of the ice ring always travel the same way" is complete fantasy. 

But don't take my word; this from her blog Day 79:

"Hi All,
 
 Last night I finally managed to get to bed by around 3am and by 4am the winds had started to veer from the SW to the W before shifting to the NW and build in strength.  I needed to put a gybe in, but I decided to wait until first light to make it a little easier". 

You'll know of course that a gybe is a similar manouver to a tack, but performed before the wind, so more hazardous.

She ventured a little off course in that instance, I suspect, but as I stated earlier, she was traveling with the wind.

Like I wrote, it is indeed bizarre you would provide a map that does not show an Ice Ring and only shows those eddys that are blowing to the W. She was probably caught up in one  of those.

[Longtitube]

I looked at your map. The only winds not traveling in the same easterly direction are those eddys forming close to land she wasn't sailing in those areas.

It is bizarre to provide your source as some kind of counter.

A source for her route? 

You realise of course that this is a live map, not instantaneous indications of the wind at the time she was in each area.  At the latitudes between 45S and Antarctica the general trend is westerly (ie blowing towards the east), but there are significant times when the wind varies considerably, from all points of the compass.  Do you think that those times and "eddies" don't count?  To claim that "winds on the inside of the ice ring always travel the same way" is complete fantasy. 

But don't take my word; this from her blog Day 79:

"Hi All,
 
 Last night I finally managed to get to bed by around 3am and by 4am the winds had started to veer from the SW to the W before shifting to the NW and build in strength.  I needed to put a gybe in, but I decided to wait until first light to make it a little easier". 

You'll know of course that a gybe is a similar manouver to a tack, but performed before the wind, so more hazardous.

She ventured a little off course in that instance, I suspect, but as I stated earlier, she was traveling with the wind.

Like I wrote, it is indeed bizarre you would provide a map that does not show an Ice Ring and only shows those eddys that are blowing to the W. She was probably caught up in one  of those.

For information, Lisa Blair's course around Antarctica, as shown on her own site https://lisablairsailstheworld.com/antarctica-2   Both her first attempt in 2017 and the record in 2022 are shown. The 2017 course is particularly interesting for one that doesn't keep to a fairly uniform easterly track.

This also handily shows why round-the-world record attempts have a limit in the latitude south permitted since the globe distance around Antarctica is notably shorter at 60 deg S compared to 45 deg S.

[DuncanDoenitz]

She ventured a little off course in that instance, I suspect, but as I stated earlier, she was traveling with the wind.

Like I wrote, it is indeed bizarre you would provide a map that does not show an Ice Ring and only shows those eddys that are blowing to the W. She was probably caught up in one  of those.

I'm not sure why you keep bringing up the ice ring thing.  As per Tom's OP, the record is for circumnavigating Antarctica, which is clearly visible on the weather map which I posted, as well as Longtitube's route map from Lisa's website. 

Of course the prevailing wind is westerly, just as it is in the equivalent latitudes of the northern hemisphere, but you seem to write off the "eddies" as insignificant ("she ventured a little off course .... she was probably caught up in one of those").  Just as in the northern hemisphere, they are weather systems, several hundred kilometers across, circulating around areas of high and low pressure.