circumnavigating the globe in a sailboat

7 Best-Known Routes for Sailing Around the World (with Maps)

Route planning is among the most crucial bits of preparation, especially when it comes to circumnavigation. This article will give you seven of the most commonly used routes for sailing around the world. Some routes have been sailed many times by many people, others are obscure or even dangerous.

The Fast Route - for the minimum time
The Pleasure Route - for the maximal pleasure
The Traditional Route - the road most taken
The Arctic Route - for the rough ones
The Dangerous Route - without regards for piracy
The Cheap Route - with a budget in mind
The Coast Lover's Route - never going far from the coast

Since circumnavigation is quite a complex matter, let's go through this list one by one below.

circumnavigating the globe in a sailboat

21 Places to Avoid Sailing Around the World (In Order)

Let's kick this off with a racing spirit. This is the route taken by those competing in Vendée Globe, a circumnavigation race. It takes a bit under three months...

...that is if you are a racer and so is your boat. If you are a cruiser kind of person, it will take more time, but the point is that this route is as straightforward as it gets.

So what waypoints does it touch? Vendée globe racers start in France, then head down towards the Cape of Good Hope, circle Antarctica as close as the rules allow, and after getting to Cape Horn, head up to France again.

Of course, based on where you start from, your route might differ. But the idea is as follows:

head south towards the Southern Ocean
sail around Antarctica through the Southern Ocean
after reaching the point where you met the Southern Ocean for the first time, head back up

The Southern Ocean is not a breeze, the cold waters mixing with the warmer ones coming from the north, plus the danger of icebergs, as well as the cold temperature, isn't how your typical holiday dream looks. That being said, it's up to you how close to Antarctica you will want to be when going around it.

This route doesn't touch down at any land, so you must be prepared for months on the sea as far as provisions, spares and mental capacity goes. Of course, this is variable, you can easily make landfall in Azores, South Africa, South Australia, or South America, and some of the South Pacific islands, if you need to. Either way, it is demanding logistically, so be sure to have your checklist in check .

It is among the most straightforward routes. Not just because it is probably the shortest one or the fastest one, but all the hassle with visas, check-ins, going through canals, and other lengthy land creatures' business will be foreign to you.

If you make it through the Southern Oceans unharmed, you will certainly have one hell of a story to tell.

Now let's go on the opposite side of the specter.

Let's suppose you theoretically have unlimited time. Instead of doing things quickly and efficiently, you want to take it at a leisurely pace while admiring all that there is to see.

This route will begin and end in the Mediterranean, but that's just because that's where I am based, sailing-wise. Wherever else you are, just pick the point of the route closest to you and begin there.

We will begin in Croatia, because it has beautiful shores and islands, travel around Greece with even more islands, the south around Italy, through Gibraltar. After that:

head south to the Azores
west to the Caribbean and through the Panama Canal
west to Hawaii
south to French Polynesia
west to New Zealand, then Australia and Papua New Guinea
northwest to Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, India
south to Madagascar, then along the African coast to Cape of Good Hope
north to the Azores and then through Gibraltar back home

This route takes time since it aims to explore all it can even remotely touch. It's not just that the route is long, because the aim is to visit pretty places. You might also find yourself having to wait months at some places for the bad weather season to clear before you can make your next crossing. Have a look at our article about things to think about when planning for a long trip .

Because of that, this route is more demanding when it comes to planning, visa hassle, check-in research, more ports and anchors, more provisions planning. Also, your boat will need to be a solid liveaboard , since you will spend so much time on it. Logistically, it will be demanding.

But for all that hassle, you will literally get to see the world. You will visit many fantastic cultures, get to taste the cuisines from all over, and the long times waiting for the winds to calm down will be spent on exploring the place you are 'stuck' at.

What more does one need...

...except perhaps some middle ground. Now that we've been to two extremes, let's look at something in the middle: the route most commonly taken when circumnavigating.

It is rather similar to the Pleasure Route above except for skipping the Mediterranean, Pacific, and Southeast Asian stops.

Thus it goes as follows:

From Europe, head south to the Azores
west to Australia
west to Cape of Good Hope

This route accomplishes the circumnavigation while stopping at beautiful places but doesn't necessarily explore everything that happens to be around. Its strong suit is the variability. If you like the Caribbean, you stop and cruise around there. If Australia excites you, you do the same there. If you want to see Madagascar, well, it will be almost on your way. And so on.

