Russian Adventurer Fjodor Konjuchow Completes Historic Journey Across the Southern Atlantic
On February 11, 2025, Fjodor Konjuchow, a Russian writer and adventurer, successfully navigated the “Cape of Needles” off the coast of South Africa in his small paddleboat, “Akros.” The 4,000-mile journey, which took approximately 70 days to complete, required Konjuchow to paddle for up to 15 hours a day. The route passed through the notorious “roaring forties” and “furious fifties” areas notorious for their harsh weather conditions, making the journey extremely challenging for even the most modern and well-equipped vessels.
Konjuchow’s vessel, designed by British architect Phil Morrison, is a nine-meter-long boat equipped with state-of-the-art navigation instruments, communication equipment and a cozy cabin with a heated sleeping area. Prior to the expedition, the boat was modernized in a Dubai-based shipyard and provisions included 100 kilograms of freeze-dried food, water purification systems, satellite communication devices and solar panels.
Konjuchow’s journey, which began on December 5, 2024, in the Drake Passage off the coast of South America, is the second phase of his global circumnavigation of the Southern Ocean. The first leg of the journey, which took 154 days to complete, saw Konjuchow sail from New Zealand to Cape Horn in 2019. The current leg of the journey is expected to take around 200 days to complete, with the next destination being Cape Leeuwin in Australia, a distance of approximately 4,200 nautical miles.
Konjuchow, a legendary figure in his field, has a long history of record-breaking feats, including setting two world records in 2016 by flying around the world in a hot air balloon in a single attempt. He is also the first Russian to have reached the highest peaks of all seven continents and has solo-paddled to both the North and South Poles. With a total of 27 world records to his name, including five Guinness World Records, Konjuchow’s latest achievement is set to be remembered as a historic milestone in the annals of adventure and exploration.