Robin Knox-Johnston facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robin Knox-Johnston
CBE RD*
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Knox-Johnston in 2013
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| Born |
William Robert Patrick Knox-Johnston
17 March 1939 |
| Occupation | Sailor |
| Known for | First single-handed non-stop circumnavigation of the globe |
| Spouse(s) |
Suzanne Singer
(m. 1962; div. 1967)
(m. 1972; died 2003) |
| Children | 1 |
Sir Robin Knox-Johnston is a famous British sailor. He was born on March 17, 1939. In 1969, he made history. He became the very first person to sail around the world alone without stopping. This amazing journey was a huge challenge.
Later, in 1994, he teamed up with Sir Peter Blake. They won the Jules Verne Trophy together. This award is for the fastest trip around the world by sailboat. They also received the ISAF World Sailor of the Year Awards. In 2007, when he was 67, he set another record. He became the oldest sailor to complete a solo round-the-world race. This was during the Velux 5 Oceans Race.
Contents
About Robin Knox-Johnston
His Early Life
Robin Knox-Johnston was born in Putney, London. This was in 1939. He was the oldest child in his family. He went to Berkhamsted boys' school.
From 1957 to 1968, he worked in the Merchant Navy. He also served in the Royal Naval Reserve. In 1965, he started sailing his boat, Suhaili. He sailed it from Bombay towards England. His boat was designed like strong Norwegian lifeboats.
He had to stop his trip for a while. He needed to work in South Africa to earn money. He was a ship's captain there. He finally finished his journey in 1967.
The Golden Globe Race
In 1968, Robin was one of nine sailors. They all tried to be the first to sail around the world alone without stopping. This was part of the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race. He was the third person to start the race. But he was the only one who finished it!
Sailing Around the World
On June 14, 1968, Robin left Falmouth. He was on his boat, Suhaili. It was a small boat, only about 32 feet long. It was one of the smallest boats in the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race.
He faced many challenges. He lost his self-steering equipment near Australia. But he kept going. He sailed around Cape Horn on January 17, 1969. This was 20 days before the next closest sailor. That sailor, Bernard Moitessier, later left the race. The other seven sailors also dropped out.
Robin Knox-Johnston was the only one left. He won the race! He became the first person to sail around the world alone and without stopping. He returned to Falmouth on April 22, 1969. He had completed his amazing journey.
He won £5,000 for being the fastest. He gave all of this money away. He gave it to the family of Donald Crowhurst. Donald was another sailor in the race who had faced difficulties.
Because of his incredible achievement, he received an honor. He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1969. He also encouraged another sailor, Bill Pinkney, to sail the southern route around the Capes. Bill Pinkney became the first Black man to sail around the Earth this way.
More Adventures and Later Life
Robin Knox-Johnston continued his sailing adventures. In 1970 and 1974, he won the two-handed Round Britain Race. He also took part in the 1971 Cape Town to Rio Race. In 1977, he co-skippered a large yacht called Heath's Condor. This was in the Whitbread Round the World Race.
In 1994, Robin and Peter Blake won the Jules Verne Trophy. They sailed around the world in 74 days, 22 hours, 18 minutes, and 22 seconds. This was a very fast time! They had tried to win this prize before in 1992. But their boat hit something and got a hole.
Robin received the Harold Spencer-Jones Gold Medal in 1992. This was for his important work in navigation. From 1992 to 2001, he was the president of the Sail Training Association. He helped raise money for new, bigger training ships. He was also a trustee for the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich. His famous boat, Suhaili, is now kept at the National Maritime Museum – Cornwall in Falmouth.
In 1995, he was made a knight. This was for his great contributions to yachting. He is also a member of important sailing groups.
The Clipper Race
In 1996, Robin Knox-Johnston started something new. He created the first Clipper Round the World Yacht Race. This race allows everyday people to experience sailing around the world. They train and race on special yachts. Robin has worked hard to make this race bigger and better each year. Many people have learned to love competitive sailing because of the Clipper Race.
Later Voyages
Robin completed his second solo trip around the world in 2007. He was sailing the yacht Saga Insurance. He finished in fourth place in the Velux 5 Oceans Race. He was 68 years old at the time. This made him the oldest person in that race.
In 2008 and 2009, Robin was part of a BBC TV show. It was called Top Dogs: Adventures in War, Sea and Ice. He joined two other famous British adventurers. They were Sir Ranulph Fiennes and John Simpson. They went on three different trips. They explored each other's adventure fields. One trip involved sailing around Cape Horn.
Robin Knox-Johnston is still involved in sailing. He is a patron of The Cruising Association. He is also the president of Liverpool Yacht Club.
In November 2014, when he was 75, Robin raced across the Atlantic Ocean. This was in the solo Route du Rhum race. He finished in third place in his class. He crossed the finish line after more than 20 days at sea.
In 2022, something special happened. The compass from Suhaili was returned to him. It had been stolen after his 1969 trip. It was left at a museum and then given back to him.
Books by Robin Knox-Johnston
- A World of My Own. 1969.
- Cape Horn, a maritime adventure. 1995.
- The Columbus venture. 1991.
- Seamanship. 1987.
- Force of Nature with Kate Laven. 2007.
- Running Free. 2019.
- Sea, Ice and Rock With Chris Bonington. 1992.
