Boating New Zealand - July 2018

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self-described adventurist,

Koper enjoys sailing in some of

the planet’s most obscure (and

extreme) places. Let’s see – his

resumé includes extensive

sailing in and around the Arctic

Circle, transiting the Northwest Passage, two

previous trips to Antarctica (one beyond the 78th

parallel), sailing around Cape Horn (twice) – and

now, a circumnavigation of the frozen continent.

I thought asking ‘why’ would be a good way to

start the interview.

“I like challenges – and I love Antarctica.”

his circumnavigation – 72 days, non-stop

under sail – has been ratiied by Guinness World

Records and the World Sailing Record Council

as the ‘southernmost’ circumnavigation of the

continent by a yacht. he boat remained just of

the ice, sailing clockwise (west-to-east) between

the 60th and 70th parallels for the entire voyage. he

previous record (in a much wider band, between

the 45th and 60th parallels), was 102 days.

To get around the ice-cap within the narrow

‘summer’ window available to sailors, the boat left

Cape Town on 23rd December 2017. She arrived in

Hobart, Tasmania, in April, nearly 16,000 miles later.

Koper’s choice of vessel for these adventures

is a 22m Oyster 72 (he’s owned various other

vessels before, including a smaller Oyster, Katharsis

I). Built in GRP, Katharsis II is a heavy, robust

yacht (50 tonnes) and, though she doesn’t have

strengthened bows, her 225hp Perkins engine is

perfectly adequate, he says, for pushing through

the ice. Since her launching in 2009, she has carried

Koper some 120,000 nautical miles.

Sailing around Antarctica sounds hellish – well,

a coldish hell. Is it?

“Actually, the wind in the roaring forties

and furious ifties is much worse. Around those

latitudes the prevailing wind is westerly, and it’s

rarely mild. But once you slip below 60o South the

wind is much more variable – about 40 percent

headwinds, about 30 percent following, and about

30 percent very little wind.

“In fact, we were becalmed on more than a

few occasions, and because we wanted to do the

circumnavigation under sail only, it became a

little frustrating. But on the other hand, we also

sheltered in the lee of icebergs when the weather

turned nasty. So it’s very mixed.”

Katharsis II is equipped with sophisticated weather

A

Polish sailor Mariusz Koper arrived in Auckland in May aboard

his Oyster 72 – Katharsis II – after a non-stop, record-setting

circumnavigation of Antarctica. We chatted to him about the voyage.

POLE

POLE

around the