2 years ago Joe O’Blenis lost the record for fastest solo circumnavigation of Vancouver Island by kayak to Sean Morley. On Aug 19, 2010 he set out in an attempt to regain the record.
From Wavelength Magazine:
NANAIMO, BRITISH COLUMBIA, August 19, 2010 – Joe O’Blenis is underway in his bid to win back the speed record for circumnavigating Vancouver Island.
Joe, a resident of Thunder Bay, ON, left the Brechin boat ramp in downtown Nanaimo this morning with a SPOT GPS satellite message reading “I’m right here and all is GREAT.” The official launch time: 8:15:16 a.m. PST. His target to complete the 1,150-km journey is 17 days, 4 hours and 49 minutes, which means he has to return to the same spot by rounding the island by Sept. 5 at 1:04 p.m.
Joe first completed the circumnavigation in 2007 in 23 days, setting the record for the fastest solo time around the island. That record was broken in 2008 by Sean Morley of California, who shaved six days of Joe’s time not by encountering ideal conditions but rather by pushing through some of the worst with occasionally Herculean efforts. He completed the journey with several back-to-back 100-km days of kayaking.
Joe left from Nanaimo (home of the office of Wavelength Magazine) as an ideal base camp for this bid, convenient to the ferry and his on-land support network, but strategic also for being able to time his passage of the first hurdle: Seymour Narrows, a difficult and potentially dangerous tidal passage north of Campbell River…..
From the Great Island Race page:
The goal is simple: be the fastest kayaker to journey non-stop and unaided around Vancouver Island. There are no official rules, but Wavelength Magazine is setting them nonetheless. To claim the title kayakers must journey the entire outer shoreline of Vancouver Island by paddle. Once the kayaker first leaves shore the timer starts, and it doesn’t stop until the kayaker returns to the same location. No breaking the circumnavigation into portions. The kayakers must be self-sufficient – no support boat should provide nightly meals, accommodation or services. Part of the endurance is setting up and breaking down camp. If a kayaker stays at fixed roof accommodation during the trip the kayaker must return to the exact location to restart.
The record holders so far:
2006: Kieron Tastagh and Jeff Norville completed the circumnavigation in 19 1/2 days, setting a record for a double.2007: Joe O’Blenis completed the circumnavigation in 23 days, 10 hours, setting a record for a single. He also continues to hold the record for the fastest clockwise circumnavigation.
2008: Sean Morley completed the circumnavigation in 17 days, 4 hours and 49 minutes, setting and holding the record for the fastest time.
You can track Joe’s daily progress here.
