Francis Chichester
Sir Francis Chichester was a British businessman, pioneering aviator, and solo sailor. He gained worldwide fame for being the first person to sail single-handed around the world.
Sailor
September 17, 1901
Virgo
August 26, 1972
70
Barnstaple, Devon, England
Sir Francis Chichester, a British businessman, pioneering aviator, and solo sailor, achieved global recognition in 1967 as the first individual to circumnavigate the world single-handedly. He completed this historic journey aboard his yacht, the Gipsy Moth IV, with sponsorship from the International Wool Secretariat. Chichester’s voyage took 226 days, during which he traversed the world from West to East via the great capes entirely on his own. This accomplishment earned him a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II. In addition to his sailing feats, Chichester is known for flying solo across the Tasman Sea, setting numerous aviation speed records, and authoring books such as “Gipsy Moth Circles The World” and “The Lonely Sea and The Sky.”