on the 22 April 1969, Robin Knox-Johnston the previous owner of Aurora, stepped off his hand-made yacht Suhaili and into the record books. The first ever solo, non-stop circumnavigation was complete, and the world got that much smaller. Only a relative handful of sailors have finished this same Southern Oceans course, and considering the recent Vendee Globe around the world race - where two-thirds of the fleet couldn't complete the race - the reasons for this are obvious. Racing around the world non-stop and alone is damned difficult, even when you know it can be done.
But neither Knox-Johnston nor anyone else knew what was possible until he'd made land. Being the first means going where others have feared to tread. Said Sir Robin: "Forty years ago nobody knew whether sailing alone around the world was even possible – but it was a time of change and adventure, as man landed on the moon and we extended the frontiers of possibility. Of the nine starters in that inaugural race, I was the only one to cross the finish line. Completing the race on board Suhaili was an important moment in pushing the boundaries of our sport. So much has changed since then, in terms of the size and speed of the boats, as well as the technology. However, the harsh realities and dangers of the challenge of sailing non-stop solo around the world remain the same."
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