From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cape Horn from the South.TheHermite Islands (center) and Cape Horn (lower right) as seen from space.
Cape Horn (Dutch:Kaap Hoorn;Spanish:Cabo de Hornos) is acape. It was named for the city ofHoorn in theNetherlands. It is the southernmost land area of theTierra del Fuegoarchipelago of southernChile. Many people see Cape Horn as the southern tip ofSouth America. Cape Horn is the most southerly of thegreat capes. TheDrake Passage is directly to the south of it. For many years, it was a major milestone on theclipper route by whichsailing ships carried trade around the world. The waters around the cape are very dangerous because of strong winds, large waves, andicebergs. These reasons have made it notorious as a sailors' graveyard.
Today, thePanama Canal has greatly reduced the need for cargo ships to travel via the Horn. However, sailing around the Horn is widely regarded as one of the major challenges inyachting, and a number of recreational sailors continue to sail this route, sometimes as part of acircumnavigation of the globe. Several prominent oceanyacht races, notably theVendée Globe, sail around the world via the Horn, and speed records for round-the-world sailing follow the same route.
