FEATURE/Modern Day Vikings Complete 1,800 Mile Voyage: Rediscover The New World

Business Wire, Sept 22, 1998

L'ANSE AUX MEADOWS, Newfoundland, Canada--(BUSINESS WIRE FEATURES)--Sept. 22, 1998--

W. Hodding Carter and Crew of Eight on Viking Voyage 1000

are First to Retrace Leif Eriksson's Voyage to

North America in Authentic Viking Knarr

The boyhood dream of American writer and adventurer W. Hodding Carter to retrace Viking explorer Leif Eriksson's voyage to the "New World" in an authentic Viking knarr, will become a reality today.

Carter and his crew of eight began their 1,800 mile odyssey at sea on June 28 in Nuuk, Greenland. They will complete their voyage when they wade ashore at L'Anse aux Meadows, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, on the island of Newfoundland -- the only confirmed Viking settlement in North America.

Carter and the crew of the Snorri -- named after the first Viking child born in the New World 1,000 years ago -- have navigated for 87 days through the treacherous waters of the North Atlantic, sailing along the coast of Greenland, across the stormy Davis Strait to Baffin Island, and south along the remote coast of Labrador to reach L'Anse aux Meadows.

Some have tried to sail this route in a motor-powered boat, and some have sailed part of the route in an authentic Viking ship, but no one has successfully replicated Eriksson's original voyage in a wind- and man-powered knarr. That included Carter until now. This was his second attempt at retracing Eriksson's voyage. Last summer, the expedition ended abruptly just six weeks into the trip when the Snorri sustained severe rudder damage while crossing the Davis Strait en route to Baffin Island. With the continued support of Lands' End Direct Merchants -- the expedition's sole sponsor -- Carter was able to re-launch the Snorri in 1998 and realize his childhood dream.

"It's been almost 1,000 years since an authentic Viking knarr sailed from Greenland to L'Anse aux Meadow, and at times it has seemed like we have been trying for nearly as long," said Carter, Expedition Leader. "We have overcome all odds and it simply feels great. I hope that through our experience people now have a better understanding of what once made the Vikings the rulers of the seas...I have never been happier to cast my eyes on a place than on L'Anse aux Meadow. I will be forever grateful to our captain, our courageous crew, Lands' End and all the people who encouraged us on our way."

And, in Viking tradition, the crew will be met on shore by a group of children bearing a ceremonial gift of berries and flatbreads signifying the "harvest" of the land that Leif Eriksson called "Vinland."

The entire journey of the Viking Voyage 1000 is chronicled on the Beyond Lands' End adventure web site: www.beyond.landsend.com , where thousands of people around the globe have followed the journey through the crew's daily journal entries and digital photography of the voyage.

"A project like Viking Voyage 1000 was the perfect vehicle for relating an important but remote historical experience to an audience fascinated by every triumph and hardship experienced by the crew," said Mike Smith, president and CEO, Lands' End. "The heritage of Lands' End is entrenched in the sailing industry, and this project fosters the spirit of adventure to our customers and the world."

In tribute to the upcoming millennium celebration of Eriksson's initial voyage, Carter will present the Snorri to Parks Canada as a gift. The knarr will permanently reside at L'Anse aux Meadows.

Members of the Viking Voyage 1000 crew are:

- W. Hodding Carter - Terry Moore - Rob Stevens

Expedition Leader Captain Boat Builder

Beckley, West Virginia Camden, Maine Hermit Island, Maine

- John Abbott - Doug Cabot - John Gardner

Hermit Island, Maine Somerville, Mass. Phippsburg, Maine

- Dean Plager - Erik Larsen - Homer Williams

Portsmouth, N.H. Denmark Boyne, Michigan

Viking Voyage 1000 is made possible through the sponsorship of Lands' End Direct Merchants.