Even solo circumnavigations rely on help from others, and I have received generous assistance in the form of advice and encouragement from a rapidly growing network of sailors.
Captain Eric Forsyth has sailed Fiona, a Westsail 42 he completed from a bare hull, well over 250,000 miles, and has been on expedition to the far corners of the globe continually since 1983. Included in his many accomplishments are a circumnavigation via the Southern Ocean and North America via the Northwest Passage.
Dave King has sailed many of the world’s oceans as a delivery skipper, and has frequently participated in ocean races in his Westsail 32, Saraband. In 1988 he placed first overall in the West Marine Pacific Cup and 2nd overall in the 2010 Singlehanded Transpac. Dave is regarded as a Westsail 32 expert whose advice is highly sought after.
Matt Rutherford is the first American to have solo circumnavigated the Americas. In 2011 he departed Boston, sailed east-to-west through the Northwest Passage, down around Cape Horn and back to Boston non-stop in an Albin Vega 27. He is currently en route from San Francisco to Japan for Ocean Research Project.
David Thoreson is a committed photographer, writer and speaker with many unique ocean passages under his belt, including two times through the Northwest Passage, once with Roger Swanson on Cloud Nine and once as part of the crew of Around the Americas . I’m grateful for the use of some of his photography on this site.
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Others include:
Bruce Allen
Dave Arthurs
Chris Bennet
Connie McCann and Tony Gibb
Rick Gio
Kurt Lorenz
Holger & Roz
Brian Thom
Neil Thompson