April 30, 2018 - A Croatian sailing crew is preparing for an ambitious feat
A sailor from Zagreb named Saša Fegić is about to set off on an incredible journey and make his dreams come true: a month from now, he will sail out of Poreč and circumnavigate the world in a span of a year. Contrary to the most common choice in such cases, he won't be heading west. Instead, he opted for the eastern route that will take him over three legendary checkpoints: Cape of Good Hope in Africa, Cape Leeuwin in Australia, and the notorious Cape Horn in South America.
The so-called Great Capes will present quite a challenge to Fegić and his crew, as they'll be the first Croats to complete this particular route on a sailboat flying the Croatian flag. No other sailboat but the legendary Hir 3, which has conquered both the Atlantic and Cape Horn with Mladen Šutej at the helm.
Fegić bought the boat when he saw it abandoned in the Istrian town of Vrsar, then launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds required for renovation. From the moment he bought Hir 3, he held on to the idea of circumnavigating the world, and he made sure to mention it in the video featured in the campaign. That's what caught most people's attention, he said.
He raised the money with the help of donors and sponsors and chipped in himself, but the process took a year and a half longer than he had first planned. The boat had to be completely revamped; it's currently moored on Lošinj island where it's getting prepped for departure.
Fegić has been sailing since 1992, and the case had it his first sailing adventure took place on the very same boat that'll now take him around the world. He won't be alone, as some fifteen people decided to join him on various legs of the route; some are old friends of Fegić, some are new. They'll jump in as temporary crew members and chip in to help cover the expenses for food, fuel and mooring fees along the way.
The Croatian team will depart on June 17, passing through Gibraltar and heading south for Cape Town once they reach the Atlantic. Good luck!
Watch the short trailer for their upcoming adventure in the video below:
Source: Glas Istre
