Suhaili

Suhaili is the name of the 32-foot (9.8 m) Bermudan ketch sailed by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston in the first non-stop solo circumnavigation of the world in the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race.[1]

Suhaili
Sailing vessel Suhaili in Gosport, UK in 2018
Sail no306242
Designer(s)William Atkin
Launched1963
Owner(s)Robin Knox-Johnston
Racing career
SkippersRobin Knox-Johnston
Notable victoriesSunday Times Golden Globe Race
Specifications
Displacement9,876 kg (9.720 long tons; 10.886 short tons)
Length9.8 m (32 ft)
Sail area61.8 m2 (665 sq ft)

Design and construction

Suhaili was built in Mumbai with the help of Royal Bombay Yacht Club, India in 1963. She follows plans designed by William Atkin for "Eric" in 1923. Her design is based on the Norwegian sailing lifeboat designs of Colin Archer.[2]

Specification[3][4]
1963
LOA 13.41 m (44.0 ft)
LWL 8.53 m (28.0 ft)
Beam 3.37 m (11.1 ft)
Draught 1.67 m (5.5 ft)
Thames Tonnage 14
Net Tonnage 6.29 Tons
Keelson 1’ 2” x 10" - 22 ft in Length
Planking 1 ¼" Indian Teak

Notable Appearances

In 1997 Suhaili went to the National Maritime Museum at Falmouth as an exhibit, but the controlled atmosphere began to shrink her planking, and, unwilling to see her die this way, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston removed her in 2002 and re-fitted her again. She still belongs to Knox-Johnston and was re-fastened at the Elephant Boatyard at Bursledon, near Southampton, UK. The objective was to get her back into commission and Sir Robin duly took delivery in February 2020, as reported in an Elephant Boatyard Facebook post

Suhaili was one of a number of prestigious vessels moored along the route of the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant, to celebrate the diamond jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. Due to her size, she was not part of the flotilla, and was instead moored with other vessels at St Katharine Docks, in a display known as the Avenue of Sail.[5]

References
  1. Knox-Johnson, Robin (1969). A World of My Own. Cassel.
  2. Daniel MacNaughton (2000). "Eric: The Best Boat for the Worst Weather". WoodenBoat. Retrieved 10 June 2021 – via atkinboatplans.com.
  3. "Suhaili". Retrieved 20 June 2017.
  4. "Sir Robin Knox-Johnston refits his famous yacht Suhaili". Retrieved 20 June 2017.
  5. "Participation in the Pageant". Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant. Archived from the original on 6 August 2012.
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