Sailing Around the World: One Way to Avoid Luggage Fees

The Venti test: How many of those buggers you can down with three shots of espresso each without causing your heart to burst from your chest like a torso-based version of "Scanners". The Vendee test: Complete the Vendee Globe race, wherein you sail by yourself around the whole blessed world without ever touching land or seeking assistance. (Like a therapist.) And to think we just heard how the cost of insuring adventure sports might take all the risk and fun out of adventure sports. (What, losing 1700 people for a day or so isn't adventurous?) You just have to want to piddle down the front of Death's hoodie badly enough, people. Only sixty people have ever completed the race, much less won it. Also, multiple people have shuffled off the mortal sail while racing (and one while just traveling to the race). Haven't these brave souls heard the sage advice of WOPR? "The only winning move is not to play." (We kid from love, of course. The human spirit can't be dimmed and courage in the face of adversity and go humanity and all that. Dibs on your stereo?) The Vendee: Sport's ultimate test [The Independent] Whose life is it anyway? How safety first culture takes risk out of adventure sports [The Guardian]