Who will be the first to sail non-stop around the world? In 1968, The Sunday Times announces a trophy and a cash prize for the winner, and the Golden Globe Race is on. Leading the charge are Robin Knox-Johnston, an old-fashioned British patriot, and Bernard Moitessier, an enigmatic French philosopher. As monstrous seas and deadly gales close in, the difference between victory and disaster will come down to just one word.
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Further reading
Stewart Brand’s new book is Maintenance: Of Everything. Robin Knox-Johnston gives his account of his voyage in A World of My Own, and Bernard Moitessier tells his story in The Long Way. Our two scripts on the Golden Globe race also relied on the books A Race Too Far by Chris Eakin, and A Voyage For Madmen by Peter Nichols.