On 27 August 1966, Sir Francis Chichester departed Plymouth and sailed solo around the world in his yawl, Gipsy Moth IV. The journey took 226 days and handed him the honour of being the first person to truly circumnavigate the world completely on his own – West to East via the great capes. He was 65.
Beating yachtsmen half his age, Sir Francis defied all who warned that his twin-mast vessel needed a crew of eight. With characteristic humour, Sir Francis claimed to have all the crew he needed – a sextant and his Oyster Perpetual watch. He even joked that the ‘Gipsy Moth IV needs repairs after capsizing, but the Rolex ticks on happily.’
Now 50 years since the unassuming pensioner set out on his record breaking voyage, Sir Francis joined the ranks of Britain’s most legendary adventurers, such as Ernest Shackleton, George Mallory and Sir Ranulph Fiennes. Moreover, the voyage acted as a starter’s pistol for the subsequent race to achieve a circumnavigation without stopping.
Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, interviewed in Gentleman’s Journal Jul/Aug 2016 issue, surpassed Sir Francis’ feat in 1969, when he won The Sunday Times Golden Globe Race. In a nod to his predecessor, Knox-Johnson called Chichester a ‘real pioneer whose experiences paved the way for me to become the first to complete a solo non-stop circumnavigation.’
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