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They can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Few sailors choose to sail against the prevailing winds around the globe for several months at a time. Here's an overview of successful attempts.
1971, Chay Blyth leads the way
The first single-handed circumnavigation in reverse was completed by British sailor Chay Blyth. He set off on October 18, 1970, and completed his course on August 6, 1971 after 292 days at sea.
His yacht, British Steel, is a ketch-rigged monohull. This 59-foot safe was the ideal travel companion for this former parachute sergeant. With no modern means of routing, Chay had to cope with the loss of his windvane gear just before Cape Horn, completing most of his circumnavigation with the helm moored. Welcomed as a hero in Southampton, he was knighted in 1997 for his service to the world of sailing.
1994, Mike Golding closes the gap
We had to wait more than twenty years for a significant improvement. In that time, no sailor dared to follow in Blyth's footsteps. In 1994, Mike Golding, a former fireman, completed the course in 161 days 16 hours and 32 minutes. His boat, Group 4 Securitas, is a Challenge 67, a 20-meter sloop displacing 40 tons.
On this monohull, which later raced as a one-design in the BT Challenge, he followed a very southerly course, which meant spending several months upwind in heavy weather.
2000, Philippe Monnet in pain
In 2000, Philippe Monnet set a time of 151 days 19 hours and 54 minutes aboard Uunet. Aboard this 60-foot boat, specially prepared for this record, nothing was spared. He faced several hurricanes, an attack of malaria, an underwater volcanic eruption and a fire in the engine compartment. He arrived in Brest 10 days ahead of Golding's record.
2004, Jean Luc Van Den Heede sets a lasting benchmark
After several attempts, the reference record was set in 2004 by Jean Luc Van Den Heede in 122 days 14 hours and 3 minutes aboard Adrien, a 26-meter aluminum sloop. The Sablais sailor declared on arrival:
" Around the world upside down (non-stop) is the most difficult single-handed event. Words cannot express how I feel. My best memory of the course is rounding Cape Horn, which was a dream come true, with 40 knots of downwind wind. It was a great way to enter the Southern Ocean
A feminine attempt
In 2006, Dee Caffari also completed a non-stop, single-handed, upside-down circumnavigation of the globe in 178 days 3 hours 6 minutes and 15 seconds. With mentor Chay Blyth, she set off aboard a Challenge 72, an evolution of Golding's boat.
Although she didn't break the record, Dee remains the only woman to have successfully completed the world's most demanding sailing course. On her arrival in the Solent, she declared:
" I experienced all the extremes on this journey and had to push my limits much further than I imagined. Sometimes I couldn't see the end of it and wondered if I could really do it. One of the hardest things was perhaps taking it on alone, but the support of my shore team and the boat's capabilities helped me a lot to get through the difficult times. Today I'm physically and mentally exhausted, but I think I've never been happier in my life. I can't wait to celebrate my return with my family and friends!" "
