Surprisingly, I had never heard of Sir Francis Chichester or of his book Gypsy Moth Circles the World until I found and bought a copy at the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney several years ago. I love accounts of true sailing adventures, and when I recently rediscovered this book on my shelf I finally dove in.Sir Francis Chichester was a distinguished aviator before becoming a yachtsman. He made the first solo flight East to West across the Tasman Sea from New Zealand to Australia, and was the first to land an aircraft at Norfolk Island and Lord Howe Island. On Lord Howe Island his plane was heavily damaged and he ended up having to rebuild it himself with the help of native islanders. On an attempt to circumnavigate the world solo by airplane some time later he hit an overhead cable and went down in Japan. In WWII Chichester enlisted for the UK as a Navigation Expert, literally writing the manual for solo fighter aircraft "kneeboard navigation," enabling them to run missions across Europe and return successfully, counteracting the errors resulting from the difficulties of taking sun sights with a sextant alone from a moving airplane. Chichester was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer in 1958 (possibly a misdiagnosed lung abscess), which went into remission after his wife placed him on a strict vegetarian diet. He then began a career in long distance yacht racing.Gypsy Moth Circles the World is Chichester's account of his 1966-1967 solo circumnavigation of the globe by yacht, beginning and ending in Plymouth, UK, with only one stop in Sydney, Australia. Chichester was the first to circle alone from West to East by way of the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Horn. Joshua Slocum was the first single-handed circumnavigator, but he took three years doing it with multiple stops going in the opposite direction, against the prevailing winds. Chichester completed his voyage in 226 days of sailing, racing the routes and fastest times of the Cutty Sark and other commercial clipper ships, who had their heydays in the late 1800's. Upon his return to England Chichester was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II with the same sword used by Elizabeth I to knight Sir Francis Drake. His boat Gypsy Moth IV was refitted and completed a second circumnavigation in 2007.The story is fascinating, and the book itself is very interesting to sailors, but it contains lots of technical information that might lose the casual reader or a reader not well versed in sailing jargon. For the most part Chichester limits his narrative to the day to day nuts and bolts of single-handed sailing, rarely dramatizing any single event beyond what sails he set, what had to be repaired, his sailing progress, and how much sleep he got (very little). Chichester's understatement goes a bit far at times, I feel, especially when recounting the capsize he suffered near Australia and rounding Cape Horn. The only times he really lets his feelings show are when he is interrupted in his solitary routine by reporters or by scheduled radio interviews. In these instances he turns a bit grumpy, resenting the intrusions.I found the first part of the book a bit dry but interesting as well. It recounts the difficulties in the design and building of the Gypsy Moth IV, and with the various voyage preparations. Again, this information is interesting if you are planning a voyage, but a casual reader might lose interest.Gypsy Moth Circles the World is a book by a sailor for sailors, and by "sailor," I mean one of the very best. I give it 4 stars out of 5 because it can get a bit dry and technical in spots. The book might have benefited from a co-author, but then the reader would have someone else between him and Chichester himself. I for one would rather have Chichester just as he is rather than overly dramatized for the purpose of selling more books.
Chichester's motivation for solo circumnavigation was utterly different from Slocum's (see: Sailing Alone around the World ). Despite advances in technology this trip was only a scant bit easier than Slocum's, though I'd doubt that a person making the trip would agree. Even in the late twentieth century it was a big deal, so much of the reporting about his trip was in the front section of newspapers around the world. His completion of the voyage was front page news. This voyage being contemporary [of me], I'm a mite less forgiving of the writing than I am of Slocum's much older book but I'd say it's actually quite good and well worth your time. All the more if you're interested in sailing, adventure, resourcefulness or solitude.
Do You like book Gipsy Moth Circles The World (1967)?
March 28, 2013: I picked up another copy at the Friends of the Hilton Head Library and re-read this wonderful book as I am just starting boating. It was as amazing to read as the first time. I will never tire of this epic voyage.This was a book I picked up at the Austin Public Library Recycled Reads Store. I first read this book when it was published in 1967 and it started me on my reading of adventure, biography and history books as my primary source of reading pleasure. Though I remembered the story, it was a treat to re-read his first person account of this amazing trip on a 35 foot sail boat. The story is riveting and so I picked it up and read it through. I'll have to lok for his other books. (12-17-2011)
—Michael Harris
This was my mother's book one of the ones I saved after she passed away. My first attempt to read it ended in failure because the first chapter is all about building and testing Gipsy Moth IV, and it sort of lost me.Now, after reading all Patrick O'Brian's Aubry/Maturin series, Chichester's book was more accessible and understandable, though there was still plenty of sailing vocabulary I didn't get.Francis Chichester set off from London/Plymouth in September 1966 to sail singlehanded around the world in Gipsy Moth IV. In May 1967 he finished the voyage in Plymouth, sailed on to London and was knighted by QEII with the sword QEI had given to Sir Francis Drake after he completed a circumnavigation.Gipsy Moth IV sits on Greenwich Pier in London today, right near the Cutty Sark. I've been there a couple of times. It would be wonderful to see it again now that I know its life story.
—Pam Lindholm-levy
