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Chay Blyth: Hamble flotilla marks 50 years since 'impossible' voyage

The first man to sail solo around the world in the "wrong direction" has led a celebratory flotilla at the site of his historic achievement 50 years ago.

Sir Chay Blyth completed the journey in 1971, travelling west against the prevailing winds and arriving back in Hamble, Hampshire, 292 days later.

The ex-paratrooper's feat later became known as "the impossible voyage".

The 81-year-old said the anniversary celebrations were "wonderful", and thanked those who had greeted him.

Sir Chay, from Hawick in the Scottish Borders, used 59ft (18m) yacht British Steel to complete the challenge, which garnered international attention.

The then-prime minister Edward Heath, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales and Princess Anne were among about 6,000 people to line the shore to welcome him back.

Explaining the difficulty of the challenge, Sir Chay said: "The terrestrial spin of the globe makes sure that the winds all go in one direction and the sea go in one direction... so you're up against the winds and currents.

"Up until that moment in time people had usually gone the classic route."

Pioneering aviator and solo sailor Sir Francis Chichester had previously said no-one would ever be able to do it, prompting Sir Chay's achievement to be described as "the impossible voyage" in the media.

The accomplishment came two years after Sir Robin Knox-Johnston became the first person to perform a single-handed non-stop circumnavigation of the globe from west to east.

Sir Robin was among a number of dignitaries to greet Sir Chay on Friday morning.

He said completing the challenge had been a "great feat of British yachting".

"I think it's absolutely right to recognise Chay's remarkable voyage 50 years ago and realise just how difficult that was," Sir Robin added.

It took a further 23 years for anyone to match Sir Chay's achievement, and he remains one of only five people to have ever completed the challenge.

Sir Chay was knighted for services to yachting in 1997.

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Yachting Monthly

• Digital edition

Chay Blyth: 50 years since his Impossible Voyage

• Katy Stickland
• July 9, 2021

50 years ago Chay Blyth became the first person to sail solo, non-stop, westwards around the world. Dee Caffari, the first woman to emulate his record, looks back at his achievement

Chay Blyth finished his solo non-stop westwards circumnavigation around the world on 6 August 1971. Credit: Getty

Before the attempt, Sir Francis Chichester commented that he thought the voyage was impossible, and on completion it became known as ‘The Impossible Voyage’, writes Dee Caffari

The Times newspaper in London described it as, ‘The most outstanding passage ever made by one man alone’.

It is still considered the toughest challenge in sailing; only five people have ever managed it, a number which becomes more significant when compared to the 12 people who have walked on the moon.

The plan began in earnest to sail the ‘wrong way’ round the world in 1969.

It was not until 18 October 1970 that Chay Blyth departed from Southampton on board the 59ft ketch, British Steel .

His voyage had never been done before: to sail single-handed, non-stop, westwards around the world.

Blyth returned to a hero’s welcome 292 days later .

Thousands cheered and their Royal Highnesses Prince Philip, Prince Charles and Princess Anne were there to greet him as was the then prime minister, Edward Heath.

Chay Blyth had become the first person to sail non-stop, around the world against the prevailing winds and currents .

Chay Blyth’s record breaking 59ft yacht British Steel. Credit: Getty

In recognition of his impressive achievement, he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire.

Sponsorship was vital to the success of the venture and Chay secured the backing of The British Steel Corporation.

This experience of gaining and developing a relationship with a major corporation was to shape not only Chay’s personal exploits in the following years but also his business initiatives too.

Those skills were something he happily passed on and I remember receiving advice from Chay about business meetings and how the world of corporate sponsorship worked during regular chats when I was preparing for my solo voyage .

Preparation for such a voyage is an endless task with phone calls, meetings, challenges and hurdles all to be overcome.

There are infinite decisions that need making and as you are the only sailor involved, you are the only one that can make the final decision.

The hours of commuting from boatyard to boardroom and back again gives you plenty of time to think.

