Sir Robin Knox-Johnston's 40th anniversary
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| 'Sir Robin Knox-Johnston' Clipper Ventures Plc © |
Last year Sir Robin completed another solo circumnavigation at the age of 68 in the VELUX 5 OCEANS, this time in his Open 60 SAGA INSURANCE. Earlier this year Sir Robin was awarded the Yachting Journalist Association's prestigious Yachtsman of the Year Award for an unprecedented three times in recognition of his achievements over the past 40 years.
Speaking from Sydney in Nova Scotia, Sir Robin said: 'The difference between when I set off to sail around the world non-stop 40 years ago and today shows a period of intense development in sailing; the equivalent to the difference between the era of the bi-plane and Concorde.
'Psychologically then there was the worry of not knowing whether a non-stop voyage was possible. Nor did anyone know what sort of boat was right for the task. We navigated as Captain James Cook had 200 years before, had no weather forecasts, no emergency beacons and no reliable communications. You judged the weather to come from barometer readings and studying the clouds.
'Today we have very fast boats designed for the purpose and made from modern materials like carbon, only just heard of 40 years ago. We know the voyage can be achieved non-stop, which removes the psychological pressure.
'We have GPS instead of the sextant so we have accurate positions every three seconds instead of sometimes having to wait five days to see the sun. We have instant communications via satellites and these communications enable us to download accurate weather information that can predict the meteorological conditions up to ten days in advance allowing tactical routing.
'Clothing is much better, freeze dried food has replaced tins, and water makers replaced large tanks or rain from the mainsail.
'Still, as I had no idea that all these treats were on the horizon as none had been invented and as satellites were in their infancy, I did not miss them. We have moved on and the game is different. That is sad in a way as the raw adventure of those days has gone,' Sir Robin added.
by Clipper Ventures
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