50 years since Chay Blyth’s solo circumnavigation

British yachtsman Sir Chay Blyth returned to the Hamble today to celebrate the 50th anniversary of his victorious return to the UK at the end of a pioneering 292-day solo non-stop west-about circumnavigation against the prevailing winds and currents aboard his 59ft ketch rigged yacht British Steel.

A large crowd gathered at the Royal Southern Yacht Club to  welcome his return, including fellow pioneer solo circumnavigator Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, and Mike Golding who was the first to break Sir Chay’s record 23 years later. The fact that only 5 sailors have managed to complete the same ‘wrong way’ voyage in the 50 years, against the 140 who have sailed East-about with the prevailing winds, underlines the enormity of Blyth’s feat 50 years ago when yachts were not equipped with roller furling, GPS navigation, poor communications and only rudimentary self-steering. Blyth’s wind vane self steering was smashed in a storm off Cape Horn, and Blyth had to steer his 59ft yacht by hand for the remaining 20,000 miles.

Sir Robin Knox-Johnston said today: “Francis Chichester, Alec Rose, myself and Chay were the pathfinders  when the Brits dominated this form of ocean sailing, which led to a lot of people taking up the sport.”

Mike Golding, a former fireman who has  completed 6 circumnavigations is one of these. “Sir Chay’s voyage excited me enough to get sailing and has shaped my career ever since.  The continuing success achieved this last week by Team GB sailors at the Tokyo Olympics may not have been nearly so good had these pioneers like Sir Chay and Sir Robin not excited so many to buy boats and get afloat, for it is their children or grandchildren that are now leading the charge in international sailing. We have a great deal to thank them and today is mark in the history of our sport.”

Sir Chay’s Achievements

Sir Chay Blyth CBE. BEM.
1970/71: First man to sail solo non-stop west-about around the World against the prevailing winds and currents, aboard the 59ft yacht British Steel
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Born: 14 May 1940 (age 81); The youngest of 7 children brought up by a Scottish railwayman and his wife from Harwick, Scotland

1958: Joined the British Parachute Regiment at 18 and promoted to Sergeant at the age of 21 – the youngest since the 2nd World War.

1966: Whilst in the Army, Blyth, together with fellow paratrooper, Captain John Ridgway, rowed across the North Atlantic in a 20 ft open dory ENGLISH ROSE III. After successfully completing the voyage in 92 days, Blyth was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) and voted Man of the Year

1968: Blyth was one of 9 sailors to compete in the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race aboard the 30ft Kingfisher bilge keeled standard production yacht Dytiscus without any prior sailing experience in an attempt to become the first man to sail solo non-stop around the world. Remarkably, he covered more than 9,000 miles, teaching himself to sail on the way, and rounded the Cape of Good Hope before coming to the realisation that the wild Southern Ocean was no place to be in a small bilge keeler, and retired to Port Elizabeth. Peter Nichols, author of the book A Voyage for Madmen, wrote: Few people leaving a dock for an afternoon sail in a dinghy have cast off with less experience than Chay Blyth when he set sail alone around the world!

1970/71: Blyth became the first person to sail solo non-stop west-about around the World against the prevailing winds and currents in 292 days aboard the 59ft yacht British Steel. On his return to The Hamble on 6th August 1971 he was given a right royal welcome by The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles, Princess Anne and sailing Prime Minister Edward Heath. He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), voted Yachtsman of the Year, Man of the Year and awarded The Chichester Trophy

1973: Blyth led a crew of Paratroopers in the 77ft maxi yacht Great Britain II during the first Whitbread Round the World yacht race, winning line honours on elapsed time.
1978: Won the 2-man Round Britain Race with Rob James aboard the 54ft trimaran Great Britain IV

1981: Won the 2-handed Transatlantic Race with co-skipper Rob James in record time aboard the 65ft trimaran Brittany Ferries GB
1981/2: Entered the Whitbread race to skipper UNITED FRIENDLY (ex-Great Britain II). She was first British yacht to finish.

1982: Finished 1st in class and 2nd overall with Peter Bateman in the 2-man Round Britain and Ireland Race aboard 65ft trimaran Brittany Ferries GB

1984: Capsized off Cape Horn with Eric Blunn aboard the trimaran Beefeater II  during an attempt to break the New York – San Francisco record. Both were rescued by a passing fishing boat after 19 hours in the water.

1985: Co-skipper with Richard Branson aboard the 65ft powered catamaran VIRGIN ATLANTIC CHALLENGER I during a record attempt to break the Blue Riband transatlantic record from Sandy Hook light vessel off New York to the Bishop Rock Lighthouse in the Scilly Isles. The vessel hit a submerged object 100 miles from the finish and sank. All the crew were rescued.

1986 Second attempt to break the Blue Riband transatlantic record in the 72ft monohull VIRGIN ATLANTIC CHALLENGER II. This time they were successful, setting a record of 3 days, 8 hours 31 minutes, an average of 36 knots, to shave 2 hours 9 minutes off the previous best time set by the liner UNITED STATES back in 1952.

1989: Formed The Challenge Business to organise a series of round the world races for novice crews to sail west-about around the world in a professionally organised race.  The first British Steel Challenge Race in 1992/3 attracted 182 amateurs to take part aged from 21 to 62. Further races took place in 1996/7, 2000/01 and 2004/5 and raised £4.5 million for the Save the Children Charity.
1994: Awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Technology from Plymouth University.
1997: Founded the Trans-Atlantic Rowing Race, now the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge.
1997: Knighted by the Queen for services to yachting.
1998: Awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Law from the University of Portsmouth.
2000: Awarded The Companion of Honour by the Chartered Institute of Marketing for services to the Profession of Marketing.

Main Image: Chay Blyth returning to the Hamble aboard his 59ft ketch British Steel at the end of his 292-day solo non-stop West-about circumnavigation. ©PPL