SYDNEY, April 7 -- A team of eight Polish sailors have made their way to a Tasmanian port in Australia on Friday, for a well earned rest after becoming the first crew to circumnavigate Antarctica below the 60th parallel.
The 72-foot Katharsis II officially completed the loop on March 21 after 72 days in the world's most treacherous and bone-chilling seas.
But although the crew faced extremely challenging conditions including icebergs, snow and winds powerful enough to tear the roofs off houses, it wasn't unit the record was in the bag when the most dangerous part of the voyage began.
Around 1,000 nautical miles southwest of Tasmania's capital Hobart, the oyster class yacht was hit by a massive rogue wave during an intense storm.
The impact was so severe it caused the mainsail to swing to the other side of the vessel in an uncontrolled gybe.
As a result, the boat was knocked down and all of the crew were thrown into the icy water.
Luckily however the sailors were tethered to the boat and survived without injury.
"Fortunately, the rigging took the impact well, saving the mainmast," skipper and boat owner Mariusz Koper reported.
"But our carbon fibre boom, robust but not impact-resistant, is now fractured and will have to be replaced."
While the journey was exhausting and fraught with hazards, for one crew members the experience was nothing compared to the months leading up to the adventure.
In November 2016, Hanna Leniec was diagnosed with breast cancer and believed she might miss out on the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
But determined to beat the odds, Leniec did everything she could to keep her place on the Polish vessel.
"I learnt a lot about cancer, about what it really means, how it changes your everyday life, but also that it is curable and does not put an end to a normal life," she said.
"We tend to think that if we don't talk about something and pretend it doesn't exist, this will never happen to us But this is not how it works."
"I may always count on my nearest and dearest, my friends and my sailing family, Katharsis II crew."
体坛英语资讯:Record participation in 28th Athens Classic Marathon to mark 2,500th anniversary of Marathon Battle
体坛英语资讯:AC Milan beat Chievo 3-1
体坛英语资讯:Atletico-MG coach uses unconventional methods to motivate striker
体坛英语资讯:Mourinho bullish despite cup setback
体坛英语资讯:Bilbaos Gomez out for two months
体坛英语资讯:Barcelona defeats Valencia while Real Madrid goes top in Spain
体坛英语资讯:FIFA asks British newspaper for more evidence
体坛英语资讯:Leo Messi on target twice as Barca cruises to easy win in Zaragoza
体坛英语资讯:Chinas Pang/Tong crowned in figure skating Grand Prix in Japan
体坛英语资讯:Hamburg snap Mainz winning streak
体坛英语资讯:Ronaldos four goals highlight matchday 8 in Spain
体坛英语资讯:PSV stay undefeated, Feyenoord recover from record loss
体坛英语资讯:Bayern defeats Cluj 3-2 at Champions League
体坛英语资讯:Argentine Nalbandian to play Davis Cup in 2011
体坛英语资讯:Vitoria beats Gremio Prudente 2-0
体坛英语资讯:Lazio back to top with win over Bari
体坛英语资讯:Stunner team Mainz recaptures German Bundesliga top position
体坛英语资讯:Bayern share points with Hamburg in Bundesliga
体坛英语资讯:Xue/Zhang make finals at Asian Beach Volleyball Championship
体坛英语资讯:Cristiano scores four as Real Madrid hammer Racing 6-1 in Bernabeu
体坛英语资讯:Villarreal draw away to Hercules
体坛英语资讯:Messi the hero as Barcelona beats Copenhagen in Champions League
体坛英语资讯:Ghana star shortlisted for FIFA World Best player award
体坛英语资讯:Chelsea held scoreless at Villa
体坛英语资讯:Chinas Zhang wins high bar gold at gymnastics worlds
体坛英语资讯:FIFA president expresses sadness over death in Kenyans stadium
体坛英语资讯:AC Milan beat Napoli to move past Inter
体坛英语资讯:Palmeiras and Ceara draw 1-1
体坛英语资讯:Stuttgart wins, Dortmund ties at European League
体坛英语资讯:Real Madrid quick off the mark to beat AC Milan in Champions League