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NEWS
Atlantic crossing in Open 16
Austrian to sleep on deck during record attempt in mini canting-keel yachtNorbert Sedlacek (51), the Austrian sailor who finished 11th in the 2008-2009 Vendée Globe, is readying for his attempt to cross the Atlantic aboard a 4.9m sailboat built using recyclable materials.
Aboard Fipofix, a boat he has built himself, Sedlacek will set off from Les Sables d'Olonne on November 10 to make his way to New York. He will then attempt to set the Atlantic crossing record for a boat measuring less-than-5m in length.
"I have chosen a southern route sailing off the Canaries to avoid head currents. I am reckoning on six weeks to reach New York at an average speed of 5-6 knots," Sedlacek said.
Once he has reached America, the skipper will get ready to attempt the North Atlantic record crossing setting off from New York in May 2014 to make his way back to Les Sables-d’Olonne. The tradewinds should enable him to complete the crossing from west to east in four weeks.
"I know that I shall be experiencing some extreme sailing, but the real challenge is coping as best I can with life on board," Sedlacek said.
The Viennese sailor will have to live and sleep in a tiny cockpit, as the 1.5 square metre space inside the boat is reserved for his supplies and gear.
He will be taking aboard two desalinators, 50kg of freeze-dried food, as well as 60 litres of water and a heating ring.
As for the toolbox, he will merely have some gaffer tape, three spanners and a screwdriver, while a solar panel and wind turbine will provide the energy for the autopilot and electronics. An iridium phone will be included in his survival kit.
The designer Marion Koch has come up with the yacht design, modelled on a 60-foot International Monohull Open Class Association (IMOCA) yacht but scaled down to a quarter of the size.
The Open 16 is made from materials developed by the Austrian firm Fipofix, which are said to be less expensive than carbon, but above all 100 per cent recyclable.
The boat has a balsa structure covered in a fibre originating from a volcano, with epoxy sandwich infusion technique applied. "The hull is very light, while remaining very rigid and it is as tough as carbon," Sedlacek claims.
Just like on an IMOCA 60 monohull, the boat has a canting keel, twin rudders, ballast tanks, but just one daggerboard.
"Eleven partners enabled us to complete the project, the overall cost of which came to around 500,000€ [AUS$725,000 for what is a day-sailor with extra kit].
"My son Harald and I took care of her construction," adds Sedlacek, who is said to be also looking forward to competing in the 2016 Vendée Globe.
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Written byBoatsales Staff
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