LONELY YACHTSMAN

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIII, 6 August 1929, Page 8

LONELY YACHTSMAN

VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD

LONDON, 27th July, A general cable message reported that Alain Gerbault, the former tennis player, has arrived iu Havre after his lonely four and a half years' voyage round the world in the small yacht Firecrest. Alain Gerbault, who has made a series of remarkable voyages alone, in a small yacht, was bom in France. His first love was lawn tennis, and in 1922 he took part in the championships at Wimbledon, where he showed great promi.se, but he leftrthe tennis court for the ocean. In 1923 he set out from Nice in his 10ton cutter Firecrest, and. after, a solitary passage of 142 days reached Long Island, New York. In the "Fight of the Firecrest," he has described his trying experiences. His sails were often torn to shreds by the wind and ho had to work night »and day to repair them. His bobstay parted, and while he was on the bowsprit mending it he was several times plunged under water. On two occasions he was taken ill and he was once unconscious for several hours. . ' . After a visit to France he returned to New York and resumed his voyage. His equipment in addition to water consisted of salt pork, biscuits, rice, waterproof clothing, a machine-gun, and'-the works of 11. li. Stevenson, Kipling, Tennyson, and Jack London. Setting out earlv* in October. 1924, the Firecres* reached the Bermudas after a stormy passage of 16 days, so badly damaged that it was four months before he could start again for Panama. There he began the crossing of the Pacific, which took him two years, for, fascinated by the scenery and climate of Polynesia, he went from island to island., spending sonic time at each, and particularly in those where he found traces of'.Sterven80ii. His route was by the Galapagos and Marquesas Islands, Tahiti, and Samoa- While off Wallis Island in September. 1926, he had a serious mishap. The cable parted and the Firecrest went ashore, its keel being ripped off. Tho French naval sloop Cassiopce was sent by the Minister for Marine to repair the damage, but Gerbault was not able to resume his lonely wanderings (ill the (>nd of November. Byway of the New Hebrides he reached" Thursday Island between Cape York. Queensland, and New Guinea, in July, 1927.

Then came his most remarkablo feat,, the crossing of the Indian- Ocean from that island to Reunion, a - distance of 5500 miles, three times that of the great voyage of the Trcvessa survivors who reached Mauritius after 25 days iu an open boat. Gerbault's crossing took him till October, 1927. On bis arrival he wore only a waistcloth. He had subsisted largely on coconuts and maize. 11 is further plans were tot visit Durban in order to meet the South African tennis champion and thence to sail for Cape Town. SI. Helena, Gibraltar, and Marseille;-.,

which he hoped to reach within a year. His aim is to build a vessel still smaller than Ihe Firecrest, return to the Pacific and cruise among its islands fur the rest ofliis life. ' In December. 1926, Ihe I'Vem-h Academy awarded him one of the M'ontyon prizes. A nicssiige from Paris in June stated Unit auxiet\ was. felt concerning Gerbault's safely, as nothing had been heard of hirn since ho was sighted in tho Bay of Biscay n week previously. Last. Friday, however. the fireotesl slipped into Cherbourg and later left for Havre.