Dame Ellen McArthur to Archipelago Raid 2008
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Article Date: 2008-05-15
View Count: 505
In one month’s time the most extreme
orienteering sailing race in the world will be hosting some of the biggest names
in sailing, who will be competing against less unknown but talented and
persistent teams in the 8th edition of the Archipelago Raid.
In Formula 18 catamarans the Raid
pushes the teams of two to the edge, both mentally and physically, as they
navigate round the 100,000 islands that make up the Swedish, Aland and Finnish
Archipelagos. For six days the teams
will battle through some of the most challenging and beautiful landscapes in the
world, with uncharted rocks and changing weather conditions, stopping only for a
brief ‘overnight’ rest.
This year’s edition takes place
just before midsummer, when the almost non existent Scandinavian summer nights
demands even more of the competitors as one can more or less sail throughout the
night.
Almost 20 teams from nine
nationalities have already signed up. Impressive
personalities like Dame Ellen McArthur belong to the line up. Ellen McArthur competed in the
Archipelago Raid already in 2003 but
had to withdraw early in the race after an unfortunate leg injury.
After sailing around the world solo non stop in
monohull and multihull, (Vendee Globe, Solo Round the World and Jules Verne
records) McArthur stopped sailing for two years. Now she is back with a new
project and has chosen the challenging Archipelago Raid as a part of her comeback. She will team
up with Greg Homann from Australia.
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