OK, so many of you will be reading this and thinking, "Hey Dummy, April 22nd is Earth Day". Well of course it is, but it is also the 40th anniversary of Sir Robin Knox-Johnston's completion of the first-ever single-handed solo non-stop circumnavigation - 30,000 miles, 313 days at sea, most out of touch of humanity, in a 32 ft teak ketch. Nine people entered the Sunday Times, Golden Globe Race in 1968 to be the first to accomplish this. Only one, Robin Knox-Johnston made it finishing on April 22nd 1969. Six abandoned, one sank (Nigel Tetley), one decided to keep sailing (Moitessier) and one was driven mad (Crowhurst).
Sailing round the world single-handed non-stop is called the Everest of Sailing. One difference: over 1,500 people have climbed Everest. Less than 100 in 40 years have achieved a non-stop solo circumnavigation.
Robin Knox-Johnston's feat is worth celebrating on April 22nd even though it conflicts with Earth Day. (BTW: I thought that maybe we could make RKJs' birthday RKJ Day but that's March 17th and St patrick's day and that's way too much of a conflict!)
Join me in celebrating the 40th anniversary by making April 22nd Robin Knox-Johnston Day on the Web. Here are four ways you can show your support:
1. Blog about it: On April 22nd do a post congratulating RKJ - whatever you think is an appropriate message - then link to another blog who should in turn do a congratulatory post, again linking to another blog, etc, creating a chain of bloggers and a virtual Robin Knox-Johnston Day. The wonderful 70.8% blog has a great excerpt from a book about RKJ's accomplishment that summarizes well what it took to make it.
2. Leave a Comment: Leave a comment on this post or any other you find on April 22nd
3. Post to The Wall on Facebook: I created a group in Facebook to make April 22nd RKJ Day on the Web. You can join it here. Best way to show your support is to post to the wall. Do it anytime and I will copy the posts over to this blog. There are now over 100 members from all over the wolrd.
4. Twitter: Do a tweat on April 22nd, including #RKJ in the text. I will find it and post in on this blog.
If you have other ideas about how to show your support, please let me know and I will help spread the word.
Please email me and let me know if you will be taking part.
Thanks
Like peanut butter and chocolate, RNJ Day and Earth Day are perfect holidays to enjoy together. Great idea, thanks for launching it! I'll be joining in at http://sea-fever.org / http://twitter.com/petermello
Posted by: Peter A. Mello, Sea-Fever blog | April 21, 2009 at 09:11 PM