A World of My Own: The First Ever Non-stop Solo Round the World Voyage

On Friday 14 June 1968 Suhaili, a tiny ketch, slipped almost
unnoticed out of Falmouth harbour steered by the solitary figure at her
helm, Robin Knox-Johnston. Ten and a half months later Suhaili,
paintwork peeling and rust streaked, her once white sails weathered and
brown, her self-steering gone, her tiller arm jury rigged to the rudder
head, came romping joyously back to Falmouth to a fantastic reception
for Robin, who had become the first man to sail round the world
non-stop single-handed.

By every standard it was an incredible adventure, perhaps the last
great uncomputerised journey left to man. Every hazard, every
temptation to abandon the astounding voyage came Robin's way, from
polluted water tanks, smashed cabin top and collapsed boom to lost
self-steering gear and sheered off tiller, and all before the tiny
ketch had fought her way to Cape Horn, the point of no return, the
fearsome test of any seaman's nerve and determination.

A World of My Own is Robin's gripping, uninhibited, moving
account of one of the greatest sea adventures of our time. An instant
bestseller, it is now reissued for a new generation of readers to be
enthralled and inspired.

Robin Knox-Johnston entered the Merchant Navy at the age of 17,
obtaining his Master's Certificate 8 years later. Of the 9 competitors
he was the only one to complete the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race in
1968 after 312 days alone at sea and win the trophy for the first solo
non-stop circumnavigation. Since then Robin has participated in many
ocean races including the Whitbread, and in 1994 co-skippered Enza with
Sir Peter Blake to set a new world record for a circumnavigation. He
has been UK Yachtsman of the Year twice, International Yachtsman of the
Year in 1995, and was knighted in 1995. He still owns and sails Suhaili.