Neptune's Needle

Cape at the top of the western protruding edge of North Africa (28N), the latitude of the Canary Islands, below which Portuguese mariners feared sailing until in 1430s they learned to swing northwestward (rather than trying to beat northeast retracing their outbound route) until they caught the Westerlies at about 40N and then sailed eastward home. Maneuver called the "volta" (circle).

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Compiler

Peter Richards