#parattrooper

Happy 82nd Birthday  Scottish yachtsman, rower and soldier Sir Chay Blyth.

Born Charles Blyth  on May 14th, 1940 in Hawick, in the Scottish Borders,  the youngest of a family of five girls and two boys. At the age of 15, he left school and went to work for a local knitwear factory as an apprentice frame worker. This career was short-lived as, proudly Scottish, Chay signed  at age 18, for the  Parachute Regiment where he rose quickly through the ranks, becoming sergeant at the age of 21 – the regiment’s youngest ever Sergeant at that time. In 1966, Blyth teamed up with Captain John Ridgeway to row across the Atlantic from Cape Cod to the Aran Islands in a 20ft dory. They completed this in 92 days.

In 1971, having left the Army three years previously, aboard the 59ft ketch British Steel, he became the first person to sail non-stop westwards around the world against the prevailing winds and currents.  Before the attempt,  Sir Francis Chichester commented that he thought the voyage was impossible, and on completion it became known as ‘The Impossible Voyage.” The Times newspaper  described it as, ‘The most outstanding passage ever made by one man alone’.It is still considered the toughest challenge in sailing; only five people have ever managed it, a number which becomes more significant when compared to the 12 people who have walked on the moon.

The plan began in earnest to sail the ‘wrong way’ round the world in 1969, but it wasn't until 18th October 1970 that Chay Blyth departed from Southampton on board the 59ft ketch, British Steel.

His voyage had never been done before: to sail single-handed, non-stop, westwards around the world. Blyth returned to a hero’s welcome 292 days later.

Since that year, he has accumulated a staggering list of racing successes: 1973/4: skippered Great Britain II in the first Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race with a crew from the Parachute Regiment. They won the elapsed time prize and nine out of the 12 trophies. 1978 he won the Two-handed Round Britain race with Rob James. In 1981 the Two-handed Transatlantic race with Rob James breaking the record

It wasn’t all plain sailing though, pardon the pun, in 1984 Chay capsized in Beefeater II off Cape Horn and spent 19 hours in the water before being rescued; A year later he had to be rescued in the Atlantic from Virgin Atlantic Challenger, which sank. But in 198 Blyth co-skippered ,with Richard Branson, the successful Blue Riband transatlantic attempt on Virgin Atlantic Challenger.

In 1989 Chay founded Challenge Business, a market leader in creating, managing and promoting World Class events, as part of his work with the company he e mentored fDee Caffari on her successful bid to be the first woman to sail around the world against the prevailing winds and currents in 2005–2006.

In 1997, Sir Chay was Knighted for his services to sailing, am not keen on the honours system, but in some cases recognition like this is merited, Chay is a very brave guy who succeeded against all the odds at times in a prusuit of goals that almost cost him his life.  The second pic show the pair celebrating her return.

In 2013 aged 73 Chay was still involved in his first love of sailing, in his yacht  Wullie Waught he sailed round the world taking part in events worldwide.  The yacht’s name was inspired by the great Robert Burns poem.