SIR ROBIN KNOX-JOHNSON

BRIT SAILING LEGEND CELEBRATES 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF GREATEST CHALLENGE

Today, 22 April 2009, marks the 40th anniversary of the record set for the first man to sail single-handed around the globe. Sir Robin Knox-Johnston was the only competitor to complete the 1969 Sunday Times Golden Globe Yacht Race and to this day is the only Brit to win a single-handed around the world yacht race. Two years ago, aged 68, Sir Robin repeated the challenge and came 4th in the Velux5Oceans solo around the world race. In celebration of the 40th Anniversary of his original voyage he will bring the historic 1969 yacht, Suhaili to St.Katherine Docks next to Tower Bridge.

Born in Putney on 17th March 1939, Sir Robin was the eldest of four brothers. In 1957 he joined the Merchant Navy as a deck officer with the British India Steam navigation Company and was awarded his Masters Certificate in 1965. In 1992 he became President of the Sail Training Association and by the time he retired in 2001 had raised £11million to buy new craft for the organisation.

He also served as a Trustee of the National maritime museum at Greenwich between 1993 and 2003 and is currently President of the Little Ship Club and the Cruising Association. In 1994 he co-skippered ‘Enza New Zealand’ with the late peter Blake and won the Jules Verne trophy for the fastest circumnavigation of the world. He was knighted in 1995 and is the only person to be voted UK’s Yachtsman of the Year 3 times.

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