Expedition Antarctic Blanc • Apollo Satellite

ANTARCTIC BLANC

CAPE HORN - ANTARCTICA

HISTORICAL & ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH EXPEDITION
February 2 - February 26, 2018

EXPEDITION TO THE END OF THE WORLD

The Global Offshore Sailing Team sailed up to the most Southerly partially ice-free place of this planet – the ANTARCTIC continent. The international team will remember all sailors who bravely explored and fought in this fragile and dangerous environment.

With this Expedition a platform of intercultural and interdisciplinary exchange for ANTARCTIC enthusiasts such as Historians, Environmental Scientists, Sailors, NGO’s, Navies, Associations or just out of personal interest has been created.

COMMEMORATION

Following the spirit of Expedition Arctic Ocean Raptor – which was greatly supported by Your Majesty King Harald V of Norway and the Government of Canada in 2016, Expedition Antarctic Blanc will set sails on February 12, 2018 on a 66ft ketch in Puerto Williams, Chile. It will pass Cape Horn heading South through the fearsome Drake Passage to the Antarctic continent. At the place where many explorers set their first footstep, we will hold a commemoration ceremony to keep history alive and to support the international awareness for preserving Antarctica as natural reserve.

MISSION STATEMENT

CHALLENGING in ten days UNDER SAILS twice the dangerous DRAKE PASSAGE from CAPE HORN to ANTARCTICA and back to ESTABLISH a PEACEFUL INTERNATIONAL DIALOGUE about the importance of PRESERVING the fragile ANTARCTIC ECOSYSTEM and to COMMEMORATE and DISSEMINATE the fascinating HISTORY of the ANTARCTIC EXPLORERS.

S.Y. Santa Maria Australis

Length over everything: 21,50 m Width over everything: 5,50 m Draft: 2 m Mast height ü. W.: 24 m Displacement: 35 t Sail area on the wind: 220 m² 2 Deutz 4-cyl. Diesel: 2 x 75 kW Equipment: 2 diesel engines - 9.5 kW generator - collision bulkhead - Radar range 48 sm - Satellite Navigation (GPS) - VHF (GMDSS) - 2 FM hand-held radios - SSB radio - Inmarsat satellite telephony with e-mail and Iridium telephony EPIRB-406-distress satellite buoy - Color chart plotter - echo sounder - autopilot log - Anemometer - Festbodendinghy - outboard - 200m mooring lines - 2 anchors: ROCNA anchor 70 kg + iron anchor 70 kg - electric anchor windlass, 150 m anchor chain - 12 life jackets with lifebelts - 2 life raft / 8 pers. - 12 V / 220-V system - diesel Heating - air conditioner mainsail - spinnaker - furling genoa - Roll-staysail - Jib I / jib II - storm jib - 2 refrigerators (115 ltr.) - 1 freezer - large gas stove with oven - 4 bathrooms (shower / WC) - Water treatment plant - (400 ltr./day) - 5000 liters of diesel - 12 berths in five cabins - German Ship Safety Certificate; GL loss

Environmental Research

The main goal of Expedition ANTARCTIC BLANC’s ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH Division is the dissemination of important environmental topics and the support of initiatives by offering the Expedition platform, as well offshore and onshore as Research and Dissemination Lab.

ADDITIONAL INFO

UN Environment initiative

UN Environment launched #CleanSeas in February 2017, with the aim of engaging governments, the general public, civil society and the private sector in the fight against marine plastic litter.

Over the next five years, we will address the root-cause of marine litter by targeting the production and consumption of non-recoverable and single-use plastic. To do this effectively, we need citizens to be aware, engaged and active in addressing the problem in their own lives and beyond. We are also giving a platform to hundreds of local organizations who are already doing important work on marine litter to highlight their efforts.

ADDITIONAL INFO

Antarctic Treaty Environmental Protocol

The Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty was signed in Madrid on October 4, 1991 and entered into force in 1998. It designates Antarctica as a “natural reserve, devoted to peace and science”. the Environment Protocol sets forth basic principles applicable to human activities in Antarctica and prohibits all activities relating to Antarctic mineral resources, except for scientific research. Until 2048 the Protocol can only be modified by unanimous agreement of all Consultative Parties to the Antarctic Treaty. In addition, the prohibition on mineral resource activities cannot be removed unless a binding legal regime on Antarctic mineral resource activities is in force.

HISTORICAL RESEARCH

During the first leg of Expedition ANTARCTIC BLANC, the Global Offshore Sailing Team will sail in the tradition of a number of past and well renown Antarctic discoverers and researchers from the most Southern Point of South-America – the famous CAPE HORN south, passing 60° South, entering ANTARCTICA.

HISTORICAL LANDINGS ANTARCTICA - Every time humans set foot for the first time at the place where a long and very often dangerous journey brought them to – either voluntarily or involuntarily – they created one of these unique moments in history. Very often these special and highly emotional minutes become forgotten or reduced by history to a pure date.

EXPEDITION ANTARCTIC BLANC’s HISTORIC RESEARCH DIVISION is exploring details about important landings in Antarctica to bring history back to every ones attention. The international team believes it is important to visit the places where history happened, to not only to understand history better but to remember the events that influenced the world we live in today.

THE ANTARCTIC BLANC OFFSHORE EXPEDITION CORPS WILL THEN COMMEMORATE WITH A CEREMONY IN THE ANTARCTIC the people of different nations who made the sacrifice to explore this dangerous but beautiful part of our planet and who brought back their knowledge to us or might also have lost their lives in trying to do so.

BY DOING SO EXPEDITION ANTARCTIC BLANC CREATES INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS to support a peaceful dialogue between nations and their people and to creates awareness about the importance of protecting the Antarctic ecosystem.

THE GOAL OF GOST'S EXPEDITIONS IS always to try to get a sense of the background and the struggles of the events happened at sea. By doing this we hope to remember all the brave seamen who served their countries on all sides during time of conflict in the world.

As our dear friend Peter Nixon, Chairman of the Channel Dash Association perfectly summarized: "… working so hard to bring history back to everyone`s attention and recognizing the many great acts of courage performed on our behalf by men and women of all sides during a period of conflict. … It is not about winners or losers. … The world is a wonderful place to live because it is made up of many different, but beautiful countries.… We should be proud of this fact. Equally, we should not be ashamed of our past, nor should we glorify it, for it was our past which created what we are today.”

Meet the Expeditions Decksmaster Linden Blue

The Chief Communication Officer is responsible for the instant communication to ships, land and oversea expedition contacts. This seems an easy task in populated areas, but in the remote area of the Arctic Ocean and under Arctic conditions the task is different. Preparation is the key for reaching the goal of the Communication Officer. During the Expedition the Comms Officer will also keep contact to all partners and the press.

Linden Blue

Chief Communications Officer

United States of America

DISTANCE SAILED:

OVER 2,000NM

SEA AREAS:

Arctic Ocean
North Sea
Baltic Sea
Polynesian Sea
Pacific Ocean

MEET THE FULL EXPEDITION CORPS OFFSHORE TEAM - CLICK HERE

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