Vito Dumas (September 26, 1900 – March 28, 1965) was an
Argentine single-handed sailor
A sailor, seaman, mariner, or seafarer is a person who works aboard a watercraft as part of its crew, and may work in any one of a number of different fields that are related to the operation and maintenance of a ship.
The profession of the s ...
.
On 27 June 1942, while the world was in the depths of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, he set out on a single-handed circumnavigation of the
Southern Ocean
The Southern Ocean, also known as the Antarctic Ocean, comprises the southernmost waters of the World Ocean, generally taken to be south of 60° S latitude and encircling Antarctica. With a size of , it is regarded as the second-small ...
. He left
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...
in June, sailing ''
LEHG II
''Lehg II'' is a ketch that was sailed around the world in 1942 by Argentinian Vito Dumas. The name ''Lehg'' was based on the initials of "four names which marked my life", according to Dumas.
History
Dumas sailed easterly from Buenos Aires, ar ...
'', a 31-foot
ketch
A ketch is a two- masted sailboat whose mainmast is taller than the mizzen mast (or aft-mast), and whose mizzen mast is stepped forward of the rudder post. The mizzen mast stepped forward of the rudder post is what distinguishes the ketch fr ...
an acronym representing "four names which marked my life". He had only the most basic and makeshift gear; he had no radio, for fear of being shot as a spy, and was forced to stuff his clothes with newspaper to keep warm.
With only three landfalls, the legs of his trip were the longest that had been made by a single-hander, and in the most ferocious oceans on the Earth; but most of all, it was a powerful retort to a world which had chosen to divide itself by war.
[''Alone Through The Roaring Forties'', Vito Dumas; McGraw-Hill Education, 2001. ] He recounted the experience in his book ''Los Cuarenta Bramadores: La Vuelta al Mundo Por la "Ruta Imposible"'' (''Alone Through The Roaring Forties'').
He donated his boat to the
Argentine Navy for training, but after a few years it was neglected, and was finally wrecked against a pier at the entrance of La Plata's port in 1966. A wealthy Argentine yachtsman paid to have it restored and donated it to the Argentina Naval Museum in
Tigre, a coastal river town on a backwater of the
River Plate. The LEHG II is now on display in Tigre, which is a short train ride from Buenos Aires.
Dumas was the inspiration for an
Argentine tango entitle
Navegante written by Jaime Yanin (music) and José Horacio Staffolani (lyrics). It was recorded in Buenos Aires on 5 August 1943 by the
Orquesta típica
Orquesta típica, or simply a típica, is a Latin American term for a band which plays popular music. The details vary from country to country. The term tends to be used for groups of medium size (about 8 to 12 musicians) in some well-defined in ...
of
Carlos di Sarli Carlos Di Sarli (January 7, 1903January 12, 1960) was an Argentine tango musician, orchestra leader, composer and pianist.
Early years
Carlos di Sarli was born at 511 Buenos Aires street (now Yrigoyen) in the city of Bahía Blanca, located i ...
, featurin
Roberto Rufinoon vocals.
References
*
in Spanish)
*
* [http://www.navegar-es-preciso.com/news/vito-dumas-argentino-universal-uno-de-los-mas-grandes-navegantes-solitarios-de-todos-los-tiempos-/ Vito Dumas, argentino universal, uno de los más grandes navegantes solitarios de todos los tiempos](Spanish)
* Roberto Alonso - Ricardo Cufre "Testimonios de una leyenda" - 1995 - , page 284.
1900 births
1965 deaths
Sportspeople from Buenos Aires
Argentine sailors
Burials at La Chacarita Cemetery
Single-handed circumnavigating sailors
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