It has been a traditional route to take because it is relatively painless and does not go through any hazardous areas.

It has been traveled by many before you, so there is a lot of info floating around if you want to do your research on specific parts of the journey.

On its own, it has a lot of long legs where you will not see anything but the ocean on the horizon. So for those of you who mind this, you gotta make it your own, customize it a bit, so that you spend more time at places that you like.

This planning really is important. Some of those legs can't be made during certain seasons if you want to be careful, so to make sure you don't get stuck somewhere you don't particularly like, you should plan well.

With that, let's get crazier.

For those who want to do things the hard way. Perhaps you really like the scenery, perhaps you want to test yourself, or maybe you've done every other passage, and now it is time for the icy one.

There is a circumnavigation route that leads through regions so far up north you mostly don't encounter them even on a map. Because why would you look up there.

Now I don't know how long this article will survive on the internet, but note that this route is rather climatically contextual. Given enough time, it might freeze over and become unavailable.

For me, it would begin in one of the northern ports of Norway and then:

continue west to Iceland
west to the south of Greenland and then up its western coast to the Baffin Bay
south of Devon Island and through the archipelagos to Beaufort and Chuchki Seas
west along the northern coast of Russia under the Lyakhovsky Islands
west under the Yuzhny Island to the Barents Sea and back to the north of Norway

To this, you will have to add the most straightforward route north from wherever you are to any point on the route above.

Cold. Thus this requires clothing, equipment, and a boat that can withstand the polar temperatures along with chunks of ice floating around.

How much more adventurous can you get? Circumnavigation has been accomplished by plenty of people. This, not so much.

With the above, the major sailing routes have been covered. So what follows are mostly variations. Important ones, though.

Imagine this one mostly as the Traditional Route, except with a few twists. One of them leads through the Gulf of Aden, the Red Sea, and the Suez Canal.

Why take it? Because if you look on the map, you will see that when going from the general direction of Australia or Southeast Asia west, meaning you are probably aiming for the Azores or further for the Caribbean, it will save you a lot of time.

Money, not so much. You will have to pay for security. Because although you will save yourself the long southern route around the whole continent of Africa, which is nearly a 10,000-mile detour, you will have to go through the aforementioned areas that are famous for piracy and require professional armed company if you want to be on the safe side.

Not that it hasn't been done without it, but you know… Furthermore, many insurances won't cover you there since the risks are just too high.

Similarly, the area around Malaysia and the Philippines, which you might encounter during your Southeast Asia travels, bears the same story. No coverage by many insurances for piracy reasons.

Then again, exploring Southeast Asia while avoiding these regions means a few detours and no-go zones.

So if you want to explore the world on your sailboat and don't mind the risk, add these to your route plans.

Obviously, the risk or costs related to security. You will find plenty of sailors arguing that there is no real danger unless you are a cargo ship or a kidnapping worthy target. You will also find plenty who would rather travel in a fleet through there. And plenty who would never set sail towards those places.

Then there is the insurance issue.

With Suez, the upside is the saved time as well as not having to go around the treacherous South African cape waters.

With the Philippines and Malaysia, it's the convenience of being able to go wherever you want to in one of the most beautiful regions worldwide.

See this one as a variant of the Traditional Route and the Pleasure Route.

Some places are cheaper than others. And some places straight up make very little sense to go to.

Going through the Panama Canal is at least a $1,300 expense. Or, there are countries, like Ecuador, where check-in can cost you a $1,000 fee. And last but not least, prices of resources, like food, vary too. The Caribbean is famous for its steep prices in the provisions area.

The prices change, so it would not be bulletproof to give you a precise circumnavigation route exclusively through cheap places. Still, the moral of the story here is that when planning your route, do have a look at the local prices when it comes to check-ins and visas, food and various passes.

The result should be a route you are comfortable with financially. Avoiding the Panama Canal means a detour around the whole of South America, so it rarely pays off. Avoiding Ecuador, on the other hand, won't hinder your progress and save you money. Stocking up on food before getting into the Caribbean is also a sound logistical choice - unless you plan to stay for longer than your stocks can take you.

Saving money can mean detours, inaccessibility of various places, and more thought put into logistics. So it can result in a less elegant route.

On the other hand, being smart about it can result in a much lower bill overall.

