If you missed my post last month, I am trying to start a movement to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Robin Knox-Johnstons’ non-stop, solo circumnavigation on April 22nd, winning the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race.
Robin Knox-Johnston, is excuse the cliche, a true legend of sailing and adventure. Even now, a nons-top solo circumnavigation feat is still regarded as the Everest of sailing. In this year’s Vendee Globe, only 10 of the 30 who entered the race completed. Imagine what it was like to undertake this feat in 1969. Here is what RKJ had to say in his own words:
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.”
Join me in celebrating the 40th anniversary by making April 22nd Robin Knox-Johnston Day of the Web. Here are three ways you can show your support:
1. Blog about it: On April 22nd do a post congratulating RKJ – whatever you think is an
appropriate message – then link to another blog who should in turn do a
congratulatory post, again linking to another blog, etc, creating a
chain of bloggers and a virtual Robin Knox-Johnston Day.
2. Post to The Wall on Facebook: I created a group in Facebook to make April 22nd RKJ Day on the Web. You can join it here. Best way to show your support is to post to the wall. Do it anytime and I will copy the posts over to this blog.
3. Twitter: Do a tweat on April 22nd, including #RKJ in the text. I will find it and post in on this blog.
If you have other ideas about how to show your support, please let me know and I will help spread the word.
Please email me and let me know if you will be taking part.
Thanks
Post ready and waiting…. bring on the 22nd!
I’m in, too!
A long time fan of Robin – his book was probably the first sailing adventure book I ever read – and I still have it! And to top it all I got to see Suhaili at the Southampton Boat Show this year – awesome
He is an amazing man. Demonstrated by the fact that he gave the £5,000 prize money (huge in ’69) to the family of Donald Crowhurst who famously committed suicide during the race, leaving his boat Teignmouth Electron drifting in the Atlantic..