As a true pilot of the deep range Bernard Moitessier was a philosopher sailor who famously went round the world again in 1969 in the Sunday Time Golden Globe race when he could possibly have beaten Sir Robin Knox-Johnston sailing Suhaili. Moitessier’s writings are full of insight and honesty about the life of a small boat sailor, especially a solo sailor and in the Long Way – his tale of the race itself, he describes knockdowns and gear failure with a metaphoric shrug of the shoulders, accepting that he was partly at fault and moving quickly on. Making his way north after rounding Cape Horn he decides to abandon the race and go round the world a second time, turning south and east to go around the Cape of Good Hope again. He ended up sailing two-thirds of the globe a second time, most of it way down south in the windiest zone on east – the Roaring Forties. He sailed 37,455 nautical miles in 10 months, creating a new record for the longest non-stop passage by small boat. He was getting ready for the Horn again when he decided to leave the sea and sail to Tahiti where he arrived in June 1969.
He remained there for 17 years, starting a new family and continuing to cruise the south seas. He came back to France at last and died in 1994.
This clip of Moitessier is from the brilliant Deep Water film covering Donald Crowhurst’s fateful participation in the Golden Globe race
This video has more from Moitessier himself and his spiritual take on sailing… and how his passage made him: “a different man”.
Joshua is kept at the French National Maritime in La Rochelle – she is still in sailing condition. Main photo shows Moitessier doing yoga on deck during the Golden Globe Race.