Let me start this one by admitting that I don't believe anybody will actually take this route in its entirety, as delineated here. But it serves as an inspiration to those who are perhaps a bit unsure or simply like to combine two different sailing styles.

Some like to cross vast oceans and love to see nothing but the horizon for months. And then some like to stick to coastal waters for most of their journeys. Nothing wrong with that; at least it gives you something to look at any given moment.

And then there is the benefit of relative safety, a port or an anchorage close by most of the time, the ability to resupply whenever you like, to pick up and drop off people, and last but not least the lack of need for a really ocean-worthy boat and equipment.

I'm talking about the coastal cruiser's dream of circling all the world's continents, whereby effectively circumnavigating the globe. Eventually. This is the longest route ever.

The idea is pretty simple. You can go around the world sticking to the coast with no crossings, except for the Norwegian Sea and a few short stretches in Southeast Asia.

Or, if you feel up to it (and want to avoid the freezing northern places), you can cross the Atlantic, the Pacific and keep close to the coasts otherwise.

As mentioned in the beginning, not many will actually take this entire route. But it is not uncommon for circumnavigators to have weeks or months where they do exactly this - stick to the coast and enjoy the country.

Lots and lots of time and resources are needed.

You will constantly be checking into countries and solving visas.

Understand the required paperwork for sailing the world This is an article on the topic of check-ins and paperwork, so have a read through it Read up on global licenses

Some areas are arguably less hospitable than others - the coast of Yemen as an example. So you might want to skip a few.

You don't need a proper ocean exploring boat - an island-hopping model will suffice. Many of the modern ones are capable of long crossings if needed here and there.

You don't need as much equipment as power, water, food, and all that jazz will be available most of the time.

The logistics will suddenly become a whole lot easier. Fewer provisions planning, less spare parts planning, broken stuff won't be a disaster… you get the point.

This is the true world tour.

I liked your article; it raised a lot of good points. I think the article could have benefitted from some maps.

I also think that, throughout the article, you have confused the Canary Islands or Madeira with the Azores. The Azores are not south from Gibraltor or France or Europe. They are 1/3 the way across the Atlantic Ocean, almost due west from Lisbon. The Canaries are south from Gilbrator, France and Europe and most people turn west there for the Caribbean.

Again, I liked the article.

Best wishes.

You may also like, 41 sailboat cruising essentials for long trips.

In this post I list the items you are unlikely to have if you have never done bluewater or long-term cruising before. There are some essential safety product and …

Everything You Need to Sail Around the World (by an expert)

How Long Does it Take to Sail Around the World?

The Safest Sailing Routes Around the World (Which to Avoid)

How Big Should a Sailboat Be to Sail Around the World?

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Sailing Around The World – Planning For Global Circumnavigation

August 14, 2021 by Martin Parker Leave a Comment

various sailing gear for global circumnavigation

There’s something about sailing around the world that captures the imagination and inspires. For some, it’s the reason for learning to sail in the first place. Others only start to think about global circumnavigation as their skills and experience grow. Regardless of what motivates you to circumnavigate, one thing remains true. For most, it will be the challenge of a lifetime.

But how do you start the process? For someone new to sailing, the prospect of circumnavigation can be truly daunting. With so much to think about and plan for, many get overwhelmed and abandon their dreams before they begin.

This brief article aims to get you thinking about the task of circumnavigation and what it takes to practically and successfully navigate the process, from start to finish.

What Constitutes a Global Circumnavigation?

The definition of circumnavigation is a matter of debate, but there are some defined rules regarding a nautical, wind-powered trip where racing is concerned. A basic description would be to follow a route that forms a great circle. The passage must be at least 21,600 nautical miles for racing, and you must cross the equator, starting and finishing in the same port.

A cruising circumnavigation will often take a route that covers a much greater distance, with multiple diversions to visit places of interest. So long as you meet the essential criteria stated above, it can be classed as a circumnavigation.

If you are in a hurry, the current world record is held by Francois Gabart. He completed an official circumnavigation in just 42 days, 16 hours, and 40 minutes in December 2017.

No Substitute for Experience When Sailing Around the World

sailing around the world on a single hull sailboat

Some people spend a lifetime planning their trip, while others have just thrown the basics together and departed. In both cases, some have been successful, and some have not. We are trying to point out that while your planning is a necessary task, it does not guarantee success. Our best advice? Don’t keep putting off your departure because you haven’t planned everything 100%.

