Ride on the Wind

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

Born in Devon and educated at Marlborough College, Chichester emigrated to New Zealand at 18, where he spent a decade 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, an endeavor for which he received the inaugural Amy Johnson Memorial Trophy.

Chichester penned numerous popular books about his aviation exploits. During World War II, he authored the manual that served as a guide for single-man fighter pilots navigating across Europe. In 1964, Chichester published his autobiography, the highly successful The Lonely Sea and the Sky, and was knighted three years later in recognition of his “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.