Messing About In Sailboats

The difference of 40 years

It was raining on Saturday so I took it as a good excuse to quit raking and shoveling leaves and watch the DVD of Deep Water again. If you haven't seen it, I would give it a whirl. It's a good documentary about the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race, 40 years ago. The focus is on the tragic tale of Donald Crowhurst. The interviews with his wife, son and best friend are very moving. With the Vendee Globe in full swing, it struck me what an incredible revolution that sailing has undergone in the last 40 years. I blogged about it before when Joyon completed his incredible 54 day circumnavigation. It's worth taking a look at the differences. The Prize: The Vendee Globe has one winner - fastest time. The racers in the Golden Globe were sailing for two prizes- First home and fastest time. RKJ as the only sailor... Read more →

The Golden Globe vs Vendee Globe

In all the excitement of the Vendee Globe, it's easy to forget that it's the 40th anniversary of the original solo round-the-world race, the Sunday Times Golden Globe. The official start of the Golden Globe was any time between June 1st 1968 and October 31st. The sailors were racing for two prizes: First to make it round and fastest circumnavigation. The racers started in batches: Robin, Knox Johnston, Chay Blyth, John Ridgway started in June. Moitessier, Fougeron and King started in August, Nigel Tetley in September. The ill-fated and inadequately prepared Crowhurst and the celebrated Italian, Carozzo were last to start, crossing the line on the last possible date, October 31st. By this day 40 years ago, Ridgway, Blyth, Fougeron, King had all retired. Carozzo would retire on November 14th. The race was left to the unknown Knox-Johnston, the famous Moitessier, Nigel Tetley and Crowhurst in their innovative trimarans. At... Read more →

It was 40 years ago today...

Robin Knox Johnston set out on the Golden Globe. He was the least known of the competitors, racing in a heavy relatively small teak boat. Ten months later he was a national hero. Here is a release today from Clipper Ventures c/o Sailworld. On 14 June Sir Robin Knox-Johnston celebrated the 40th anniversary of the day he set off to set the record for the world’s first ever solo and non-stop circumnavigation on Saturday. Sir Robin left Falmouth with his 32-foot Bermudan ketch Suhaili on 14 June 1968 and returned 312 days later on 22 April 1969 to become the first person to sail single handed and non-stop around the world. Last year Sir Robin completed another solo circumnavigation at the age of 68 in the VELUX 5 OCEANS, this time in his Open 60 SAGA INSURANCE. Earlier this year Sir Robin was awarded the Yachting Journalist Association’s prestigious Yachtsman... Read more →

Golden Globe - The Competitors: Robin Knox Johnston

Robin Knox-Johnston was born in Putney, London on March 17th, 1939. He had a traditional, English middle-class upbringing. He didn't especially excel at school and wasn't much of a sportsman. An average sort of chap. Although he grew up in the age of rock and roll and the swinging 60s, RKJ was a traditional bloke. His heroes were historical figures like Frobisher and Drake. At 17, he tried to enter the Royal Navy but failed the exams and joined the Merchant Marine instead, as an apprentice to the British India Steam Navigation Company. He learned his nautical craft, over several years, working the routes between London, East Africa and India. The British Merchant marine was tough place to grow up. Run along 19th century lines, it was everything you could imagine about a stodgy, uptight and disciplinarian environment to work in. While stationed in India, RKJ and 2 fellow officers,... Read more →

Forty Years Ago - The Golden Globe Race is announced

On March 17th, 1968, the Sunday Times announced the race for the world's first solo navigation. Plans had been brewing for a year. After Francis Chichester completed the fastest solo circumnavigation with one stop, a young merchant seaman, Robin Knox-Johnston concluded that the only thing left was to do it solo, non-stop. By January 1968, several other sailors were getting interested and finding sponsors. This included more accomplished and already famous sailors such as Bernard Moitessier. Plans were brewing across the sailing world for something big. The Sunday Times had profited well from their sponsorship of Francis Chichester's circumnavigation. They had been approached by a number of the potential circumnavigators but they were worried about backing the wrong horse. Instead they came up with the idea of a sponsored race, The Golden Globe trophy. There would be cash prizes - 5,000 GBPs (equiv to $100,000 today) for the first solo... Read more →