Start with the basic, most important tasks, and get ready to learn as you go. After all, thinking on your feet will be a big part of your circumnavigation journey.

Solo Circumnavigation, or Go With a Crew?

a man helps adjust the sails on a sailboat

Single-handed circumnavigation is perfectly possible. However, it’s a huge challenge that presents certain obstacles and dangers you could avoid with a crew. We highly recommend going with a crew for your first attempt, be it friends, family, or staff. The average time for cruising circumnavigation is around 18 months, although many people travel slowly over multiple years.

If none of your family and friends are keen, you can use websites like Ocean Crew Link to find crew. You could also consider joining another boat as part of a crew to complete your first journey.

How Long Will it Take to Circumnavigate the Globe?

This really is an open-ended question. How long you have might be a better question. If you’re in a hurry, the current world record is just under 43 days. For most of us, though, we’re circumnavigating to see more of the world at a leisurely pace.

On average, most complete their journey in approximately 18 months. Riley and Elayna from Sailing La Vagabonde started their trip in 2014 and are still going strong. They have even begun raising their young son on board during the journey. Theirs is a lifestyle choice that most won’t want, though. They even took a risky approach and started sailing around the world with little to no experience. It’s a route we wouldn’t recommend, but it shows that circumnavigation is possible – even for beginners.

In the end, your circumstances and endurance will determine how long you spend on your journey.

Is Sailing Around the World Dangerous?

The US Coast Guard practices an emergency rescue drill at sea

If anyone tries to tell you that it’s not slightly dangerous to circumnavigate the globe, don’t believe them. Sailing thousands of miles from land, passing through inclement weather, and relying on yourself and your crew presents many challenges and at least some level of risk. With proper knowledge, planning, and execution, though, you should be able to navigate your way through safely. By correctly preparing for your journey, you’ll have a better understanding of the risks, allowing you to reduce or even eliminate certain dangers.

A good starting point is learning your basic sailing skills. These skills include setting your sails and trim, boat handling, and basic navigation, to name a few. Practicing emergency procedures also helps to set yourself up to manage emergency scenarios if they arise. Man-overboard scenarios, how to make a mayday or pan-pan call, having sufficient rescue equipment, and having excellent navigation skills will all help prepare you to make the best of a bad situation. There is a wealth of information and training available both online and through professional organizations, and we strongly recommend taking several training courses until you feel adequately prepared.

Choosing a Boat for Global Circumnavigation

A sailboat sits on the horizon while sailing around the world

When you consider that people have successfully traversed the oceans in a myriad of craft – including small rowing boats – perhaps the type of boat you choose is not the most critical factor. It’s true that with help, you can cross oceans in almost anything, but the less suitable the boat, the more challenging, uncomfortable, and dangerous it will ultimately be.

The range of boats available may seem baffling, but the standard for making significant passages are the cruising bluewater style yachts. Our recent article on bluewater sailboats for under $100,000 offers insight into some well-known, competent, and affordable cruising yachts .

Vessel Considerations For Sailing Around the World

Size: Yacht size affects many different aspects of sailing. Since you’ll be spending a lot of time onboard, having the extra space of a 40-foot yacht or bigger will undoubtedly come in handy. In this yacht category, you’ll also get a good sail area to cater to the varying conditions you’ll encounter.
Weight: Although a heavy yacht won’t break any speed records, it will keep you steady when the sea conditions are challenging. Strong winds can become challenging in the open ocean, and having a heavy-displacement vessel will help you keep your course.
Keel Design: Fin keels are very popular, and they’re featured on many modern boat designs. However, carefully consider where you intend to go. A bilge keel, for example, gives you a lower draught so you can visit more shallow waterways and will allow you to moor in areas where the tide will leave you aground. Additional benefits include easier maintenance when aground and reduced roll for added comfort.
Sailing Winches: There are pros and cons to electric and manual winches, but hand winches make sense on circumnavigation passages from a practical point of view. Electric winches save you effort and help if you are sailing short-handed, but they need an efficient power source. Manual winches are more straightforward and less likely to cause you trouble.

What Gear Do You Need for Sailing Around the World?

