In message , John Hall
writes

The Southern Ocean is sailing's great challenge, you are correct in
thinking it's because the waves are free to roar unhindered round
the planet.
snip

I think it might also be because with almost no land there's no scope
for major winter anticyclones like we see in Siberia every winter, and
thus nothing to disrupt the Jet Stream. There might also be a steeper
thermal gradient close to Antarctica than what we see in the Northern
Hemisphere, which might lead to deeper lows and hence stronger winds.

That certainly makes good sense to me. My limited knowledge of the
Southern Ocean has been gleaned from sailing books and sailor's
experiences down there. The big concern of sailors in those waters are
the massive waves which can occur. Waves, like the weather, run
unhindered with nothing to sap their latent energy.
--


Jim