New round-the-world sailing record set

by Kraig Becker on

Last Saturday, the 105-foot long, tri-hulled sailing vessel Groupama 3, captained by French skipper Franck Cammas, completed an around the world cruise that resulted in a new speed record for circumnavigating the globe. The journey took 48 days, 7 hours, 44 minutes and 52 seconds to complete, beating the old record, set in 2005, by more than two days.

Cammas and his nine man crew set out from Brest, France back on January 31st. Their route took them south around the capes of Good Hope, Leeuwin and Horn, covering more than 28,523 miles along the way. The high tech, specially designed ship averaged 24.6 knots per hour over the length of the voyage, or nearly 30 mphs.

Despite the impressive time for the circumnavigation, Captain Cammas believes the new record can be bested. He blamed foul weather at certain stages of the journey for slowing the Groupama 3 down, but calmer conditions would have allowed the crew to shave even more time off the existing record.

By completing the circumnavigation in record time, Cammas and his men have won the Jules Verne Trophy, a prize given to a yacht of any size and crew that earns a speed record for circling the globe. The award was initially given to the first ship to make that journey in less than 80 days. That was first accomplished in 1994 and now, 15 years later, we’re on the verge of cutting that time in half.

Congratulations to the crew of the Groupama 3 on a job well done.

Ship runs aground in the Galapagos

by Kraig Becker on

On Wednesday of this week, a tourist ship named the M/S Alta ran aground, and became stuck on a reef in the Galapagos islands while entering the harbor at Puerto Ayora, along the southern coast of Santa Cruz island. The extent of the ecological damage to the reef has yet to be determined, but fortunately no one aboard was injured in the accident, which was caused, at least in part, due to a malfunctioning lighthouse that normally marks the entrance to the harbor.

The 140-foot long sailing ship is operated by Quasar Expeditions and was carrying 16 Canadian passengers, 8 Ecuadorian crew members, and an Ecuadorian National Park Guide at the time of the incident. All of the passengers were evacuated from the boat, and spent the night in a nearby, ocean front hotel, before continuing on to Darwin Station and the Santa Cruz Highlands the following day. They did cut their tour a day short however, leaving the islands yesterday, rather than today as scheduled.

As of Friday, efforts were underway to remove the Alta from the reef, but the process is a slow one, and caution must be exercised in order to contain any fuel that may have spilled. Initial reports indicated that as much as 3500 gallons had leaked into the harbor, but later reports refuted that number, saying that no leaks had been found. All the fuel will be pumped out of the ship before it is pulled off the reef and into dock for a complete inspection before it returns to service.

One of the hottest topics in sustainable travel over the past few years has been the impact of tourism on the fragile environments of the Galapagos. Fortunately, it seems that this incident will not have any long lasting effects on the region, and it seems like the Alta will be back in service shortly.

Wear your room key – Cruise tip

by Gadling Staff on

When you’re on a cruise, you’ll probably find yourself spending time getting some sun on the deck. Many passengers decide to leave their room key on their lounge chair when they’re swimming in the pool. This leaves your room key available to everyone who walks by.

Get a key chain necklace and put your room key on it. Wear this around your neck at all times to avoid losing it or having it stolen.

Purchase your excursions onboard – Cruise tip

by Gadling Staff on

When preparing for a cruise, there are a couple of advanced purchasing options that travelers have including ticketing, accommodations (drink tickets, suite size, etc.), and shore excursions.

It may be tempting to pre-purchase shore excursions, but there’s no need to be hasty. Shore excursions are fun, desirable, and an important component in the cruiser’s experience. However, unforeseen circumstances can arise during a cruise (a late night, for instance, or horrid weather), and once purchased, these tickets can be difficult to refund or exchange.

In many cases, excursions can be purchased on board, so waiting until you’re aboard can potentially save time and money.

Related: Research, and get off the beaten (excursion) path – Cruise tip

Meet new people while you dine at formal dinners – Cruise tip

by Gadling Staff on

One of the best parts about cruising are the formal dinners every night. In addition to fabulous food, many cruise lines will seat you at larger tables with other passengers.

Eating with strangers is fun? That’s entirely up to you. What better way to meet new people than to chat up the people that you’ll be sharing a mealtime with for the duration of your trip?

Be engaging. Swap stories of your daily adventures. Share tips on cool things at ports of call you may have visited previously. The options are endless and new friends await.

Counterpoint: Tip the maître d’ upon embarkation – Cruise tip