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This is the story of two single-handed non-stop round-the-world
voyages: Robin Knox-Johnston's in 1968/69 and Ellen MacArthur's in
2004/05. Although there were similarities - both voyages started
and finished in Falmouth, for instance, and neither sailor was in a
conventional race - the story is mainly one of contrasts, mostly as
a consequence of thirty-six years of technological developments.
These gave MacArthur the opportunity for a considerably faster
voyage, but that didn't necessarily make things any easier for her.
When Knox-Johnston set sail in Suhaili, no one knew if it was
possible for a human being or a boat to survive such a voyage; and
when MacArthur commissioned her boat B&Q, many considered that
a high-performance trimaran of that size could not be safely sailed
around the world by one person. Whatever comparisons are made, the
question as to which was the greater achievement is futile: both
voyages were utterly remarkable. MacArthur is no longer 'the
fastest', of course - her time has since been beaten by three
Frenchmen - but she is still the fastest British solo
circumnavigator, while Knox-Johnston's record as 'the first' will
be there for all time.
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