A seemingly unattainable dream was put into words in my childhood: to sail around the globe solo. With only one stop. And in only one year. How could I even think of such a venture—being a citizen with limited means and of a country without sea borders? There was a [...]
Originally written in Hungarian, “Kihivas” tells the story of world-famous sailor Istvan Kopar as he took on the ultimate sailing challenge: solo circumnavigation. Now fully translated into English, boating enthusiasts will find much inspiration in Kopar’s journey and his thoughts on his most harrowing trials, as well as life-saving insights for those brave enough [...]
The ill-famed Bay of Biscay showed her true self on March 16th. But this wasn’t Puffin’s first rodeo, and we wouldn’t have noticed the heavy weather if the replaced Windpilot had been the right size. Unfortunately, the servo pendulum was 200 mm shorter than the original one and was frequently in the air—even after [...]
My father and friends cheered for me remotely while I rounded Cape Horn for the first time back on March 5th, 1991. This time two of my friends, and my father, were close by. Not virtually, but, unfortunately, in a rather tangible way. My father's ashes and a handful of soil from Dezso Balogh [...]
This leg became very long, but its related comments in Puffin’s logbook are extremely brief. First, the exhausting struggle to stay in the race left neither time nor energy for detailed notes. Second, the frustration caused by the slow progress. During this time, the logbook contained short, usually one-word references to the weather, the [...]
The gorgeous Tasmanian coastline faded, and we lost view of land by November 5th. We hoped to see land again at Christmas, with some luck at Cape Horn. We were not even mid-way to the finish, but I was raring to go like a stable-bound horse. Well, perhaps [...]
November greeted Puffin above Tasmania’s continental shelf—and almost on the rocks of Maatsuyker Islands. A strong storm was Tasmania-bound. Don urged me to accelerate my progress, hoping for better shelter in the coastal area. I would have rather slowed down, as the open waters offer more safety for solo sailors. And I hate any [...]
the Indian Ocean is the smallest, therefore, the most unpredictable (due to the closely surrounding continents.) And she didn’t let her image of being the most feared of all oceans be tarnished this time, either. On September 12, the 20-25 knots Easterly wind slowly died. And while the barometer took a dive, it started [...]
After 9 hours of uninterrupted sleep and a rich brunch, the world didn't turn rosy, but I could finally think straight. I have sailed between and near the Cape Verde Islands several times but never set foot ashore, except for the one time I flew to Durban, South Africa (to deliver a Crealock 37’ solo, [...]
Below is the Hungarian version of Part 4. For the English version, please click here. Suhaili ágyúja pontosan délben dördült el (2018 július 1) és Puffin a rajtvonal Északi oldalán, a GGR mezőny első negyedében szelte át a rajtvonalat. Az év- és napszakhoz igazodó kánikula ellenére is nagy létszámú szurkoló jött ki a rajthoz a [...]
