Robin Knox-Johnston

I have noticed that the real yachtsmen don't talk much. Verbosity is an absolutely alien thing to them. Fortunately, some of the yachtsmen have a flair for writing books, which give the wide public the opportunity to relish a wonderful world.
Half seriously Robin Knox-Johnston retells the story of how his solo (non-stop) circumnavigation of the world: his father, a sailor himself, simply said: "Well, that's the only thing which is still left to be done." In his book Robin Johnston explains very vividly and in a fascinating manner - with phrases such as: "Like so many yachtsmen, I started this adventure with the least possible amount of money and the highest possible set of goals."
For any newly hatching yachtsmen, and all people who take up sailing, it is so inspiring to read about people like Robin Knox-Johnston. It is not by chance that he was awarded the British knighthood in 1995.

Born in London in 1939, he served in the Merchant Navy and in the Royal Queen's Navy. He built himself a yacht - a sloop from the Colin-Archer design named Swahili. He "christened" the yacht with a cruise from Bombay to England - from 1965 to 1967 (he interrupted it because he worked in South Africa for quite some time).

In a heated competition with the French contestant Bernard Moitessier, Johnston won the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race. He started on 14.06.1968 at Falmouth, rounded the Cape Horn on 17.01 the following year and on 22.04.1969 returned to Falmouth thus completing one of the greatest challenges to sailors.

He continued a very active sports career and he maintained his competitive level - he won twice the two-handed Race around Britain - in 1970 (with Leslie Williams), and in 1974 (with Gerry Boxall). The three of them made a crew and took part in other round the world races, in Cape Town to Rio transatlantic race as well.

But that is not all: Robin Knox-Johnston holds another world record - he and mate Peter Blake (co-skipper) gained the Jules Verne Trophy for the fastest ever circumnavigation of the world - the year was 1994; the length: 74 days, 22 hours, 18 minutes, and 22 seconds (at a second try. The first voyage ended after an accident - a big piece from the stern of their catamaran Enza was torn apart after hitting an object.

Between 1992 and 2001 he was President of the Sail Training Association. During his mandate the money to replace the STA's vessels Sir Winston Churchill and Malcolm Miller by the new, larger brigs Prince William and Stavros S. Niarchos had been gathered. He was in the board of directors of the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich from 1992 to 2002 and still is in the honoured chairmanship of the National Maritime Museum - Cornwall at Falmouth, where Suhaili is exhibited today.

The yacht has been renovated and participated in the Round the Island Race in June 2005.

"Suhaili" These are its technical parameters: Ketch. L/B/D: 32 × 11.1 × 5 (9.8m × 3.4m × 1.5m). Tons: 14 TM. Hull: wood. Comp.: 1-5. Mach.: aux. Des.: Production Promotions, Ltd. Built: Colaba Workshop Ltd., Bombay, India; 1964.
(it is a teak-hulled ketch)

Suhaili, the name of his legendary yacht, means 'southern wind' in Arabic. He built it with the help of his brother in Bombay. Actually his father's words, which I mentioned in the beginning of the text, were only the spark - the motivation was most probably that he heard rumors that the French sailor Eric Tabarly was considering and planning a solo circumnavigation. (You probably know of the legendary life-long competition between the French and the British, it is a matter of pride to them). Shortly after the Sunday Times set the Golden Globe Award for the first person who will be successful in this difficult feat. So, all in all six contestants set sails

Bernard Moitessier with "Joshua"

Chay Blyth with "Dytiscus"

John Ridgeway and "The English Rose"

Suhaili

(strangely enough there were no restrictions for the type of yacht in the rules, so there were two trimarans as well) - "Teignmouth Electron" (skipper Donald Crowhurst) and "Victress" (with Nigel Tetley)

During most of the trip (first half) Suhaili sailed third, but then Knox-Johnson decided to go through the Bass Strait rather than through the south of Tasmania, and that's when it came first, but it suffered great damage.

While his achievement garnered Knox-Johnson the Golden Globe, his fellow sailors seemed poised to complete the circuit in faster time. As it happened, none finished. Blyth was forced to land in South Africa. The approximate middle speed was 110.6 miles per day, Tetley's Victress broke up after 247 days at sea, 1,200 miles from Plymouth. After rounding Cape Horn, Moitessier changed plans and decided to stay in the Roaring Forties before turning north for Tahiti, sailing 37,455 miles in 301 days without setting foot on land. Most curious of all was the fate of Donald Crowhurst, whose Teignmouth Electron was found drifting in the Atlantic on July 10, only days after he had slipped over the side.

Knox-Johnson is a man who conquers not only horizontal, but also vertical horizons - he took a group of climbers and photographers and attempted Cathedral Mountain in one of Greenland's Fjords.
Suhaili is maintained in sailing condition at St. Katherine Dock, London.

You should definitely read his book - "A World of My Own" - I recommend it strongly because it is not only a diary, a guidebook with many helpful tips and advice, it is also a blend between fictional and autobiographical work of great quality.

Robin Knox-Johnson, "A World of My Own." - it has been published many times, in many editions .