A daring Colorado native is setting out on a solo voyage across one of the planet’s most perilous maritime routes. According to a release from his campaign’s marketing team, this audacious journey involves no interruptions.
Steve Siguaw, a geophysicist based in Pine, Jefferson County, is the adventurous soul behind this endeavor.
His penchant for adventure isn’t new. Siguaw has taken on the formidable Leadville Trail 100-mile race an impressive 18 times. This race, stretching nearly four times the length of a standard marathon, has tested his endurance and focus, qualities he has consistently demonstrated.
Now, with a fresh challenge in sight, Siguaw plans to embark on a marathon of epic proportions, a voyage 310.71045 times longer than his races in Leadville. His goal is nothing short of circumnavigating the globe, fully solo and without any planned stops.
The trip covers 27,000 nautical miles, which is equivalent to over 31,071 miles on land, according to a nautical mile converter that states one nautical mile is estimated to be about 1.151 miles.
Earth’s circumference is about 21,600 nautical miles, but unless Siguaw has been building some form of a James Bond-esque amphibious vehicle in his garage, he’s going to have to take a few detours to avoid the land.
This also raises the question, “Where is he going to start?” It definitely won’t be landlocked Pine, Colorado.
Siguaw is going to start in Les Sables d’Olonne in France and will depart as part of a small fleet of ships that will eventually break off onto their own paths. When he breaks off from the group, he will travel the route around Earth’s Five Great Capes, including:
Cape Agulhas or Cape of Good Hope, South Africa
Cape Leeuwin, Australia
South East Cape, Tasmania
South Cape, New Zealand
Cape Horn, Chile
He will be stocked with food and can speak with family via Starlink during this nine-month journey, but this is no vacation. The route along the southern part of the Earth is one of the most dangerous sailing routes in the world.
It is the ultimate test of nautical proficiency and psychological resilience.
Les Sables d’Olonne to Cape Agulhas or Cape of Good Hope
Agulhas Current, westerly winds cause massive, breaking waves
Sudden storms
Risk of ship collisions off Cape Town
Cape Agulhas or Cape of Good Hope to Cape Leeuwin
Stretches of unbroken ocean swells
40-60 knot gales
Icebergs begin to drift north
Cape Leeuwin to South East Cape
Cold air masses and freezing sprays
Icebergs or small chunks of ice
Weather systems squeeze between Tasmania and Antarctica
Big waves
South East Cape to South Cape
Strong westerly wind
Isolation, fewer rescue capabilities
Ice warnings
South Cape to Cape Horn
Shallow seabeds create 50-60 foot waves
Antarctic and Pacific currents collide
Violent katabatic winds roll off the Andes
Cold spray, hail, ice
Known as the “Everest” of sailing
Cape Horn to Les Sables d’Olonne
Mid-latitude storms
Equipment failure
Wickedly exhausted
Siguaw will travel the journey in his Island Packet 51-foot sailboat, which he has named “Savannah Sky.”
This will be his first solo trip, but he has sailed the world once before, with his wife Maria.
“As a dreamer of dreams, I’ve always treated sailing as an adventure. It could be the taste of rum or a nice steady breeze but the goal is always the same: To live with wind in my sails, rum on my lips and chasing that endless horizon,” said Siguaw in the press release.
He still has a bit of time to prepare, as he won’t be departing from France until the summer of 2027, but he is going to need all the time he can get before facing this dangerous journey.
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