AIRMAN AND YACHTSMAN

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30478, 27 June 1964, Page 4

AIRMAN AND YACHTSMAN

The Lonely Sea and the Sky. By Francis Chichester. Hodder and Stoughton. 339 pp. and Index. The title of this autobiography, taken from ’ Masefield’s well-known poem, is singularly apposite; two-thirds of the contents consist of the author’s adventures in one or other of these elements. An epic of achievement when combined with an unusual degree of British understatement does, however, result in rather flat reporting, and while marvelling at Mr Chichester’s powers of endurance, hairbreadth escapes from death and the sort of fearlessness which is prepared to take calculated risks, the reader could wish for more emphasis in the author’s style. Yet in the history of our time few have had a more colourful life. Son of a Devonshire clergyman, Francis Chichester emigrated to New Zealand at the age of 18 with a capital of £lO. After working on farms, in forestry, in coal mines and in various other activities he became a partner with a dynamic and versatile New Zealander. Geoffrey Goodwin In a land-agency business. This association helped him to build up the modest fortune which was to launch him on his subsequent career, and through 40 years of financial tins and downs it still endures. While in England in 1929 Chichester purchased a Gypsy Moth, and with typical intrepidity resolved to fly it to Australia. His object was to beat Bert Hinkler’s record of 16 davs, but a difficult landing at Tripoli damaged the Gypsy Moth and defeated this ambition. although he was able tn complete this long and hazardous flight tn the end After returning to New Zealand he determined to fly the Tasman solo, and as this could not he done direct with the Moth’s limitation of fuel canaritv he turned it into a seaniane with the necessary addition of floats, and resolved to touch down at Norfolk Island fa mere speck nn the oce’n) for refuelling. Without modem navigational aids this

was a considerable feat —the first of many. The floats gave continuous trouble, and the seaplane was wrecked off Lord Howe Island. Perhaps the most remarkable achievement in a career marked by brilliant exploits was the rebuilding of the machine with the aid of many willing and extremely skilful hands in a matter of months. After reaching Australia the author determined to continue the flight round the world. However his luck, which had up to now been phenomenal, deserted him in Japan where, above the small town of Katsuura, some concealed wires brought down the aircraft in a spectacular crash which all but killed the pilot. This put paid to flying for a time, and he returned to England to turn his talents to yachting which was later to become his ruling passion However, business considerations called him back to New Zealand where he remained for the next four years. Returning to England in 1937 he met the girl he was destined jto marry. She says that as she boarded the London train after their meeting and brief acquaintance in North Devon he said. “I have £lOO in money, £14.000 overdraft and some trees, will you marry me’” Like his other daring challenges to fate this one was to be completely successful, but as his wife was not happy in New Zealand where his financial interests lay they returned to England shortly before the war. r The war period was ft| t ' of

frustrations for Chichester. The Royal Air Force to which he was naturally attracted would give him no operational work on account of his age and bad eyesight, but his navigational gifts were not wholly wasted for at the Empire Central Flying School he was able to give valuable navigational instruction to young pilots. This incidentally led to his establishing himself in business after the war as a maker of maps. A cat could hardly claim to have more lives than this mercurial man, yet one of his closest brushes with death was still to come when he developed lung cancer, This time he owed his continued active existence to his wife who, in face of solid medical opinion and recommendation refused to allow an operation which.would have robbed him of one lung. Instead she sent him to a nature-cure establishment where the active state of the disease gave place to a passive one, and a complete cure eventually resulted from treatment by a French doctor. This hazard overcome the author went back to a yachting career which the illness had interrupted. While barely convalescent he won the Festnet race in 1959 and entered for the solo yacht race across the Atlantic in 1960, sailing his own yacht Gypsy Moth 3. The last 70 pages of his book are devoted to a full account of his two successive victories in t this epic battle with the most turbulent ocean in the world, which he has already described in print. As a crowning end to the second one he returned from this voyage with his wife and son on board for crew. Self-revealing as all autobiographies must be up to a point, this one still leaves the reader with a rather hazy picture of the complex character of the author. Superhuman achievements tn his two chosen fields of adventure a passion of his own company, loyalty to friends, and a deep love and respect for his wife, to whom he dedicates the hook, are all here: and yet his laconic style, and an apoarent absence of a sense of humour contrive to make his personality still elusive. £