Les Sables d’Olonne, 15th August 2022
Skipper Norbert Sedlacek Koch has set sails to accomplish his ANT ARCTIC LAB record challenge, to sail around the world nonstop, single-handed, without assistance through all five oceans including the most dangerous oceans on the planet: the Arctic Ocean and Southern Ocean.
Today, at 10 AM UTC+2 Skipper Norbert Sedlacek Koch has waved goodbye to all fans, partners, friends, family and the whole Innovation Yachts team to fulfill his lifetime mission to set the world record of sailing around the world nonstop, single-handed, without assistance through all five oceans including the most dangerous oceans on the planet: the Arctic Ocean and Southern Ocean.
Norbert who is also Founder and Managing Director of Innovation Yachts took off from the Vendée Globe pontoon, Les Sables d’Olonne, France which he associates with great memories about his successful Vendée Globe participation in 2009. After he left the channel, he set sails and crossed the starting line, which also will be the finish line, at 11h07’13 UTC+2. Norbert started off on long light waves with a gentle breeze under a scattered sky accompanied by many people, who wished him “fair winds”.
The adventure continues online. Click here to follow Norbert’s progress and to be up to date.
The challenge will cover at least 32.000 nautical miles and will take around 200 days at sea. The purpose of this project is to ultimately confirm the quality and safety of the Innovation Yachts’ new yacht building concept and to promote environmentally friendly sailing.
The sailing yacht “Innovation Yachts Open60AAL”, built by Innovation Yachts is fully electric and will be powered only by renewable energy like wind, hydro generators and solar power. This 60ft boat was built out of fully sustainable and recyclable materials like volcanic fibre, balsa wood and biocompatible epoxy.
The departure video can be found on Facebook: Norbert Sedlacek Ant-Arctic-Lab.
