Nevertheless it does tell the story of how one man realised his dream of circumnavigating the globe which he had attempted but failed to achieve (by aircraft) in 1931 so is a story of persistence and determination. The book is considered a classic, but for me, though good is not in the same class as ‘The Lonely Sea and Sky’. The book was an international best-seller when it appeared in 1967. Chichester himself admits that he was not the 1st person to sail solo around the world (he was aware of at least 9 before him) but his journey captured the imagination of the British public (perhaps because of his age (65) and the speed of his trip – at the time this was the fastest solo circumnavigation by some way. This book is Francis Chichester’s account of his 1966-67 circumnavigation of the world in the specially built (though Chichester is critical of her sea-going capabilities– she had a tendency to broach – and of her original self-steering until modifications were done to her keel and steering during her stopover in Sydney) Gypsy Moth IV.
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