Robin Knox-Johnston in 2013
More news of orcas attacking sailboats in the Atlantic off the Iberian peninsula, in this case involving a sailing icon. Scuttlebutt Sailing News reports that a pod of orcas attacked Sir Robin Knox-Johnson while sailing his Farr 56 Sanjula, damaging the steering.
As the first person to perform a single-handed non-stop circumnavigation of the globe, and then later won the second Jules Verne Trophy, 83-year-old Robin Knox-Johnson is indeed sailing royalty.
Knox-Johnson recounted what happened to Scuttlebutt: On November 24 at 0835 GMT off the Spanish coast of Cape Finisterre (Lat 42 53.6N Long 009 30.3W), a pod of 7-10 Orcas surrounded my Farr 56 Sanjula and then began to barge into its rudder. This eventually broke a steering connecting rod.
The engine was switched off and the boat lay hove-to whilst the emergency steering was rigged. After ten minutes the Orcas moved away, no longer finding a hove-to yacht interesting … but that is only an assumption. The boat sailed to Vigo for repairs.
Since 2020, there have been some 236 reported interactions between orcas, also known as killer whales, and boats off the Iberian Peninsula, according to Spanish News Today.
There is no record of an orca killing a human in the wild. Still, two boats were reportedly sunk by orcas off the coast of Portugal this year, the most recent earlier this month.
“We like to hear ’em squeaking up there. Fun!”
I always find the statement “There is no record of an orca killing a human in the wild” unsurprising. And amusing.
08:35 would not have interrupted Sir Robin declaring that the “Sun is over the yardarm somewhere in the world” which, from experience, occurs about 09:00(z) or any other time zone.
The 1968/69 single handed Sunday Times Round the World Race was won by Sir Robin. Competitors were given a time window to start and had to finish at the same port that they set off from after passing the three capes. There were two prizes, The Golden Globe for the first to finish and £5000 for the fastest time. Sir Robin won both in Suhali, a yacht he had built for himself in Bombay, now Mumbai, in 1963 based on a Colin Archer design for a Norwegian lifeboat.
Donald Crowhurst had entered his trimaran “Teignmouth Electron.” Donald was an ordinary Joe following his dreams and was late in the window to the starting line in a boat built by himself and his family and friends and under immense self pressure. The boat was not really ready but his goal made him leave his wife and four children to fulfill his ambition and gain recognition for them all. He obviously struggled and eventually this affected his mental health. He went round in circles in the South Atlantic giving positions that indicated that he was advancing in the race but the reality was that he was not coping. We do not know what ultimately happened to Donald but “Teignmouth Electron” was discovered abandoned by the RMS Picardy. Donald was never found.
In those unwoke days, many would have judged Donald badly but Sir Robin donated the £5000, (£45,000 in today’s money,) to Donald’s family. One of the most selfless acts ever committed by a human being, in my very humble opinion, which is why I revere the man. As A classic yacht skipper, we have met any times and never once have I left sober.
Sir Robin. Respect.