Continues below…

40th anniversary of Chay Blyth’s return

Sailed into Southampton in 1971

Dee Caffari makes history

First woman to sail solo round the world both ways

Dee Caffari: 6 times around the world; 600 times around the garden

Like all of us, Dee Caffari had to abandon her sailing plans when COVID-19 hit. Budding journalist Harry Sowerby talks…

Chay, and his wife Maureen, worked tirelessly through their tasks.

I also remember driving back and forth during my preparation, making calls and endless lists. It’s not something that can be done alone.

You need a support network and those closest to you are crucial in fulfilling that role.

Without their support the dream never becomes a reality.

As departure day came closer Chay talked about it being not possible to be completely ready as there was always last-minute organised chaos.

The final night ashore you are unable to relax, your mind racing through final checklists, mixed with nerves and anxiety.

No one can take any more days of tension and pressure – all you want is the start line.

Chay recalled his emotions at his start: ‘I think you are beyond feeling, you don’t feel anything.’

As mentor for my ‘Impossible Voyage’ in 2005/6 , his parting words to me as I set off, were to remind me not to cry – it had been done before.

Asked how I felt, I think, like Chay, I was too busy initially to feel anything.

Then it was overwhelming. I was heading towards the Lizard Lighthouse, the stopwatch started and I was swamped with the reality of what I had chosen to undertake.

It took a while to settle into a routine.

Calms and light airs were conditions that both Chay and I seemed to find most difficult to tolerate.

Chay often talked to himself, a trait I can relate to.

It is like giving yourself a running commentary or a set of instructions out loud to follow.

The benefits are two-fold.

First it gives you confidence in your decisions on what actions to take.

It also feels like you have some dialogue or company while you do it.

Both of us were plagued with autopilot issues and had to constantly fix or hand steer in certain conditions, testing our resolve.

Chay had his army and para training to draw upon, and I had my stubbornness and tenacity, but both of us were determined to see things through.

A common topic that comes up no matter whose sailing memoirs you read are the constant references to food.

In the preparation phase the focus is all on performance, sails, navigation, boat systems and weather.

Sir Chay Blyth with Dee Caffari after finishing her own solo Impossible Voyage in 2006. Credit: Getty

But the reality is that when you are out there, it is the fuel you consume that keeps you going.

That, and sleep or rather the lack of it at times, and how that affects your mood in difficult circumstances.

Recognising how you react at these times, so you can do something about it, is something I probably underestimated in my voyage, despite having read about it in Chay’s book.

My relationship with Sir Chay Blyth started when I was one of his skippers in the 2004 Global Challenge Race – ‘The World’s Toughest Yacht Race’ .

He planted the solo non-stop seed in my mind during the Cape Town stop-over, while we were chatting after dinner.

Since his Impossible Voyage , only three men had followed in his footsteps, Mike Golding, Philippe Monnet and Jean-Luc Van den Heede.

In Chay’s opinion it was only a matter of time before a woman would do it, so why shouldn’t it be me?

Sir Chay Blyth may not have directly passed on his tips and techniques for dealing with mountainous seas and gale force headwinds, but the 14 years’ experience of sailing on Global Challenge races and the teams he put together to compete in them clearly benefited me .

I trusted their confidence and Blyth’s belief in me and my abilities.

When I crossed the finish line 15 years ago, having sailed myself into the history books following in Sir Chay Blyth’s footsteps, the first call I made was to Chay.

I was standing on deck in the rain with the wind blowing 50 knots and the phone inside my hood.

He had heard the news and had popped the Champagne cork and he sounded proud.

As he wrote in the foreword of my book published the following year: ‘The Impossible Voyage may no longer be impossible, but it remains hard, very, very hard.’

Sir Chay Blyth

• July 23, 2023

Club Secretary

• HoF Inductees

Sir Chay Blyth, our second live inductee, is another sailing pioneer – the first to sail single-handed non-stop westwards around the world against the prevailing winds and currents in 1971 aboard his a 59ft (18m) ketch British Steel.

As a Sergeant serving in the British Green Beret 3rd Parachute regiment, the Scot set a record, rowing across the Atlantic with Captain John Ridgway in 1966 in the 20ft (6m) open dory English Rose III, completing the distance from Cape Cod to Ireland in 92 days.

