Editing Circumnavigation (section)

==Nautical==
The nautical global and fastest circumnavigation record is currently held by a wind-powered vessel, the trimaran [[IDEC 3]]. The record was established by six sailors: [[Francis Joyon]], [[Alex Pella]], Clément Surtel, Gwénolé Gahinet, Sébastien Audigane and Bernard Stamm. On 26 January, 2017, this crew finished circumnavigating the globe in 40&nbsp;days, 23&nbsp;hours, 30&nbsp;minutes and 30&nbsp;seconds.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.sailspeedrecords.com/news/216-wssr-newsletter-no-281-idec-around-the-world-outright-07-02-17|title = The WSSR Council announces the establishment of a new World Recordwork | work = World Sailing Speed Record Council (WSSR) |access-date =2017-02-07}}</ref> The absolute speed sailing record around the world followed the North Atlantic Ocean, Equator, South Atlantic Ocean, Southern Ocean, South Atlantic Ocean, Equator, North Atlantic Ocean route in an easterly direction.

===Wind powered===
[[File:CircumnavigationByTrades.png|thumb|300px|right|The route of a typical modern sailing circumnavigation, via the [[Suez Canal]] and the [[Panama Canal]] is shown in red; its antipodes are shown in yellow.]]

The map on the right shows, in red, a typical, non-competitive, route for a [[sailing]] circumnavigation of the world by the [[trade wind]]s and the [[Suez Canal|Suez]] and [[Panama Canal|Panama]] canals; overlaid in yellow are the points antipodal to all points on the route. It can be seen that the route roughly approximates a [[great circle]], and passes through two pairs of antipodal points. This is a route followed by many [[Cruising (maritime)|cruising]] sailors, going in the western direction; the use of the trade winds makes it a relatively easy sail, although it passes through a number of zones of calms or light winds.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Circumnavigations |url=http://www.solarnavigator.net/circumnavigation.htm|access-date=2021-01-28|website=www.solarnavigator.net}}</ref>

[[File:CircumnavigationByCapes.png|thumb|300px|right|The route of a typical yacht racing circumnavigation is shown in red; its antipodes are shown in yellow.]]

In [[yacht racing]], a round-the-world route approximating a great circle would be quite impractical, particularly in a non-stop race where use of the Panama and Suez Canals would be impossible. Yacht racing therefore defines a world circumnavigation to be a passage of at least 21,600&nbsp;nautical miles (40,000&nbsp;km) in length which crosses the [[equator]], crosses every [[meridian (geography)|meridian]] and finishes in the same port as it starts.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://sailspeedrecords.com/the-courses-offshore.html |title=ISAF/World Sailing Speed Record Rules for individually attempted Passage Records or Performances Offshore, sec. 26.1.a, Record Courses |publisher=Sailspeedrecords.com |access-date=2 July 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120717063258/http://sailspeedrecords.com/the-courses-offshore.html |archive-date=17 July 2012 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> The second map on the right shows the route of the [[Vendée Globe]] round-the-world race in red; overlaid in yellow are the points antipodal to all points on the route. It can be seen that the route does not pass through any pairs of antipodal points. Since the winds in the higher southern latitudes predominantly blow west-to-east it can be seen that there are an easier route (west-to-east) and a harder route (east-to-west) when circumnavigating by sail; this difficulty is magnified for [[square-rig]] vessels due to the square rig's dramatic lack of upwind ability when compared to a more modern [[Bermuda rig]].<ref name=":0" />

For [[around the world sailing record]]s, there is a rule saying that the length must be at least 21,600&nbsp;nautical miles calculated along the shortest possible track from the starting port and back that does not cross land and does not go below 63°S. It is allowed to have one single waypoint to lengthen the calculated track. The equator must be crossed.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sailspeedrecords.com/the-courses-offshore.html |title=ISAF/World Sailing Speed Record Rules for individually attempted Passage Records or Performances Offshore |publisher=Sailspeedrecords.com |access-date=2 July 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120717063258/http://www.sailspeedrecords.com/the-courses-offshore.html |archive-date=17 July 2012 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

The solo wind powered circumnavigation record of 42 days, 16 hours, 40 minutes and 35 seconds was established by [[François Gabart]] on the maxi-multihull sailing yacht MACIF and completed on 7 December 2017.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2017-12-17|title=François Gabart: French sailor slashes around the world solo record|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-42383438|access-date=2021-02-13}}</ref> The voyage followed the North Atlantic Ocean, Equator, South Atlantic Ocean, Southern Ocean, South Atlantic Ocean, Equator, North Atlantic Ocean route in an easterly direction.

===Mechanically powered===
Since the advent of world cruises in 1922, by [[Cunard Line|Cunard's]] [[RMS Laconia (1921)|''Laconia'']], thousands of people have completed circumnavigations of the globe at a more leisurely pace. Typically, these voyages begin in [[New York City]] or [[Southampton]], and proceed westward. Routes vary, either travelling through the Caribbean and then into the Pacific Ocean via the [[Panama Canal]], or around [[Cape Horn]]. From there ships usually make their way to Hawaii, the islands of the South Pacific, Australia, New Zealand, then northward to Hong Kong, South East Asia, and India. At that point, again, routes may vary: one way is through the [[Suez Canal]] and into the Mediterranean; the other is around [[Cape of Good Hope]] and then up the west coast of Africa. These cruises end in the port where they began.<ref name=":0" />

In 1960, the American nuclear-powered submarine [[USS Triton (SSRN-586)|USS ''Triton'']] circumnavigated the globe in 60 days, 21 hours for [[Operation Sandblast]].

The current circumnavigation record in a powered boat of 60 days 23 hours and 49 minutes<ref>[https://www.uimpowerboating.com/Records1.aspx Records]uimpowerboating.com {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170814144327/https://www.uimpowerboating.com/Records1.aspx |date=14 August 2017 }}</ref> was established by a voyage of the wave-piercing trimaran ''[[Earthrace]]'' which was completed on 27 June 2008. The voyage followed the North Atlantic Ocean, Panama Canal, Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean, Suez Canal, Mediterranean Sea route in a westerly direction.