Thursday, November 16, 2006
Sailing solo around the world aloneThis is the ultimate in sailing i.e. sailing around the world alone. It is like clmbing the Mount Everest for a mountaineer.
Sir Robin Knox-Johnston is widely acknowledged as the pioneer in non-stop solo racing. He took 313 days to complete the journey on board his boat, Suhaili in 1968-69 over a distance of 48,000 km. He sailed out of Falmouth, England and back to Falmouth via New Zealand. Then he sailed with the most basic equipment and a boat which today only deserve a place in the museum. He faced spells of acute loneliness on his boat. In the storms, he was also inflicted with injuries from skin tears and broken fingernails. Though injured and energy sapped due to physical exhaustion, he had to maintain a cool head to deal with the situation and continue with the race. It was a life changing experience for him. He won the race for the coveted Golden Globe trophy and more pertinently, a place in history.
In the same race, the sailor Bernard Moitessier found his inner calling and headed for the Pacific Islands instead of finishing the race. He is quoted in saying “I am continuing non-stop towards the Pacific Islands because I am happy at sea and perhaps also able to save my soul”.
Image from www.aroundalone.com