The Sunday Times Golden Globe Race was another challenge that excited him, and with no previous sailing experience, he set out from Southampton aboard a 30ft (9m) yacht bilge keeled cruising yacht Dytiscus. Remarkably, he managed to round the Cape of Good Hope, before finding out that the design was no match for the Southern Ocean and retired to Port Elizabeth.

Undaunted by the experience, Blyth was spurred on by Robin Knox-Johnston’s ultimate success in the Sunday Times Golden Globe race to sail around the world the other way to become the first person to sail solo non-stop westwards, setting a pioneering record of 292 days in 1972. As a result he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).

In 1973, Blyth skippered a crew of paratroopers aboard the 77ft (23.5m) yacht Great Britain II, winning the first Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race on elapsed time. He returned again in 1981/2, skippering the same yacht, renamed United Friendly, which was the first British yacht to finish.

Later Blyth founded the Challenge Business to organise a series of round the world races for amateur crews in 1992/3, 1996/7 2000/1 and 2004/5 for which he was knighted in 1997.

Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anFx1_dDKe4

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Inducted in 2002

SIR CHAY BLYTH CBE BEM

In 1971, Chay Blyth entered sailing folklore when he became the first person to sail non-stop westwards around the world – which meant he was against prevailing winds and currents.

Born in Hawick in the Borders in 1940, Chay became a Parachute Regiment Sergeant by the age of 21 and in 1966, while still a soldier, he and Captain John Ridgeway rowed across the North Atlantic in 92 days in a 20ft open rowing boat.

Chay was awarded the British Empire Medal for his achievement and he set many further sailing records after leaving the Army, such as skippering ‘Great Britain II’ to nine out of 12 trophies in the 1973-74 Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race.

In 1981, he was also the two-handed Transatlantic Race winner with Rob James in ‘Brittany Ferries’, and co-skipper of the successful Blue Riband transatlantic attempt, Virgin Atlantic Challenger II, in 1986.

Chay was also successful in opening up the sport to people with no previous experience by launching events like the British Steel Challenge in 1989. He was knighted for his services to sailing in 1997.

Related Inductees

JOCK STEIN OBE

SHIRLEY McINTOSH MBE

SIR CHRIS HOY MBE

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Sir Chay Blyth returns to Hamble to celebrate 50th anniversary of pioneering solo circumnavigation

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Leading Yacht Clubs • Working Together • Sharing Experiences

Celebrating Sir Chay Blyth’s 50th Anniversary of Solo Circumnavigation

Barry Pickthall

Royal Southern Yacht Club

September 8, 2021

Royal Southern Yacht Club welcome Sir Blyth and Sir Knox-Johnson to celebrate westabout achievements.

British yachtsman Sir Chay Blyth returned to the Hamble in August to celebrate the 50th anniversary of his victorious return to the UK at the end of a pioneering 292-day solo non-stop westabout circumnavigation against the prevailing winds and currents aboard his 59ft ketch rigged yacht British Steel.

A large crowd gathered at the Royal Southern Yacht Club to welcome his return, including fellow pioneer solo circumnavigator Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, and Mike Golding who was the first to break Sir Chay’s record 23 years later.

The fact that only five sailors have managed to complete the same “wrong way” voyage in the 50 years since, compared to the 140 who have sailed eastabout with the prevailing winds, underlines the enormity of Blyth’s feat at a time when yachts were not equipped with roller furling, GPS navigation, high-tech communications or tech-enabled self-steering. In fact, Blyth’s wind vane self-steering was smashed in a storm off Cape Horn, and Blyth had to steer his 59ft yacht by hand for the remaining 20,000 miles.

Sir Robin Knox-Johnston said, “Francis Chichester, Alec Rose, myself and Chay were the pathfinders when the Brits dominated this form of ocean sailing, which led to a lot of people taking up the sport.”

