Captain John Ridgway sets out to become the first person to sail solo non-stop around the world.
Twenty-nine year old British army paratrooper Captain John Ridgway from Farnham in Surrey hopes to become the first man to sail solo around the world non-stop. His motivation for setting out on this epic journey is that life is short and he wants to make the most of his talents. He estimates that the journey will take approximately one year leaving his wife and young child at home. As an army man, he says his wife is used to him being away from home.
Captain John Ridgway was escorted out to sea at Kilronan Harbour on the Aran Island on board his 30 foot yacht 'English Rose IV' by a flotilla of small boats. He was waved off by his wife Marie-Christine and islanders on Inishmore, the largest of the Aran Islands. The plan is to sail south-west following the route taken by Sir Francis Chichester.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 1 June 1968.
