[QUOTE
I previously asked in this thread whether anyone could name even 3 people who had sailed solo nonstop RTW outside of races and record attempts. Maybe there are lots of people doing this just for fun all the time without publicity and fanfare, but I don't think so.[/QUOTE]
Good evening,
You are quite correct, not many people have done so, because it is not easy. That, I believe is why people see it as the ultimate challenge.
3 people who have done so outside the record
books or races?
The Brit Les Powles. He was way North of 60 when he did it the first time somewhere in the mid-1980's. He went again a few years later. His boat was a homebuilt 36 odd foot
Bruce Roberts design. Very basic boat.
Another Brit, David Scott-Cowper also did it non-stop on two seperate occasions. One East about, one West about. He sailed an S/S of about 40 foot.
A British girl called Lisa Clayton.
The Ausie, Jon Saunders did it a few times too. One just for fun with an S/S 34, the others for records of some sort. I think!
A German Horst Kyle (spelling?) did it
Cape Town to
Cape Town in the early 1980's. I am under correction but I think he did not go up to cross over the equator.
A Dutch guy called Pleun van der Lucht (spelling?)
A Japanes guy called Kenechi Hori. (again spelling?)
I seem to remember an American or two as well, again in fairly ordinary
boats.
These trips were done before the days of
internet webb sites so unless one was an avid reader of sailing mags at the time, they went by un noticed.
I met Les Powles in Lymington, England. One of the reasons why he went non stop was because he wanted to circumnavigate again (he had done a prior trip with stops) but could not afford the stops!
There are more, but you are correct, the names do not exactly role off my tongue. I will have to page through a few old mags to pick them up again.
Regards,
Banjo.