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Yacht Class n°19 (dec 2019/jan-feb 2020)
During the last Monaco Yacht Show, Yvan Griboval, an audacious and renowned navigator, has presented the objectives of his imminent oceanic crusade against sea pollution: Southern Winter Expedition 2020. The goal is to sail through the Antarctic Circumpolar Current between the 40th and 60th parallels, to collect seawater samples in order to determine the causes of its contamination. No stops will be made during the entire navigation.
Written by Nicolas Leblond – Photos : Mesi/Yacht Club de Monaco & All rights reserved
September 2019, we are aboard the Maltese Falcon when Yvan Griboval, member of the Monaco Yacht Club, details his upcoming expedition to the press. By him stands Dr. Elena Ambrosiadou, owner of this marvellous three-masted 28 foot sailing yacht, sponsor and founding member of the OceanoScientific Association, reminds us the importance and emergency of preserving our oceans. In June of 2020, in presence of Prince Albert II, Yvan Griboval and his crew of at least nine members will then cast off from the Monaco Yacht Club’s pontoon aboard the OceanoScientific Explorer II – an 80 foot sailing racer designed by Botin Partners and built entirely in carbon by Cookson Boats in New Zealand. Thanks to the scientific team aboard, oceanographic data will be collected for two reasons, Yvan explains: “During the southern winter, this part of the globe is absolutely unknown, because the constant and opaque cloud mass blinds the satellites completely. And the ocean is equipped with probes, but none of them can pick up the data that we are looking for, which is located at the sea/atmosphere interface. The key data for these samples are temperature, salinity, pH and presence of carbon”.
In a duration of around three months, the crew will carry out this “zero CO2 emission” expedition through an Antarctic convolution whilst clipping all three strategic capes: Good Hope, Leeuwin and Horn. To close this loop of approximately 12 000 nautical miles, the skipper will use the same entry and exit point, located on the 40th parallel. This navigation area is particularly feared by sailors for its infamous winds capable of raising monumental waves. Once the expedition is over, Yvan will have achieved his personal goal to become the first man to have completed this route during the southern winter, without making a single stop. The next adventures of the explorer will be to set sail, yet again, to raise awareness in the countries that are primarily responsible for this pollution, chanting this clear and concise message : “Love The Ocean !” .
OceanScientific
In addition to its environmental goal, the OceanoScientific Association seeks to raise the world’s awareness and perpetuate the information for future generations so that when their turn comes up, they will be able to carry on with saving our oceans. To become a member or just to help finance the expedition, visit the NGO’s website : www.oceanoscientific.com
Yvan Griboval, Sailor-organiser
Well-known in the boating world, Yvan is the president of the Monaco-based OceanoScientific philanthropic association. Also a renowned skipper, his experience will guide him through his projected expeditions: a competitor in the Whitbread (now Volvo Ocean Race) and Route Du Rhum in the 80’s, he has grown stronger thanks to his participations in these famous crewed or single-handed races. He also manages the organizational dimension of his own events thanks to his expertise in sports marketing.