Mike Golding, a former fireman who has completed six circumnavigations is one of these. “Sir Chay’s voyage excited me enough to get sailing and has shaped my career ever since. The continuing success achieved this last week by Team GB sailors at the Tokyo Olympics may not have been nearly so good had these pioneers like Sir Chay and Sir Robin not excited so many to buy boats and get afloat, for it is their children or grandchildren that are now leading the charge in international sailing. We have a great deal to thank them for and today is marked in the history of our sport.

Britain’s Sir Chay Blyth is the paratrooper turned yachtsman and adventurer who was responsible as much as anyone for the sudden rise in popularity of the sport in the 1970s

Britain’s Sir Chay Blyth is the paratrooper turned yachtsman and adventurer who was responsible as much as anyone for the sudden rise in popularity of the sport in the 1970s.

While still in the army, Sir Chay rowed across the Atlantic in 1966, together with John Ridgway, and two years later, he competed in the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race.

He was the first person to sail non-stop westwards around the world in 1971 on the 59’ yacht, British Steel, taking 292 days, for which he was awarded a CBE.

He openly admits that when he set off in 1970, he knew nothing about navigation or sailing and thought he would teach himself as he went along.

The Times later described his voyage as ‘the most outstanding passage ever made by one man alone’, and thousands came to greet him on his return.

Blyth’s next challenge was the inaugural Whitbread Round the World Race in 1973-74, where his yacht, Great Britain II won line honours, setting a bench-mark record for the circumnavigation of 144 days.

He skippered the same yacht again in 1981-82, the third Whitbread Race, but this time Great Britain II was renamed United Friendly and the 77’ yacht went on to compete in five consecutive Whitbread races, something that is hard to imagine in today’s professional era.

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Sir Chay Blyth

Adventurer, businessman – an inspiration.

Ocean Adventurer

In 1966, whilst still serving with The Parachute Regiment, Chay Blyth embarked on an adventure which would set his life on a completely new course.

Together with Capt John Ridgway he rowed the Atlantic in English Rose III, a 20ft open dory in 92 days. The epic voyage captured the imagination of a nation and a new hero was born.

Many adventures followed but the first solo non-stop circumnavigation of the globe from east to west against the prevailing winds and currents aboard British Steel in 1971/72 consolidated his position as the outstanding seaman of his generation.

In 1973/74 with a crew of paratroopers he embarked on the Whitbread Around the World Race aboard Great Britain II taking line honours. With Rob James aboard Brittany Ferries GB he won the two handed Transatlantic Race in 1981 setting a new record for the event.

He won The Round Britain and Ireland Race on “Brittany Ferries GB” in 1982 with Rob James.

In 1984 on Beafeater II whilst attempting to break the record from New York to San Francisco with Eric Blunn he was rescued after 19 hours in the water after capsizing off Cape Horn.

In 1986 on board Virgin Atlantic Challenger II he took the Blue Riband for the fastest Atlantic crossing with Richard Branson.

Read more about:

• Rowing the Atlantic with Captain John Ridgway
• The impossible voyage – sailing east to west, non-stop, single handed round the world
• The Whitbread Race

• 1940 births
• British Parachute Regiment soldiers
• Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
• Knights Bachelor
• Living people
• Ocean rowers
• Sportspeople from Hawick
• Recipients of the British Empire Medal
• Scottish male rowers
• Scottish male sailors (sport)
• Scottish soldiers
• Single-handed circumnavigating sailors
• People in sports awarded knighthoods
• Volvo Ocean Race sailors

Sir Charles Blyth , CBE , BEM (born 14 May 1940), known as Chay Blyth , is a Scottish yachtsman and rower. He was the first person to sail single-handed non-stop westwards around the world (1971), on a 59-foot boat called British Steel .

• 1 Early life
• 2 Rowing and sailing career
• 3 Business career
• 4 Achievements and accolades
• 6 References
• 7 External links

Early life [ ]

Blyth was born in Hawick, Roxburghshire. He joined the British Army Parachute Regiment when he was 18 and rose quickly through the ranks to become a Sergeant at the age of 21.

Rowing and sailing career [ ]

In 1966, whilst in the Army, Blyth, together with Captain John Ridgway , rowed across the North Atlantic in a 20 ft open dory called English Rose III . After successfully completing this in 92 days Blyth was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM).

