Five world famous single-handed yachts are coming together in Brixham, England from the 1st – 15th October 2002 to coincide with the Around Alone 2002-03 stop-over.

It is the first time that these pioneering yachts have been brought together in one place to create a unique ‘floating museum’ of solo sailing history. Visitors will have a one-off opportunity see the very boats from which the modern equivalents evolved, and compare these pioneers with the high-tech carbon racing machines used by today’s circumnavigators.

They are:

‘Jester’: the replica of Lt. Col. “Blondie” Hasler’s 26ft junk-rigged Folkboat, which took part in the first modern single-handed Transatlantic race in 1960.

‘Lively Lady’: this is the 36ft yawl, built in Calcutta out of teak in 1948, in which Sir Alec Rose completed his 1967-68 two-stop circumnavigation.

‘Suhaili’: the first yacht to complete a single-handed, non-stop circumnavigation in 1968-69 under the helm of Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, thereby winning the Sunday Times Golden Globe yacht race.

‘British Steel’: the first yacht to complete a solo circumnavigation from East to West (or “the wrong way” as the French say) in 1970-71 under skipper Sir Chay Blyth.

‘Group 4’: the Challenge 67-foot steel yacht, in which British skipper Mike Golding set a new record of 161 days for a Westabout circumnavigation in 1993-94.