Annapolis Film Festival Showcases Gary Jobson’s 1995 Antarctic Expedition Film
Did you know that Annapolis sailor and renowned sailing commentator Gary Jobson led an expedition to the Antarctic Peninsula aboard a 54-foot steel-hulled sloop Pelagic for 35 days in 1995? On Saturday, March 28, at the Annapolis Film Festival, viewers may see the footage of “Sail to Antarctica” with their own eyes as well attend a Q&A with Jobson afterward.
The expedition crew of nine included famous climber, the late Alex Lowe; four-time around-the-world racer and the steel sloop’s owner, Skip Novak; Susie Leech, an Annapolis native who sailed on the all-women’s America’s Cup crew in 1995; sailing camera operator Mike Audick of Arlington, VA; mountaineer camera operator Alun Hughes from Wales, U.K; the late John Thackwray from Annapolis; director Jamie Reynolds; Chuck Gates, an underwater expert from Chicago, IL; and Hall of Fame sailor, Jobson.
The team sailed from Ushuaia, Argentina, and made a stop at the infamous Cape Horn before sailing across the Drake Passage; the Antarctica Peninsula is 600 miles from Cape Horn. The mission was to produce a film featuring the juxtaposition of sailing and climbing in extreme environments. Jobson introduced Lowe to sailing in rough ocean waters, while Lowe introduced Jobson to ice climbing and mountaineering on the frozen continent.
The expedition vessel, Pelagic, was built out of reinforced steel to withstand the ice and also featured a lifting keel and rudder, making shallow-water navigation possible. A diesel heater kept the crew warm below decks; the warmest temperature was 42 degrees and the coldest was five degrees. The wind ranged from zero to more than 50 knots.
A few highlights of the film to be screened at the festival include:
Lowe scaled a 100-foot iceberg with ice axes and crampons without ropes.
The crew explored an ancient ice cave, navigated through thick ice, and visited abandoned Antarctic research stations from the 1950s.
Lowe, Novak, and Jobson scaled a 5200-foot mountain with Hughes filming the ascent. Jobson said it took 11 hours to reach the summit and eight hours to climb back down. The ascent was possible because the Antarctic has 24-hour daylight during the Austral summer.
Gates captured remarkable underwater images of sea life, orca whales, seals, and penguins.
The crew visited Faraday, a British research station that first discovered the ozone hole and met famous polar explorer, the late Wally Herbert, whom Jobson interviewed.
Jobson said, “Our Antarctic expedition was a trip of a lifetime, especially on a ‘small sailboat.’ We made the voyage before cruise ships started visiting the region. At one point we got stuck in a cove by an iceberg for eight days before the wind shifted and we could continue. We were amazed at the loud noises icebergs make as they make their way to the sea.”
The film, slated to show at noon on Saturday, March 28, is 78 minutes long and will be followed by a Q&A. The Annapolis Film Festival (March 26-29) will announce its full slate of films and details for the Jobson event March 1. Buy tickets at annapolisfilmfestival.com.
