22 April 1969

Sir Robin KNOX-JOHNSTON (GBR) arrived into Falmouth, Great Britain, after 313 days at sea to win the Golden Globe Race and become the first person to sail single-handed, non-stop, round the world.

KNOX-JOHNSTON, who celebrated his 30th birthday during his voyage, was the first and only finisher of nine starters who set out on The Sunday Times Golden Globe Race, showing incredible fortitude and seamanship to coax his 32-foot ketch Suhaili the 32,000 nm around the world at an average speed of 3.39 knots.

Having first developed his love of the sea during a childhood spent on Heswall on the Dee estuary, KNOX-JOHNSTON had joined the Merchant Navy in 1957. Suhaili, a 32-foot Bermudian ketch built of teak designed by William ATKINS, based on a modified Colin ARCHER, was originally built to sail KNOX-JOHNSTON and a friend from India to Great Britain. After numerous delays as the crew raised funds for their voyage, KNOX-JOHNSTON eventually arrived back in Great Britain in 1967 and Suhaili was put up for sale.

Following the circumnavigation of Sir Francis CHICHESTER (GBR) in 1966-67, momentum had been gathering to tackle the last big challenge of ocean racing - a voyage solo, non-stop, round the world. It was a milestone that caught the eye of many, KNOX-JOHNSTON amongst them. Having watched the success of Eric TABARLY (FRA) in the 1964 OSTAR, the patriotic KNOX-JOHNSTON could not stand to think of the one great remaining ocean record being achieved by anyone else than a Briton. Suhaili was withdrawn from the market and when The Sunday Times announced the Golden Globe race for the first person to sail solo, non-stop around the world, and a £5,000 prize for the quickest time, KNOX-JOHNSTON's name was amongst the list of nine starters.

The nature of the race and the different boats competing in it meant that the race began not on a single day, but across a wide window from 1 June-31 October 1968. A modified and fully-laden Suhaili was the third starter when she left Plymouth on 19 June 1968, as KNOX-JOHNSTON ventured out into the first night of his epic journey. Compared to some of the other boats in fleet, Suhaili was very much in the slow and steady mould, but despite her diminutive size, her resilience and KNOX-JOHNSTON's resourcefulness were to prove a record-breaking combination.

Nine days into the voyage, KNOX-JOHNSTON passed the Azores, and by 23 August he was through the doldrums and on the latitude of Cape Town. He rounded the Cape on 10 September and Cape Leeuwin was to follow. He crossed the international dateline on 25 November before Christmas came and went.

The new year brought with it the daunting prospect of Cape Horn, with KNOX-JOHNSTON celebrating passing the sailing landmark on 17 January with a piece of his Aunt Aileen's fruitcake. With the race proving as much a battle of attrition as speed, KNOX-JOHNSTON was now in the lead, and the task ahead was to nurse Suhaili back into port.

His closest challenger was the Frenchman Bernard MOITESSIER, sailing the 39 foot ketch Joshua. MOITESSIER had been sceptical about the entire concept of a race before he was eventually convinced to take part and started from Plymouth on 22 August, over two months later than KNOX-JOHNSTON. By the time he rounded Cape Horn on 6 February he was just 20 days behind the leader and the scene looked set for a race for the finish and the Golden Globe Trophy.

But MOITESSIER refused to conform to expectations. During his voyage he had become increasingly distressed with what he considered to be the excesses of modern life and what he came to see as the stupid pursuit of the record. Enraptured by the sea, he abandoned the race, steered a course south of the Cape of Good Hope and from there continued on before he eventually docked at Tahiti.

MOITESSIER's decision to abandon the race meant KNOX-JOHNSTON was certain to win the Golden Globe Trophy as long as he completed the course. He crossed the equator on 6 March, celebrated his 30th birthday at sea on 17 March and little over a month later crossed the finish line off Falmouth. After 313 days at sea he had become the first person to sail single-handed, non-stop, round the world.

Nigel TETLEY (GBR) and Donald CROWHURST (GBR), both sailing 40-foot trimarans, had started over three months later but looked as though they might beat KNOX-JOHNSTON's time and win the £5,000. However TETLEY's battered boat sank in the north Atlantic, just 1,000 nm from the finish, whilst CROWHURST committed suicide and it was later discovered he had falsified his position reports since early in the race.

The Golden Globe Race had proved to be more a battle of attrition than speed. As the only finisher from the nine starters, KNOX-JOHNSTON wrote his name into sailing's history books, his remarkable feat of seamanship, resourcefulness and endurance a landmark moment in the the sport's history.

Where Are They Now

In 1970 Sir Robin KNOX-JOHNSTON (GBR) was voted British Yachtsman of the Year and he has gone on to win numerous awards. In 1993-94, KNOX-JOHNSTON and Sir Peter BLAKE (NZL) teamed up on ENZA New Zealand to win the Jules Verne Trophy, an achievement for which they were honoured with the 1994 ISAF World Sailor of the Year Award. KNOX-JOHNSTON was Knighted in 1995 and in May 2007, he completed the VELUX 5 OCEANS race, his second solo circumnavigation in 159 days, 12 hours and 42 minutes.

ISAF In 1969

The International Yacht Racing Union (IYRU) published its first newsletter in the Summer of 1969. The leading stories of the day were:

Racing for Young Sailors - T L Phillips
The Future of Yacht Racing and the Olympic Classes - Beppe Croce
The Tempest after the Storm - by Ian Proctor
What's wrong with the IYRU? - Anon

After 14 years at the helm of the IYRU, 1969 also marked the final year as President for Peter SCOTT (GBR). Beppe CROCE (ITA) was elected as the new IYRU President and would go on to serve in the role for the next 17 years.