Virtual Sir Robin Knox Johnson

National Maritime Museum Cornwall introduce on line exhibition to celebrate 40th anniversary of that famous circumnavigation

National Maritime Museum Cornwall have introduced a brand new online exhibition to mark the 40th anniversary on 22 April of Sir Robin Knox-Johnston achieving the first single-handed non-stop circumnavigation of the globe.

The online exhibition, available at www.nmmc.co.uk, is a first for the Museum and details Sir Robin Knox-Johnston’s epic achievement. In 1968 the Golden Globe trophy was offered by the Sunday Times to the first person to sail alone and unassisted around the world. Of the nine sailors that started the race five retired, one sank, one committed suicide, one started on a second circum-navigation, but only one finished.

The race started from Falmouth on Friday 14 June 1968, despite an old sailors' tradition that it was unlucky to start a voyage on a Friday, and on 22 April 1969, after 312 days at sea, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston returned to Falmouth in his boat, Suhaili, as the first person to single-handedly circumnavigate the globe non-stop.

Maritime Museum Boat Collections Manager Andy Wyke says: “Sir Robin Knox-Johnston is a legend of British sailing and it is only fitting that we mark the 40th anniversary of his remarkable achievement. The Maritime Museum has close links with Sir Robin and Suhaili has spent some time on our pontoon in the past. We already offer a wonderful introduction to the story of the record breaking voyage, with Suhaili’s radio transmitter/receiver on display as well as the bible Sir Robin took with him, but this new online exhibition adds a whole other dimension.”