Orange and yellow emergency life raft used for sailing around the world

There is some sailing gear that is essential for safely navigating a circumnavigation. While this list is far from exhaustive, your boat should be equipped with the following:

Life Jackets: This should go without saying, but it’s amazing how many don’t consider it essential. Ending up in the water thousands of miles from land is scary enough, but it could very well be a death sentence without a buoyancy device.
Lifeline: Prevention is better than a fix, so attaching yourself to the boat by a lifeline should be common sense when conditions call for it.
Ocean Liferaft: Inside should be an equipment and ration pack that will last longer than 24 hours.
Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB): An EPIRB is a device that automatically begins transmitting a rescue signal as soon as it’s submerged in water.
Battery Charging System: You will spend most of your time sailing during a circumnavigation. Running your engine to charge your batteries will not last long, and it’s also not advisable. Install at least one method, but preferably two or more, that can charge your batteries under sail. Solar panels, wind turbines, and towed impellors give you three different options for power, depending on the conditions.
SSB Radio: A Single Side Band (SSB) radio is a commonly used maritime communication system in the open ocean and remote parts of the world. Although AM radios are also widely used, SSB radios offer much better reliability and performance.
Pactor Modem: Connecting your SSB to a modem will allow you to send and receive emails nearly anywhere at sea.
Flare Pack: Flare packs are used to signal distress to other boats or rescue services, and having them on board could potentially save your life.

Other Items to Consider for Sailing Around the World:

AIS Transponder: Safe navigation at sea, particularly at night, requires at least one pair of eyes to monitor the sea for natural obstacles and other ships. While using an AIS transponder does not remove this requirement, it gives you additional information to avoid collisions at sea.
Satellite Phone: Keeping in contact with friends and family can be a lifeline that keeps you going in the most challenging times. A satellite phone will allow you to make direct calls from nearly anywhere on the ocean.

Natural Factors to Consider Before Global Circumnavigation

Your circumnavigation journey will cover more than 21,000 miles, and during that time, you will likely encounter everything mother nature can throw at you. Through good planning, though, you can choose to avoid the worst of the weather and take advantage of favorable winds and ocean currents.

Trade Winds

The trade winds blow continuously throughout the year, thanks to cold air at the poles and warm air at the equator. These temperature differences create westerly winds (from the west) at the poles and easterly winds around the equator.

Trade winds nearer the poles are much stronger than at the equator, and racers tend to take advantage of this – the passage will be colder and far less comfortable, though.

Cyclone and Hurricane Season

Cyclones and hurricanes occur mainly when the ocean water is warm. This happens between July and October in the northern hemisphere and between December and April in the southern hemisphere. Using this information, it’s a simple task to plan your passage, avoiding the main storm seasons. Of course, storms can still occur at any time in the year, so always be prepared for the unexpected.

Major Ocean Currents

In general, the ocean’s major currents follow the direction of the trade winds, but in some areas, such as South Africa, they can work against you. This makes following the trade winds even more appealing when sailing around the world.

Things To Do Before Sailing Around the World

White and green sailboat used for sailing around the world

Below, we outline some of the ways you should prepare before setting out on your first circumnavigation.

As we mentioned previously, some intrepid sailors have completed circumnavigations with no formal training and have learned while en route. While it is possible to do this, we wholeheartedly recommend you get some basic training before setting off.

Most sailing courses around the world offer certification that is acceptable in other countries. The Royal Yachting Association is the primary certification agency in the UK, and the US Sailing School is the leading agency in the US.

The most widely accepted certificate is the International Certificate of Competence for Operator of Pleasure Craft (ICC). Once you have your national license, you can apply for the ICC, which is accepted in virtually every country worldwide. Even if a country doesn’t accept the ICC, most charter companies will, allowing you to charter a yacht nearly anywhere.

A variety of insurance policies are available for sailors, but there will likely be clauses in the policy referring to piracy and storms. If you ignore the clauses and visit restricted areas, your insurance will not cover an incident.

Piracy refers to anything from abduction and murder to petty theft and assault. Depending on where you’re at in the world, you’ll need to be vigilant to combat potential downfalls.

The Philippines and the Suez Canal are two hotspots for more severe piracy, and your insurance likely will specify these areas as high risk.

Only you can assess the risk you are willing to take. Avoiding known problem areas can be beneficial, but incidents can still occur anywhere in the world.

Get the Right Sails For Your Route

Assuming you will follow a typical cruising circumnavigation route, you’ll spend most of your time downwind. Aside from the fact that many monohull sailors find continuous downwind sailing uncomfortable, you’ll need to kit out the sail locker appropriately. Spinnakers and screechers are the order of the day, along with standard genoa sizes or furling genoa.

