A new race is being organized for 2019 and 2020 to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the discovery of the Strait of Magellan in 1520. Dubbed the “Cape Horn Race,” it will have four legs:
- The Cape Horn Transat — Gibraltar to Buenos Aires, November 2, 2019
- The Cape Horn Team Challenge — Buenos Aires to Ushuaia. December 29, 2019
- The Cape Horn Cup Chile, Round Cape Horn Island Race — January 19, 2020
- The Magellan Grand Prix — Punta Arenas to Punta del Este — February 8 – 18, 2020
The race was conceived in 2006 by Alec Honey and the late Rear Admiral Roberto Benavente of the Chilean Navy. Alec Honey raced around Cape Horn on January 23, 1974 as the navigator onboard Great Britain 2 in the first Whitbread Round the World Race of 1973-1974, the predecessor to the Volvo Ocean Race.
The Cape Horn Race is intended to give both professional and Corinthian sailors an equal chance of winning under IRC handicap rules. Any racing, cruising, or production-built monohull yacht of length between 40′ and 80′ may compete, subject to security regulations, with a minimum crew of 4 and a maximum crew of 12.
The learn more about the race, click here. For information about registration and fees, click here.
Why start from Gibralta? Was the decision political or ironic?
Might as well call in at the Falklands on the way 🙂
This is the type of shoddy unfunny comment which does nothing to ease the pain of old hurts. It raises memories of a very difficult time from another generation, under a quite different political situation, during my days as Master of a British ship.
Good Watch
I apologise for offending you but the question remains, why is a race celebrating a Portuguese explorer leading a Spanish expedition starting from a British port?
Gibraltar is a great geographical place to group yachts
from the North of Europe and from the Med.
It is well understood that Gibraltar is a maritime
strategic location, which also fits the historical image
of the Race, but I agree with you
that the Falkland Islands would not
be a prudent political choice.
The Race aim is to create « friend-ship »
between participating nations !