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Famous Russian adventurer sets several world records during his rowboat trip

The Russian adventurer began his solo circumnavigation on board his AKROS rowboat on December 6, departing from New Zealand’s port of Dunedin

Fedor Konyukhov Igor Podgorny/TASS

Fedor Konyukhov

© Igor Podgorny/TASS

MOSCOW, May 14. /TASS/. Russian voyager and survivalist Fedor Konyukhov set several world records during this solo round-the-world rowboat voyage, which may be listed in the Guinness Book of Records, his son Oskar, the organizer of the journey, told TASS.

Earlier reports said the traveler had officially wrapped up his voyage onboard the AKROS rowboat crossing the South Pacific from New Zealand to Chile for 154 days 13 hours and 37 minutes.

"During this voyage, Fyodor Konyukhov set several world records, which should be verified by the Ocean Rowing Society in England and further will be also proposed for registration in the Guinness Book of Records," Oskar said.

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Veteran Russian adventurer ends his 154-day rowing solo in South Pacific

According to him, the traveler became the oldest solo rower at the age of 67. Konyukhov also reached the southernmost point onboard his rowboat (56'40 of southern latitude) and also spent the biggest number of days in the Southern Ocean (154).

The Russian adventurer began his solo circumnavigation on board his AKROS rowboat on December 6, departing from New Zealand’s port of Dunedin. The circumnavigator’s route was divided into three stages: Dunedin (New Zealand) - Cape Horn (Chile), Cape Horn (Chile) - Cape Leeuwin (Austalia), and Cape Leeuwin (Austalia) - Dunedin. Konyukhov had to row 27,000 kilometers in total.

British boat designer Phil Morrison created Konyukhov’s AKROS vessel exclusively for this expedition. The nine-meter rowboat has watertight compartments capable of storing up food and three independent power generation systems, including a solar and wind turbine along with an innovative EFOY fuel cell power plant. The vessel is also equipped with two satellite phones, a satellite tracker and several communication and navigation systems.

Konyukhov, 67, has completed five globetrotting missions, crossing the Atlantic 17 times and becoming the first Russian who climbed seven highest summits in six parts of the world, and also traveled to the North and South Poles. In 2007, Konyukhov circled the Southern Hemisphere in a sailboat dubbed the ‘Scarlet Sails’ through the waters of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans. The 102-day voyage did not involve any port calls.

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