He Who Writes History, Wins

 I am just re-reading Sailing Into Solitude by Val Howells and am aware that he questioned Blondie Hasler's Hasler'discussion to allow Chichester's successful ocean racing yacht of 39' to enter a race against two 25' "sailing canoes", a "tubby cruiser" of similar length and Frenchman's diminutive craft.  Hasler was afraid to limit the number of entries given there were only four.

So I attempted to calculate the efficiency of each craft based on LWL alone.   

Blondie on Jester 25' carvel Folkboat

Lwl 19', 6" 

Max speed 5.8kn.

Distance 3000nm.

Time 48 days. 

Average speed  2.6kn

Efficiency 45% of hull speed.  


Chichester , Gypsy Moth III  Robert Clark 39

Lwl 28'

Max speed  8.5kn

Distance 3000nm

Time 40 days. 

Average speed 3.1kn

Efficiency 36.5%



Theoretically Jester was sailed at a higher efficiency and if you consider the greater capacity for a heavier yacht to pierce through waves with greater inertia,  to remain more stable (hold wind in her sails),  Chichester had a massive advantage. But such matters of fairness seem not to have bothered the knight in the slightest.  I suspect he was also favored by good publicity and his notoriety as an around the world record holder is a case in point.  He was not the first solo circumnavigator, and he did not sail non-stop, yet the publicity surrounding his feat is remarkably effusive.  Don't get me started on Robin Knox- Johnson and Bernard Moitessier ....

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