The Ends of the Earth Challenge
The concept In November 2020, the Ocean Sailing Club yacht will leave New Zealand in an attempt to be the first yacht ever to sail to the world’s most extreme cities in consecutive mid summers. As far as we are aware, no one has ever done this. From Ushuaia, the world’s most southerly city, Cape Horn, in December 2020 to Hammerfest, 200 miles into the Arctic Circle above Norway, by June 2021. A total of 20,000 miles and divided into nine legs. A non-profit organisation, the Ocean Sailing Club’s ambition is to let as many people as possible share in this unique challenge.
Research By following the routes of the great whales as they migrate from Antarctica to the Arctic, the club also offers the yacht as a platform for ocean/climate research, and to call for immediate action on climate change.
As well as the crew positions, there are three scholarship places (one per expedition leg) researchers, film makers, or activists concerned about climate change and our oceans.
Crewing
(skipper, researcher, and four crew). Committed to equal opportunities for men and for women, we are looking for six women and six men, two each for the expedition legs. There are hundreds of books recording men’s expeditions into the unknown. But to presume that bravery and daring are specifically male preserves would be wrong. Women are heroes too, and always have been – though too often unsung heroes. In exploration look up Jo Peary, the first white woman to travel into the high Arctic or Marie Herbert who lived with Inuit in the Arctic with her daughter Kari Herbert. In sailing, the examples are innumerable from solo sailors Laura Dekker and Isabelle Autissier to skippers like Tracey Edwards and Nicola Henderson. The list is long and all these women have the qualities we are looking for – tenacity, empathy, bravery, and judgement. We would like to hear from you if you have those qualities
“Expedition” level legs •
Cape Horn Expedition from New Zealand to Ushuaia (4 weeks).
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The Shackleton Memorial Expedition from Ushuaia to South Georgia and on to Brazil (6 weeks).
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The Norse Saga Expedition, from Dublin to Arctic Hammerfest via the Faroe Islands.
The yacht will have six on board for each leg SisterShip 42
