Day 71: Fedor Konuykhov completed another major milestone, by passing the Cape of Good Hope (18° 28E longitude) during his solo circumnavigation of Antarctica.

‘Iceberg ally’, as the South Atlantic Ocean has been called this season, is also behind him, but the 56-year-old Russian adventurer, trailblazing an inaugural record around the Antarctica Cup Racetrack, is currently enduring a freezing blast from the South.

Fedor reports: “I am about to enter the Indian ocean (20°E) but sailing in a powerful southerly storm with gusts up to 45 knots, heavy snow and 10 meter swells. These southern winds bring very cold air. It’s freezing!”

“I sleep for one hour after every four hours watch. My sleep times average a cumulative 4-5 hours every 24. I try to sleep more during the day when it is a little warmer and I can relax a bit. The nights are difficult. With sudden gusts it’s easier to bring the boat under control when I am fully awake and wearing my storm gear rather than jumping out of the sleeping bag and trying to figure out what has happened. From sunset to sun rise I’m not leaving the navigation station, and continually monitoring the area around the boat for icebergs.”