A scientific sailing expedition
Around Antarctica
One sailboat. The wildest ocean on Earth. A circumnavigation of the frozen continent beyond 60° South.
Malabar now 43°22.67′N · 004°49.62′E Port Napoléon, France · Winter refit
The Southern Ocean
Below 60° South, no land stops the wind. The waves circle the planet unbroken, the ice drifts north, and the nearest harbour can be weeks away.
Around Antarctica is a professional expedition: a full circumnavigation of the continent in the high southern latitudes, followed by the Antarctic Peninsula under a permit from the French Southern and Antarctic Lands (TAAF). Every mile is a field station.
- 10,800 nm
- Around the 60th parallel
- 60°S
- And beyond
- 46 ft
- Sailboat Malabar
- 18 t
- Fully laden
The route
A full circle of the frozen continent
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01
Port Napoléon, France
Winter refit. Every system on board doubled.
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02
Atlantic & Patagonia
The Captain sails solo to Tierra del Fuego.
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03
Puerto Williams, Chile
The scientist joins Malabar. The expedition begins.
-
04
Beyond 60° South
Westbound circumnavigation of the continent. The loop closes where it began.
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05
Port Charcot, Antarctic Peninsula
Field research under TAAF permit.
Indicative route — subject to ice and weather.
Three journeys in one
The Expedition
A circumnavigation in the most hostile waters on the planet, prepared like an offshore race and run like a research mission.
Explore the expeditionThe Science
Marine wildlife, ocean and ice: observations collected at sea and shared openly with the scientific community.
Discover the researchThe Film
A feature documentary filmed on board, from the refit in France to the ice of the Antarctic Peninsula.
About the filmThe boat
Malabar
46 feet. 18 tonnes fully laden. Built to keep going when everything else fails.
Every system has its double.
- Energy
- Solar, wind and alternators, three separate battery banks
- Propulsion
- Sails, inboard engine, and a 60 hp outboard as backup
- Communications
- Starlink satellite link, redundant power
- Autonomy
- Weeks at sea without outside assistance
The crew
Two people, one ocean
Malabar seen from her tender, “P’tit Malabar”
The documentary
Filming has begun
First footage: Malabar being prepared at Port Napoléon. From the shipyard to the pack ice, the whole expedition is being filmed for a feature documentary.
Trailer coming soon
Partners
Put your name on the edge of the world
Around Antarctica is looking for partners who share its values: commitment, science and respect for the polar environment. Your brand on the hull, in the film and in the data.
- Your logo here
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