But not Enda O’Coineen. The Irishman has luck on his side.
The 61-year-old has confirmed he will complete his round-the-world solo voyage after being knocked out of the Vendee Globe Race.
He was forced to pull out of the race in January last year when his yacht Kilcullen Voyager was dismasted off the coast of New Zealand.
It happened after there was a self-steering system glitch and he had to take control of the 18.3m yacht.
He jibed into trouble 180 nautical miles southeast of Dunedin and a strong squall broke his yacht’s 10m-high mast.
The damaged yacht was towed to Dunedin by fishing trawler Lady Dorothy, skippered by Steve Little.
The yacht has since gone to Auckland for repairs and has been sold.
Mr O’Coineen has bought another yacht to complete his solo circumnavigation.
The new yacht — Le Souffle du Nord pour Le Projet Imagine — is a more modern French Imoca 60 design which was also damaged during the Vendee in 2016, and ended its race in Bluff.
Mr O’Coineen said both teams had merged to be named Le Souffle du Nord Kilcullen Team Ireland.
The yacht was repaired and refitted in Christchurch and Auckland, and he is now sailing it with two French sailors who are familiar with the boat, around Cape Reinga, down the West Coast of New Zealand, through Foveaux Strait and into Dunedin.
He is expected to arrive in Dunedin on January 21.
Mr O’Coineen said he would then leave the Frenchmen in Dunedin and continue his journey solo on January 26, back to France, where he began his circumnavigation.
"I’ll go non-stop and unofficially finish for both teams."
Mr O’Coineen told an Irish sailing magazine the journey would be challenging because there would be no race back-up this time.He expected to complete the journey by the end of March.
"I’m not going to rush. I have to be very conservative."
Mr O’Coineen said he was out of the race but he still aimed to make the record books.
If successful, he will be the first Irishman to single-handedly sail around the world.
"I’m the first Irishman to sail single-handedly halfway around the world — I’ve just got to do the other half."
