Gosport sailor Alex Alley on target to beat round-the-world record

A GOSPORT sailor hoping to beat the current non-stop solo round-the-world record believes he may already be ahead of the schedule.
By David George
Published 17th Jan 2019, 14:49 BST
Updated 7th Feb 2019, 17:39 BST
Alex Alley, 48, from Alverstoke, is taking on the challenge of sailing non-stop around the world solo on his boat the Pixel Flyer. Picture: Sarah Standing (180802-7649)Alex Alley, 48, from Alverstoke, is taking on the challenge of sailing non-stop around the world solo on his boat the Pixel Flyer. Picture: Sarah Standing (180802-7649)
Alex Alley, 48, from Alverstoke, is taking on the challenge of sailing non-stop around the world solo on his boat the Pixel Flyer. Picture: Sarah Standing (180802-7649)

Alex Alley, 48 from Alverstoke, is hoping to beat the record currently held by Guo Chuan, which stands at 137 days, 20 hours, one minute and 57 seconds.

But Alex, who is taking a different route than Chuan, believes he could already be more than a day ahead.

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He said: ‘137 days 20 hours is 3,308 hours so that gives an overall average speed of 8.16 knots.

‘Speeds in the Southern Ocean are higher, with an average of 9.16 knots – so the rest is 8.16.

‘As of 2.30pm on January 15, I have been sailing for 360 hours and covered 2,939 miles at an average speed, coincidentally, of 8.16 knots.

‘If we use the logic above and Chuan averaged 7.16 knots for this part of the route, it would put me about a day and a half ahead at this point.

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‘Obviously there a lot of assumptions in all of that but generally I think we are doing okay.

‘I just need to keep everything together and working.’

Alex will have to cross the finish line by May 11 to beat the record.

Related topics:Gosport