Nicolas Manthos has set himself the goal of beating the existing best time from 2023 as part of the Round Iceland Challenge organised by the Royal Western Yacht Club (RWYC). To do this, he has to complete the 2,800 nautical mile route - from Plymouth around Iceland and back again - in less than 39 days and ten hours.
Nicolas Manthos on the hunt for records
And his chances are good. He has already travelled over 1,900 nautical miles and has just over 1,000 to go. He recently passed the northernmost point of the island. Now he is sailing south along the east coast. In an interview with YACHT, he explains: "At the moment, it looks like I could arrive in Plymouth on 18 June." That would put him well below the existing record.
The weather forecast for the coming days in particular gives him hope. The wind should soon shift to the north, which would give the Class 40 sailor downwind courses and thus higher speeds. This would be a first on his journey, as he has mainly had to contend with headwinds so far.
Passing lows and some lulls
On the second night of his journey, at the height of Ireland, he was hit by the first area of low pressure. "It was quite violent, as I couldn't drop sufficiently," he says. Basic winds of 40 knots and gusts of up to 50 knots whipped over him. The wind then shifted to the west and Manthos sailed further north at a speed of 20 knots.
When he finally reached Iceland, he sailed along the coast in fairly mild winds. The mountains and glaciers that can be seen from the sea particularly appealed to him, enthuses Manthos. What's more, he is now sailing at the height of the Arctic Circle, which means it stays light at night.
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Manthos back on a southerly course
Last night, another low-pressure system passed over him, accompanied by icy cold weather, he reports. "The main thing was not to get wet." The depression has since moved northwards and Manthos has set his course southwards again. He now hopes to be able to sail swiftly to Plymouth when the north wind sets in.
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The sailor from southern Germany has already proven that he can handle challenges. He crossed the Atlantic in both directions in an 18-foot Hurley during the coronavirus pandemic. He had taught himself to sail shortly beforehand. He spoke to Timm Kruse about this experience in the YACHT podcast (here listen in).
New adventures already on the horizon
Manthos has taken on another challenge with the Round Iceland Challenge, but one thing is already certain: it won't be the last. This race not only offers him valuable experience, but also serves as a dress rehearsal and qualification for next year's upcoming non-stop round-the-world race - the World Star Race.
The special thing about the race around the world is that the participants have to complete the entire route without external support. Manthos recently spoke about his motivation and further plans in the Interview with YACHT.
Manthos is also using its sailing campaign to Humanitarian organisation "Doctors of the World" to support the organisation. "This is a globally active network that provides medical assistance to people who do not have sufficient access to healthcare - everywhere and regardless of ethnic origin, gender, religion or political beliefs," he explains. For every mile sailed, he would like to have collected one euro at the end of the race.
