A new ocean race to celebrate 400 years since the discovery of Cape Horn
The official presentation of the Drake & Horn 1616-2016 Regatta took place at the dinner opening the 13th edition of the Bailli de Suffren Trophy organised by the Mare Nostrum Yacht Club. Classic yacht owners attended together with Pierre Hugo, president of the Bailli de Suffren hotel group, the mayor of Saint Tropez, the president of Société Nautique, the maritime prefect for the Mediterranean, the president of the Order of Malta, the Maltese Ambasador for France and various admirals and crews.
This incredible e fabulous race will gatherstogether classic yachts, goelettes aschooners and modern yachts from around the world for an adventure which starts from Saint-Tropez on October 25, 2015.
It is a momentus voyage that will see the fleet round Cape Horn in January 2016 by the Drake Passage on the anniversary of their discovery. The race will finish in Istanbul, where the closing regatta on the Bosphorus will symbolise the maritime link between Europe and Asia created there 400 years ago.
For the great sailor, Lionel Péan, who has a long list of acheivements, it will be the realiastion of one of his dearest dreams.
“I had a dream of becoming Cap Horner and especially to win a race around the world,” Péan said. “I fought for and realised that dream with a great crew on the beautiful ‘Team Spirit’.
But I have had other dreams since and I want to share the picture of schooners and modern yachts becoming Cape Horners in a race.
So,as when realising my other dreams and and after much discussion with other sailors, owners, captains and crew, I set down on paper the project of the Drake & Horn 1616-2016 Regatta.”
Why?
Firstly, because Drake is a man who is an inspirational part of our history.
‘Horn’, because it is the experience of a lifetime and fewer than 2,500 people have been Cape Horners in a race.
2015/2016, because it’s 400 years ago since our ancestors have shown us this route.”
A little bit of history…
In June 1614, 400 years ago, Jacob Le Maire and Willem Schouten, supported by the merchants of the city of Hoorn and some other owners, decided to mount an expedition to circumvent the racketeering of the East India Company,which controlled the maritime passages to India from the east via Cape Town and the Cape of Good Hope, and from the west by South America and the Strait of Magellan, the only known routes.
So, they armed two boats, theHoorn, thename of their hometown, and the Eendracht, and left Texel in June 2015 for the unknown.
The Hoorn was lost on the way, but on January 29, 1616, after a difficult journey with many hardships,the Eendracht passed a deserted and snowy cape in the south whichthey baptised Cape Hoorn. Thus did Schouten and le Maire open up a new route to India and its spices by the passage which took the name of Drake.
