Kalistani Major History

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Team Sponsored by Duchess of Vrassa wins Ananto Cup
Borland Team sailed "perfect race"
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
May 14, 5538


Second Place finishers Duke Victor Team nearly pass the Leader but fail to pass them in the end

The Ananto Cup has been won in Kaliburg. After 217 days, 1 hour and 31 minutes, the "Dame Smith" sponsored by Duchess Elizabeth Borland of Vrassa has narrowly edged out her competitors to win the round the world race. Over the next seven and a half days, all fourteen teams weighed anchor in Kaliburg, having each completed a full, assisted, nearly non-stop circumnavigation of the globe. Though the honors go to Duchess Borland's team, the sheer feat of circumnavigation of the globe is something that few individuals in Terra can say.

"We've done something that few, in the history of mankind on Terra have accomplished," said Captain Dona Taggert, of the KMI team. "We might not have gotten to take the purse that the champions did, but nobody can take away our accomplishment. Plus, it was great work for eight months!" The entire fleet averaged 6.5 knots over the course of the entire journey.

The total prize of ₭1 million will be awarded to the six person team of the Dame Smith. ₭500 thousand will be awarded to the crew of the "Princess Nicolette" sponsored by Prince Victor Ananto of Suldanor, and ₭100 thousand will be awarded to the crew of the "Empress Katherine" sponsored by ODEN. In addition, all sailors have been paid a salary of between ₭40,000 and ₭60 thousand for their time. All funds were provided by the fourteen team sponsors, as part of their sponsorships, which ended up being in just over ₭1 million each. "There was so much to pay into for the sponsors," said race coordinator Sylvia Fredrickssen at the start of the race. "Besides salaries, you have food, maintenance, the cost of the yachts, salaries for the support staff, the port fees all along the route... The total budget for this race was ₭18million, and Duke Victor and ODEN both put in an additional ₭500 thousand during the last leg to cover unanticipated costs."

"I don't think too much about the costs," said Duke Victor. "I made a lot of the money back betting parlay on the race, but it was never really about the money. I have more money than I know what to do with, as do all the other sponsors. This was an opportunity to draw attention to both the sport, as well as to honor the perseverance and fortitude of the human spirit, and to raise Kalistan's prestige in the realm of elite level sporting. To my knowledge, there hasn't been a similar race around the world like this. But, like so many other things, Kalistan did this first, and we will have done it best." Duke Victor himself launched from Gaduridos to meet his team as they passed close to the Islands and to cheer them on.

ODEN sponsored team, aboard the "Empress Katherine" are joined by their local Kalistani Ground crew for the cruise through Davon Bay just before docking third

The first four teams were less than 18 hours apart coming into Kaliburg, but the first three teams arrived within 3 hours of one another. A large crowd turned out to Port Davon to welcome the first three teams home, and the event was marked by a concert featuring the rising Vrassan Band Quickstop and the Empire's entry into FOMAT, Brad Willis. The Prince Regent was on hand at the event to greet the first three teams.

Robert Seville, navigator of the "Princess Nicolette", which came in second was just glad to be home. "I mean, we could see them all day today. When the sun was coming up and we were already in the straits, we noticed their sails on the horizon and we called them on the radio and I could just feel like we were gaining on them all day, but then they disappeared from view, and it as it was, that was when they entered Davon Bay and completed the race. We were so close, but I am just glad to be home. And considering that we've been fighting for the lead since leaving Valruzia, I'd say that the Dame Smith earned their victory!"

Ove the course of the next seven days, the remaining teams sailed into Davon Bay. They didn't have the fan fare or the concert to return home to, but the press was on hand to greet each team as they arrived. Kalistan's Grand Duchess' team, sailing aboard "The Countess Diane Morrison" arrived early the next morning, after having so many difficulties in the first leg of the trip. There weren't any significant mechanical difficulties, however, much of the bottom half of the finishers were affected by fairly strong storms between Indrala and Gaduridos that the front runners were able to beat through the ocean. Those storms slowed the pace of the sloops travelling through it, but no ships experienced the same issues that many did on the first leg of the journey.

The Corporate Teams finished in the middle of the field. This feat of endurance will go into the Kalistani Canon as the Greatest Sea Race ever run. The people of Kalistan welcomes our mariners back home. A combined celebration, along with a large parade are planned for the end of this month, and memoirs are already in the works about the race. In addition, much of Republican Studios' route was recorded, and a documentary film is being planned to incorporate that foots, interviews from many of the crew members on the various teams, and other recorded footage from the race.

Congratulations to the Crew of the "Dame Smith" her Captain Thomas Carrangus, and her Sponsor Duchess Elizabeth Borland.

Dame Smith Fore Crew, with Jib stowed and running Mainsail only in Davon Bay as they tack into harbor. The crew share a beer in celebration of their victory

Place-----Team----------------------Time to Kaliburg-------Tim behind Leader
1----------Duchess Elizabeth----------217d 1h 31m---------0m
2----------Duke Victor-----------------217d 3h 54m----------0d 1h 23m
3----------ODEN-------------------------217d 4h 2m-----------0d 2h 31m
4----------Grand Duchess Marta------217d 19h 25m--------0d 17h 54m
5----------Count Michael--------------218d 14h 0m----------1d 12h 29m
6----------KalMD------------------------218d 22h 22m---------1d 20h 51m
7----------MoCo-------------------------219d 9h 44m----------2d 6h 13m
8----------AeroKal----------------------220d 0h 40m----------2d 23h 9m
9----------Republican Studios---------220d 21h 17m--------3d 19h 46m
10---------KMI--------------------------221d 4h 7m------------4d 2h 36m
11---------Duchess Marnie------------221d 20h 41m---------4d 19h 10m
12---------Barron Albert--------------223d 15h 55m---------6d 14h 24m
13---------Duke George---------------224d 1h 6m------------7d 0h 35m
14---------Count Conrad--------------224d 18h 5m----------7d 16h 34m