​Dear readers,

The English language has some wonderful words. For me, the ‘armchair sailor’ is one of them. Contrary to what one might initially assume, the ‘armchair sailor’ is not an unpleasant sort. In other words, someone who has practically no idea about anything, yet still thinks they know better than everyone else.

Rather, it refers to someone who finds a way to connect with the sea from the comfort of their own home, with a book in their hand, for whom even the mere thought of it becomes an experience of the sea. Wind and waves within one’s own four walls.

Too romantic? Hang on! In a way, I actually fell into that category myself. The reason, like so many things, lies with my family: although we lived near the coast, for my parents the sea was at its most charming when viewed from the land.

Before I took up sailing myself – relatively late in life, as it happened; it was finally time whilst I was at university – I had to satisfy my curiosity in other ways: with lots of books. As I read, the sloping ceiling above me became the perfect canvas for my wanderlust.

One of my favourite books was a well-thumbed paperback with a cover illustration of a white ketch sailing under storm jib alone amongst towering waves: *Hero of the Seven Seas* by Sir Francis Chichester. In it, the English author recounts the story of his solo circumnavigation of the globe aboard the ‘Gypsy Moth IV’.

What impressed me then, as it does now, was not only the challenge Chichester set himself, but also the way in which he faced it come what may – and subsequently wrote about it: matter-of-factly and prosaically. Without the slightest urge to show off. Understatement at its best. As if his journey round the world were the most ordinary thing in the world.

It is now the 60th anniversary of Chichester’s adventure: on 27 August 1966, he set sail from Plymouth and left England behind. On this day 60 years ago, 9 October, he was already well into the South Atlantic, having passed Tristan da Cunha and was about to cross the 40th parallel, the invisible boundary to the infamous Roaring Forties – ironically, without a single roar.

Disconcerted, he wrote: “The wind was either coming directly from ahead, exactly from the direction I wanted to sail in, or it alternated between a light breeze and a lull. I thought enviously of the ‘Cutty Sark’, which had sailed in strong winds at these latitudes and made rapid progress.”

In fact, the virtual duel with the legendary ‘Queen of the Clippers’ – which had sailed the same route many decades before the ‘Gypsy Moth IV’ – was one of the recurring themes of the voyage.

That achievement, however, stood on its own: although the Englishman was not the first person to sail solo round the world, nor the first to do so non-stop (a stopover in Australia had been planned from the outset), yet no one before him had single-handedly rounded the three great capes on a westerly course: the Cape of Good Hope, Cape Leeuwin and Cape Horn – a trio that features in major regattas such as the Ocean Race, the Vendée Globe or the A new edition of the Golden Globe Race still sets the tone today.

Chichester’s homecoming after weathering many storms turned into a triumphal procession: on 28 May 1967, Plymouth Sound was teeming with boats, and the area around Plymouth Hoe was packed with people. The enthusiasm knew no bounds. At a time when, after centuries of naval supremacy, the British Empire had drawn to a close, Chichester once again gave a nation struggling with its sense of identity a true naval hero.

Just as Sir Francis Drake had been knighted by the Queen following his circumnavigation of the globe in the sixteenth century, Chichester, a multiple record-holder, was soon knighted by the Queen as well. Only one thing remained unfulfilled, ‘unfinished business’: the first solo, non-stop circumnavigation of the globe. Thus, just one year later, his voyage provided the impetus for the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race, which Robin Knox-Johnston went on to win under even more dramatic circumstances.

Of course, he too has recorded his experiences in *Alone with the Sea*. When the boat comes ashore again soon, I might take this book off the shelf once more and settle down comfortably in my armchair.

Christian Tiedt

Head of the Travel Department

Book recommendations

About sailing brings together texts by Robin Knox-Johnston on solo sailing, safety and life on board. This volume supplements the account of his round-the-world voyage mentioned in the article with experiences from later years. Anyone interested in the practical aspects of long solo voyages will find his reflections here on sailing and on coping with the challenges at sea.

The victory that was thrown away takes us back to the first Golden Globe Race. Bernhard Moitessier describes his voyage on the ‘Joshua’ round the three great capes and explains why, in 1969, he chose not to pursue the finish line or a possible victory. His observations at sea and his thoughts on this decision reveal a different approach to solo sailing compared with the record-breaking voyages of that era.

Editor’s reading recommendations

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