This article is for quizzes on Thursday July 23rd, 2015...
Cape Horn, named after the city of
Hoorn in the
Netherlands, is the southernmost
headland of the
Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern
Chile, and is located on the small
Hornos Island. Although not the most southerly point of
South America (which are the
Diego Ramírez Islands), Cape Horn marks the northern boundary of the
Drake Passage. For decades it was a major milestone on the
clipper route, by which
sailing ships carried trade around the world. The waters around Cape Horn are particularly hazardous, owing to strong winds, large waves, strong currents and
icebergs; these dangers have made it notorious as a sailors' graveyard.
The need for ships to round Cape Horn was greatly reduced by the opening of the
Panama Canal in 1914. Sailing around the Horn is widely regarded as one of the major challenges in
yachting. Thus, a few recreational sailors continue to sail this route, sometimes as part of a
circumnavigation of the globe, and almost all of these choosing routes through the channels to the north of the Cape. (Many take a detour through the islands and anchor to wait for fair weather to visit Horn Island, or sail around it to replicate a rounding of this historic point). Several prominent ocean
yacht races, notably the
Volvo Ocean Race, the
VELUX 5 Oceans, and the
Vendée Globe, sail around the world via the Horn. Speed records for round-the-world sailing are recognized for following this route. There have been a number of small boat roundings of the Horn but one in particular stands out: Howard Rice sailed and paddled a 15 foot wood canvas folding canoe doubling the Horn.
