A solo round-the-world sailor is off and racing again after
completing repairs off the Dunedin coast.
Swiss sailor Bernard Stamm rejoined the Vendee Globe 2012
round-the-world yacht race yesterday, after anchoring just
off Murdering Beach - near the Otago Harbour entrance - for
emergency repairs on Boxing Day.
His stopover stirred memories of another intrepid
adventurer's visit nearly 45 years ago.
Former Otago Daily Times journalist Jim Irvine
recalled the arrival of the world's first successful solo
round-the-world sailor - also in coastal waters off Dunedin -
44 years ago, on November 20, 1968.
English sailor Robin Knox-Johnston was at the time vying with
five others to become the first person to sail alone and
non-stop around the world.
He achieved the feat and went on to have a glittering sailing
career, including being named international sailor of the
year - together with New Zealand's Sir Peter Blake - in 2004.
Five months after setting sail from Falmouth, England, on his
solo bid, Sir Robin found himself aground near the entrance
to Otago Harbour, in a cove just below Taiaroa Head.
He had been attempting to pass close by Dunedin to get a
message ashore that he was safe, after surviving bad weather
in Foveaux Strait, he later said.
Lacking charts and sleep, he instead ran aground and was
forced to wait for high tide to float clear.
While waiting, Sir Robin was greeted by fisherman and
journalists from the Otago Daily Times, aboard a small
runabout, who interviewed and photographed him from close by.
He was said to be in ''good spirits ... moving about the deck
attired in no more than a pair of bathing trunks, singing and
laughing'', ODT reporter Ian Parata wrote.
''A cold wind, approaching darkness and the fact that he was
aground did not seem to worry him, although he did change
into warmer clothing once he realised the hopelessness of his
position.''
Mr Irvine - a 19-year-old ODT cadet at the time -
recalled Sir Robin's arrival caused a stir in Dunedin, while
the story's accompanying pictures were sold internationally.
''It was very uncommon.
''For him [Sir Robin] to turn up on Dunedin's doorstep, it
created quite a buzz around the place.''
This week's photograph of Mr Stamm - depicting a predicament
similar to Sir Robin's photograph - was an ''uncanny''
reminder, Mr Irvine said.
''It's almost the same area ... history repeats itself,
doesn't it?''After a five-hour stopover, Sir Robin sailed on,
headed for Cape Horn and, eventually, line honours back in
England.
None of his five rivals finished the race.
One, Bernard Moitessier, withdrew after also rounding Cape
Horn and instead sailed on to Tahiti.
Another, Donald Crowhurst, died after jumping from his yacht
into the sea, and was later found to have faked much of his
participation.
- chris.morris@odt.co.nz
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