KellysEye
Well-Known Member
John Sanders, from Western Australia has bee made an honorary member of the Ocean Cruising club. He has been circumnavigating the word since 1970, normally single handed and has just completed his ninth circumnavigation around the world. Earlier voyages were double and triple circumnavigations. He has a string of unbroken records and firsts, including some delivery passages: he has crossed the Indian Ocean 15 times, the Atlantic 11 times and Pacific 12 times. Cleared the Cape of Good Hope 10 times, and Cape Horn 5 times, Panama canal 6 times and sailed beneath the Australian Continent 45 times.
Another recipient off OCC honorary member is Les Powles he is such a celebrity Lymington Yacht Haven have given him a free berth for many years, he is 90 years old. He started sailing in 1975 having built his own boat, Solitaire of Hamble, a Bruce Roberts 34. Les had put most of his money into the boat, this never daunted his indomitable spirit. Les set off almost immediately after launching his boat with little sailing exoperience to sail around the world single handed. He had a sextant but no accurate time piece, no radio and he was to rely on dead-reckoning navigation. This first voyage nearly ended in disaster when he hit a reef off the coat of Brazil when his destination was St Lucia. At the end of his second circumnavigation he sailed into Lymington unannounced, emaciated and barely alive with no food left. He was so long overdue he had been given up for lost three months ago. There followed a third circumnavigation.
The OC Jester medal went to Webb Chiles in recognition of his recent single handed passage from Opua, New Zealand to San Diago in lightweight Moore 24 foot boat named Gannet. His first circumnavigation was took place in the 70s aboard Egregious, an engineless 37 foot cutter and took 203 days. At the time he held the world record for the fastest circumnavigation, breaking Francis Chichester's record. His second circumnavigation was in an 18 foot open boat, a Drascome Lugger called Chidiock Tichborne. It was and maybe still a word record for open boat voyage ever. His fourth circumnavigation was a She 36, his fourth circumnavigation was in a New Zeland 37 sloop The Hawke of Tonela. Note: they have missed out his third circumnavigation.
Another recipient off OCC honorary member is Les Powles he is such a celebrity Lymington Yacht Haven have given him a free berth for many years, he is 90 years old. He started sailing in 1975 having built his own boat, Solitaire of Hamble, a Bruce Roberts 34. Les had put most of his money into the boat, this never daunted his indomitable spirit. Les set off almost immediately after launching his boat with little sailing exoperience to sail around the world single handed. He had a sextant but no accurate time piece, no radio and he was to rely on dead-reckoning navigation. This first voyage nearly ended in disaster when he hit a reef off the coat of Brazil when his destination was St Lucia. At the end of his second circumnavigation he sailed into Lymington unannounced, emaciated and barely alive with no food left. He was so long overdue he had been given up for lost three months ago. There followed a third circumnavigation.
The OC Jester medal went to Webb Chiles in recognition of his recent single handed passage from Opua, New Zealand to San Diago in lightweight Moore 24 foot boat named Gannet. His first circumnavigation was took place in the 70s aboard Egregious, an engineless 37 foot cutter and took 203 days. At the time he held the world record for the fastest circumnavigation, breaking Francis Chichester's record. His second circumnavigation was in an 18 foot open boat, a Drascome Lugger called Chidiock Tichborne. It was and maybe still a word record for open boat voyage ever. His fourth circumnavigation was a She 36, his fourth circumnavigation was in a New Zeland 37 sloop The Hawke of Tonela. Note: they have missed out his third circumnavigation.
Last edited:
