The Whitbread Round the World Race 1977-78 Official Film
by The Ocean Race 29 Mar 2020 16:51 BST
The Whitbread Round the World Race 1977-78 © The Ocean Race
The second edition of the Whitbread Round the World Race cemented the race's place as a fixture and pillar event in the sport of sailing. Dutchman Conny van Rietschoten would claim the race on corrected time in Flyer, a Sparksman and Stephens design that can still be seen sailing today.
Clare Francis became the first woman to skipper a boat in the race and Sir Peter Blake made his race debut as one of the crew on board Heath's Condor, and was forced to make a spectacular man overboard rescue in the Southern Ocean. .
15 boats would start the race in Portsmouth and all 15 completed the four-leg, 27,000 nautical mile course.