Such A Special Day

There are "Tall Ships" and there are "Small Ships", and they all need men to sail the seas. But for each and every ship, those men and women who sail the oceans of the world are special.

Life at sea is not for everyone, there are those who choose it for love and for passion, and there are those who through life's circumstances just accept that its their life.

But for all the different types of people that you find that go to sea, the sea becomes part of them, its something that you cant quite explain, but when placed on land for some time a sailor become restless and uneasy.

Around the world every sailor that is married to the oceans, there is one piece of water that has the respect and fear of everyone, Cape Horn.

The morning of the 24th of March 2010 was a special day at that formidable place Cape Horn, gathered to the west of the gnarly rocky island was an armada, but an armada of many nations.

Nine tall ships and one sailing yacht representing the countries of the Americas and Europe came together not to fight but to celebrate a 200 year anniversary, most were navy and sail training ships, but the one yacht was Xplore.

For two years we had been working and negotiating Xplore's involvement in this monumental occasion, and that day had come. We were there as an official photographic vessel to whiteness what possibly has never before been seen in history, the rounding of Cape Horn by nine tall ships at the same time.

As the black of night started to dwain, and the twinkling lights in the rigging of these grand ladies of the sea were turned out, the men on board prepared for a historical day.

The winds were fare from the WNW, a mid level cloud covered the entire sky as the fleet formed into place, to commence a very special race. Yards squared round as they made course for the Horn, sails were let loose like a flock of doves being thrown to the skies.

With masts stretching to the skies, they flew like you would never believe, skipping over the waves they drew closer to the Horn, resting place for thousands who had toiled and strained to round this cape, but today was going to be joy not sorrow.

On board Xplore the cameras whirled, memory cards were filled to the brim and the batteries were flattened and changed time after time, there was so much happening as each ship of sail changed their angle and showed another pretty face to take just one more shot.

That day made history, and will stay in the minds of everyone involved.

Stephen