Solo circumnavigation

Sir Robin Knox-Johnston has completed his ssecond Solo circumnavigation of the globe aboard Saga Insurance. Participating in the VELUX 5 Oceans yacht race, he concluded the 30,000-mile epic race 37 years after his pioneering solo voyage in 1969.

At the age of sixty-eight and now a grandfather of five, Sir Robin has halved the time it took him to complete the journey when he was just thirty years old. This voyage has taken 159 days compared to 313 days in 1969, when he made history by becoming the first person to sail single-handed and non-stop around the world in his boat Suhaili.

Sir Robin has completed the race on board a sixty-foot carbon fibre racing yacht Saga Insurance, which is capable of a top speed of over 30 knots and equipped with the latest computer technology.

Saga Insurance is a very physical boat to sail and in between carrying out the many tasks on board such as navigating, weather routing, steering and boat maintenance, Sir Robin has survived on freeze-dried food, desalinated water and short bursts of sleep.

Sir Robin faced many problems during the voyage. He kept his spirits up by eating his 100-year-old Aunt Aileen’s fruit cake and sipping the odd whisky. He is likely to be ranked fourth overall.