Many countries require visas for transit through them, and depending on where you’re going, they could take weeks or even months to traverse. You need to plan carefully, as arriving in a country’s waters without the correct paperwork could prove troublesome.

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Can a Novice Sail Around the World?

Been bitten by the sailing bug? Wondering whether it is possible for a novice sailor to circumnavigate the globe? The answer? Yes, in a variety of situations!

Most novice sailors assume they’re on their own when considering circumnavigation, but that’s not the case. Different circumnavigation options exist for novice sailors – aside from the 100% DIY version – and these scenarios are worth exploring. If you’re committed to doing it on your own, that’s possible - and sometimes practical too.

If you’re new to sailing, it’s likely you’ve already considered what it would be like to sail around the world. From organized circumnavigation rallies to I-have-never-set-foot-on-a-boat participation in a grueling round-the-word race to getting familiar with some superstars of novice circumnavigation, this article takes a high-level overview of several options for round-the-world sailing and introduces you to some notable novice circumnavigators.

Like many sailors, I’ve always been fascinated by the thought of a round-the-world-cruise. While I’m not a novice sailor – for the purposes of doing a circumnavigation, I don’t consider myself remotely sea-worthy. But my continued curiosity on the subject has prompted me to read multiple books on circumnavigation, watch a variety of documentaries about it, and follow sailboat circumnavigators (seasoned and novice) on social media for the past decade. I’m happy to share some of what I’ve learned and observed – primarily that, yes, it is possible for a novice to sail around the world.

Table of contents

The Allure of Circumnavigating as a Novice Sailor

Oh, the beaches, the friendly faces, the sunsets, and the taste of hot coffee on the morning watch as the sun’s rays tickle the eastern horizon. The visions of the places you’ll visit and the amazing adventures you’ll have. Dolphins frolicking alongside. Peace and solitude unlike anything you’ve experienced before. Delicious fresh fish dinners and a refreshing glass of your favorite beer, wine, or iced tea. See the world – for a few dollars a day.

These are the romantic images easily conjured when, after a few weeks, months or even years of puttering around the lake or bay on a sailboat, novice sailors start thinking of bigger and bolder underway excursions. “Let’s get a sailboat and sail around the world!” I’ve heard it before – from my own father – and, while I personally have not circumnavigated, I fully understand the allure.

The Reality of Circumnavigating as a Novice Sailor

Broken electronics. Howling, terrifying winds. Treacherous icebergs. Moldy bread, instant coffee, fruit-fly infested bananas, ramen noodles eight days straight. Shipping lanes. Pirates. I’m not saying that these less-than-pleasant incidents are specific to novice sailors, rather these are the realities that must be paralleled to the alluring images for any level of sailor. While the seasoned sailor may be savvier in avoiding fruit-fly infestations and navigating icebergs and shipping lanes, all sailors ultimately will contend with mis-functioning or broken electronics, extreme winds, and natural and manmade hazards at sea.

In the words of Sir Robin Know-Johnston, creator of the Clipper Race, “You will never conquer or master the ocean, but you can endure it. Mother Nature is an unforgiving mistress, always with one last trick up her sleeve for you when you least expect it.” This quote always makes me think of the last few minutes of any horror flick – when after endless scary scenes, the movie is seemingly over. Peaceful, calm, relief. “We made it! We’re going to be okay!” And then, from the depths of the lake or from behind the door, one more terrifying act happens, and the viewer’s adrenaline rushes again, until the final credits roll.

To me, that’s a good analogy to sailing: Mother Nature is the ultimate Freddy Krueger. As such, I have a healthy respect for everything that could go wrong and give those possibilities more square footage in my brain than I probably should. That’s me though and you, well, you’re more determined -- and you want to stop pondering and begin planning to sail around the world, despite your lack of underway experience. Before you run out and buy your own boat or start provisioning the boat you have, there are a few other options to consider.

Chartering Captained Boats for Circumnavigation

Something that many people fail to consider is that sailing around the world does not have to be a start-to-finish, non-stop experience. Nor does sailing around the world have to be a solo experience or conducted with only a few friends or family members. In recent years, a spate of opportunities to sail around the world have emerged which allow a sailor – or someone who hopes to become a sailor – the chance to circumnavigate with a group of strangers.