In 1968, with no sailing experience, he competed in the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race , aboard a 30 ft yacht called Dytiscus retiring just past the Cape of Good Hope.

In 1971 Blyth became the first person to sail non-stop westwards around the world , aboard the yacht British Steel , taking 292 days, and as a result was made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE).

In 1973, Blyth skippered a crew of paratroopers in the yacht Great Britain II , which took line honours in the Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race , and in 1978 won the Round Britain Race in the yacht Great Britain IV 1981 - Entered the Whitbread race again in the yacht “United Friendly” and was the first British yacht to finish.

1981 – On the yacht “Brittany Ferries GB” won the Two Handed Trans Atlantic Race with Co Skipper Rob James in record time. Came second again in the Round the Island Race (IoW).

1982 – Came second overall and first in class in The Round Britain and Ireland Race on “Brittany Ferries GB”.

1984 – Capsized off Cape Horn aboard the trimaran “Beefeater II” whilst attempting the New York – San Francisco record attempt with Eric Blunn. Rescued by passing fishing boat after 19 hours in the water

He was co-skipper with Richard Branson on Virgin Atlantic Challenger I and Virgin Atlantic Challenger II in 1985 and 1986 respectively, before founding the Challenge Business to organise the 1992/1993 British Steel Challenge in 1989. This event allowed novices to sail around the world in a professionally organised race.

The British Steel Challenge was followed by two successive BT Global Challenge races in 1996/7 and 2000/2001. However, a downturn in the sponsorship market meant that the 2004/2005 Global Challenge race set off without a title sponsor.

In 1997, Blyth was created a Knight Bachelor by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to sailing.

Business career [ ]

Sir Chay started the company Challenge Business, to operate the Global Challenge Round the World yacht races. The Chartered Institute of Marketing awarded The Companion of Honour to Sir Chay in 2000 for his services to the Profession of Marketing.

Sir Chay is chairman of Inspiring Performance. He also heads the Board of Directors at train company First Great Western - Greater Western franchise. He is Non Executive Chairman of the franchise which was formed to run the new and enlarged franchise from 1 April 2006. The franchise combines the previous First Great Western, First Great Western Link and Wessex Trains franchises.

As chairman of Challenge Business, he was the mentor for Dee Caffari on her successful bid to be the first woman to sail around the world against the prevailing winds and currents in 2005/6.

Achievements and accolades [ ]

• The first person to sail non-stop westwards around the world (1971)
• A street has been named after him in his birth town of Hawick. It is known as "Chay Blyth Place".
• Third Place in St Andrews Rectorship Elections 2008 [1]
• Awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Technology from Plymouth University in 1994.

See also [ ]

• Chay (given name)

References [ ]

• ↑ Fife Today news article on Rector elections

The Circumnavigators Chapter 31 by Don Holm

Grant Thornton Press Release

British Steel Yacht Homepage

External links [ ]

• English Rose III
• Pangbourne College

Scots sailing legend Sir Chay Blyth breaks leg on friend's yacht

LEGENDARY Scots yachtsman Sir Chay Blyth had the wind knocked out of his sails after a freak holiday fall.

• 00:00, 15 OCT 2011
• Updated 19:51, 1 JUL 2012

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The 71-year-old, who was the first person to sail around the world the "wrong way", suffered a serious leg break after slipping on the deck of a friend's boat in Spain.

He was flown to Scotland by air ambulance and taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary where surgeons operated on his thigh bone on Tuesday.

Sir Chay had just reached the end of a family holiday on a friend's yacht at Sant Carles de la Rapita in Catalonia last Thursday when the accident happened. Daughter Samantha Blyth said: "We had a great holiday and were all packed and ready to leave for the airport when my dad slipped on morning dew and broke his femur.

"It was apparently a bad break to mend but everything is fine and dad is doing really well.

"He is in great hands and the staff at the hospital have been fantastic."

Chay, a former para, shot to fame when he became the first person to sail non-stop westwards around the world in 1971 aboard the 59ft long yacht British Steel, taking 292 days.

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