Sailing the Wrong Way Around the World
Why I’m Choosing the Hard Way for America’s 25oth
by Istvan Kopar
Most sailors, when given the choice, go east.
The winds go east.
The currents go east.
The weather systems march east.
The currents go east.
The weather systems march east.
Races go east. Records go east. Common sense goes east.
So naturally, I’m going west.
In 2026, to mark America’s 250th Anniversary, I’m attempting what many consider the longest endurance challenge in sailing: a solo, nonstop, westbound circumnavigation via the three Great Capes — against the prevailing winds of the Southern Ocean.
No American sailor has ever completed this route solo and nonstop.
That fact alone makes it interesting.
But the direction makes it brutal.
East is Fast. West is Personal.
When you sail eastabout around the world, the planet helps you.
Low-pressure systems roll you along.
You surf. You manage speed. You dodge storms.
You surf. You manage speed. You dodge storms.
When you sail westabout, you grind.
You beat into the Roaring Forties.
You slam into the Furious Fifties.
Cape Horn doesn’t slide past — it argues with you.
You slam into the Furious Fifties.
Cape Horn doesn’t slide past — it argues with you.
There is no “ride.”
There is only persistence.
Westbound circumnavigation is not a race against other sailors. It’s a long negotiation with physics.
Independence Day Departure
The plan is to depart from Fort Lauderdale on July 4th — Independence Day — and sail to Les Sables-d’Olonne, France.
In September, the Golden Globe Race fleet will start eastbound. I’ll leave at the same time.
They will turn left.
I will turn right.
We will share the same oceans, the same storms, the same Southern Ocean loneliness — but in opposite directions. It’s a rare chance to show, in real time, just how different those two circumnavigations really are.
An American Boat for an American Milestone
My boat, Surprise, is a Valiant 42 — an American design built for bluewater work. She is not flashy. She is not light. She is not optimized for marina compliments.
She is built to keep going.
In the spirit of the Anniversary Challenge, I’m equipping her primarily with American-made gear wherever possible. This voyage is not just about distance. It’s about heritage — seamanship, self-reliance, and the kind of stubbornness that built a country in the first place.
The Longest Endurance Challenge
A solo, nonstop, westbound circumnavigation isn’t about peak speed.
It’s about sustained exposure.
Months of upwind load.
Months of UV.
Months of sleep deprivation.
Months of being the only person who can fix what breaks.
Months of UV.
Months of sleep deprivation.
Months of being the only person who can fix what breaks.
There are no pit stops.
No outside assistance.
No tapping out.
It is less a sporting event and more a long-form test of structural integrity — boat and skipper alike.
Why Do It?
Because some milestones deserve something difficult.
America’s 250th Anniversary is not just a fireworks holiday. It’s a reminder that independence was not achieved by choosing the easy direction.
Sailing west is slower. Harder. Less efficient.
But sometimes that’s exactly the point.
Follow the Voyage
The America 250 Anniversary Challenge is entirely self-supported, and I invite fellow cruisers and dreamers to follow along.
Updates, route information, and ways to support the voyage can be found at:
If you’d like to help push Surprise the “wrong way” around the world, there is a Donate link on the site as well.
Fair winds — whichever direction you choose.
Istvan Kopar
Solo Circumnavigator
Golden Globe Race 2018 Finisher
BoatUS Member since 1995
