You're sailing through the Southern Ocean on an Open 60 when your keel is snagged by a massive fishing net. Do you: (a) sail backwards (b) tie a knife to a batten (c) go overboard to free it?
When Robin found himself in this situation during the Velux 5 Oceans Race he first tried to cut the net free from onboard using a knife tied to a batten. He soon realised that the only solution was to plunge into the icy waters – as he recounts in the ‘Sailing Solo’ section of this fascinating anthology.
Sir Robin Knox-Johnston is Britain's greatest living sailor and in this fabulous hardback book he shares a collection of distilled wisdom, acute observations and fascinating anecdotes.
Read a free sample chapter of Knox Johnston on Sailing
And watch the video
On what do about a snagged keel in the Southern Ocean:
I put on a sailing drysuit, then a harness, attached it to a nice long line and went over the transom. Interesting watching the boat from maybe 100ft away. She was rolling horribly. I was also not too excited about the sudden attention of three albatross who clearly saw my floundering as some indication of a potential dinner…
On becoming the first person to sail solo, non-stop around the world:
In the meantime, although lost to the world, I continued towards Cape Horn. Off New Zealand I learnt that Moitessier had been closing quickly to start with, but had slowed; Tetley was way behind and so, according to his accounts, was Crowhurst. And that was the last news I received until almost home…
On setting a new world record with Sir Peter Blake:
You wonder why you do it until you take the helm and control the immense power that ENZA generates. Then everything else is ignored as the mind concentrates on holding a steady, safe and fast course. This is what we came for, the unbeatable, exhilarating sensation of running our easting down faster than it has ever been done before under sail…
