This cover commemorates the visit to the Kerguelen Islands by the Australian registered sailing vessel Berrimilla 2 during her second circumnavigation of the world. The cover is one of only 60 created by M. Renaud Huez, the Postmaster at Port Aux Francais to commemorate the visit. The 60 covers were stamped, addressed and signed by Berrimlla's crew, Alex Whitworth and Peter Crozier on 27th January 2010 and then postmarked by M. Huez.
Berrimilla departed for Hobart on January 28th The covers were kept in the Post Office by M. Huez until the research vessel Marion DuFresne arrived from Reunon in Mauritius at the end of April 2010 to resupply the islands and collect the mail and return to Reunion via Isle Amsterdam. From there the covers were flown to Noumea whence they were delivered around the world by the French postal service.
Berrimilla's first circumnavigation started with the 2007 Sydney- Hobart yacht race, continued via Cape Horn and the UK and back to Sydney around the Cape of Good Hope in time for the 2008 Sydney-Hobart race. While in the UK she competed in the Fastnet race and finished 11th overall out of 300 and second in the Double Handed division.
Berrimilla's second circumnavigation started on April 10th 2008. She sailed direct to Alaska from Sydney and then via the North West Passage to Falmouth, UK where she was laid up for the winter. She returned to Australia via the Cape of Good Hope in 2010.
During these two circumnavigations Berrimilla became the first vessel ever to:
- Sandwich a Fastnet race between 2 consecutive Sydney – Hobarts, all under sail
- Sail to England twice to compete in the Fastnet and then return
- Sail from Australia to England via the North West Passage
- Circumnavigate the world under sail via the North West Passage
- Circumnavigate the world via both Cape Horn and the North West Passage.
Berrimilla was the 77th vessel to transit the North West Passage since Amundsen's Gjoa in 1903 -6 and her transit was the 114th ever. Both figures may be disproved by later research but they are as close as we can get at the time of writing.
Signed
Alex Whitworth
