Alone Over the Tasman Sea

Sir Francis Chichester was an aviator and sailor, most renowned for being the first and fastest person to circumnavigate the globe solo in The Gipsy Moth IV. Following this accomplishment, he authored several books and produced films detailing his sailing journeys.

Born in Devon and educated at Marlborough College, Chichester emigrated to New Zealand at 18. He spent a decade involved in forestry, mining, and property development. Upon returning to England, he learned to fly. In the original Gipsy Moth seaplane, he achieved the distinction of being the first person to complete a solo East-West flight across the Tasman Sea, earning him the inaugural Amy Johnson Memorial Trophy.

Chichester penned numerous popular books about his aviation adventures. During World War II, he wrote the navigation manual used by single-man fighter pilots for flights across Europe. In 1964, he published his autobiography, the bestseller The Lonely Sea and the Sky, and was knighted three years later for “individual achievement and sustained endeavour in the navigation and seamanship of small craft.”

Leveraging his navigation expertise, Chichester established a successful map-making company, Francis Chichester Ltd. This company continues to publish pocket guides and maps that are distributed globally.