A round-the-world expedition, "Sailing Without Borders," featuring people with physical disabilities, is set to launch in November 2024 and conclude in 2026. This was announced at a press conference at TASS.
This is the second circumnavigation by the "5 Oceans" Club. The first was completed in March 2024, covering 30,000 nautical miles and visiting 25 countries across four continents.
As Oleg Dudkin, the club's head, announced at the press conference, the route for the second circumnavigation is planned to be largely the same, with some adjustments.
The circumnavigation will include four main stages: the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian Oceans, and the Mediterranean Sea. "This is a classic route for global yachting, followed for hundreds of years," said Dudkin.
According to him, the expedition will kick off on November 20 with an amateur transatlantic regatta. One of the key points of the journey will be the New Year holidays in Cuba. The yachtsmen also plan to participate in several regattas in the Caribbean region before heading to the Panama Canal.
"In the Pacific Ocean, we have big plans - we want to visit the Galapagos, Marquesas, Suwarrow Atoll, Vanuatu, and a number of large and small islands and archipelagos," Dudkin said.
Maria Rafalovich, director of the "Life in Motion" charity foundation, spoke at the press conference about the participation of yachtsmen with disabilities, beneficiaries of the foundation, in the expedition.
"As part of this project, we will be conducting scientific research. Since the co-founder of our foundation is a master of positive psychology and psychotherapist Natalia Shaginyan, she will be testing all crew members before and after the circumnavigation to see how a person's personality changes when they spend time at sea," she noted.
According to Rafalovich, the foundation has scientifically proven facts that demonstrate that "by overcoming themselves and going through psychological and physical barriers, the guys grow, their potential unfolds - not only sports, but also psychological."
"They become more confident in themselves. And, returning to ordinary life, they cope with current life challenges more easily," she noted.
Another goal is to reveal the creative potential of the foundation's beneficiaries. Their works will be presented at the exhibition "Ocean - a World Without Borders" on the eve of the circumnavigation at the All-Russian Decorative and Applied Arts Museum.
The expedition will also include various educational events about the environmental problems of the oceans, creative meetings with the circumnavigators' team in different countries, acquaintance with Russian bathhouse traditions with steaming in a mobile bathhouse, and the opening of new Russian Houses along the expedition route.