Whether you locate a charter company with whom you can leapfrog the world from port to port on a variety of boats with a variety of captains to participating in something as unique and exciting as the Clipper Race (details below), there are a variety of ways to circumnavigate the globe without being on the same boat with the same people start to finish.

Participating in the Clipper Race as a Novice Sailor

The Clipper Race, in which people from all walks of life sign on to race 40,000 nautical miles on one of 11 identical 70’ ocean racing yachts, is now in its 12th year. Billing itself as “one of the biggest challenges of the natural world and an endurance test like no other,” this sailing adventure requires no prior sailing experience! Webinars are offered on a regular basis and cover what the Clipper Race seeks in their crew member applicants and provides details for the selection and training process. During these webinars, you’ll learn what to expect from the Clipper Race and have your questions answered during a live Q&A session.

Circumnavigation Rallies as an Option for Novice Sailors

Organizations like World ARC and the Oyster World Rally offer the opportunity to circumnavigate in your own boat with a group of like-minded cruisers. While there’s nothing that says you can’t jump in the deep end and start off with a full circumnavigation rally, novice sailors may want to consider doing smaller rallies like the North American Rally to the Caribbean, ARC Europe’s west-to-east Atlantic rally, or the Pacific Puddle Jump in conjunction with Latitude 38. Several circumnavigators that I’ve met over the years started as novices in the rally world going on a handful of lengthy rallies and quickly (in sail years) built up the competence and confidence to do their own self-administered circumnavigations. Engaging with an organizing group has numerous benefits for the novice sailor.

ARC World Rally

The rally team handles many of the details, including safety gear requirements, boat documents, communications, and itinerary. Depending on departure location, round-the-world rallies typically range from 15 to 24 months. World ARC’s minimum requirement for boat size is 27’.

Oyster World Rally

In 2013-2014, Oyster hosted their first circumnavigation rally. Covering 27,000 nautical miles and crossing three oceans in a 16-month timespan, the route covers mind-blowing destinations and takes world weather patterns into consideration for maximum safety and enjoyment. Oyster World Rally is specific to Oyster boats and, if you’re seriously considering buying a boat and doing a round-the-world sail, then Oyster certainly is a top-of-the-line option.

An excellent setup for novices – including the benefit of having an immediate network of peers and professionals – programs like this are often not on the radar of individuals who first think of sailing around the world. More and more boat brands are getting into the rally business – including circumnavigation options. When looking for this scenario, googling “circumnavigation rally” can be a great starting point.

Notable Novice Circumnavigators

When the question “Can a novice sail around the world?” is asked, the answer of course depends on what one’s definition of “novice” is. In my mind, at the mercy of Mother Nature, everyone who sets foot on a boat is a novice, but certainly that’s extreme thinking. The second -- less severe – thought that follows is my knowledge of two specific and somewhat unique “novice” circumnavigators – Laura Dekker and Ramon Carlin. Two very different people with very different backgrounds and very different circumnavigation tales.

Laura Dekker, the World’s Youngest Solo Circumnavigator

Some would argue that, having solo sailed since she was six-years old in an Opti accompanied by her father on a windsurfer, Laura was no novice sailor. But for me, the fact that at the age of 14 she began her two-year solo circumnavigation makes her a standout in the variety of round-the-world sailing sagas. Laura was born in New Zealand in 1995. At the age of 14, she announced her intention to become the world’s youngest solo circumnavigator, and a month before turning 15, she set sail on a 40’ two-masted ketch named Guppy. Approximately 500 days later, she concluded her successful round-the-world voyage. For sailors of any level of experience who have dreams of circumnavigation, you may want to watch Laura’s documentary, “Maidentrip” and read her book “One Girl, One Dream” that were released in 2013 and 2014, respectively.

Ramon Carlin, Winner of the First Whitbread Round the World Race

Ramon Carlin, a Mexican of humble birth and lacking any formal education, became a highly successful businessman in the washing-machine industry. A true “weekend sailor,” he spied an ad for the first Whitbread Round the World Race while visiting his son at boarding school in Ireland. Against logic and odds, he captained his 65’ Swan fiberglass sailboat, Sayula II, to victory over a seven-month period and across 27,000 nautical miles. His story is a fascinating one and the documentary of his life and the sail of a lifetime, “The Weekend Sailor,” can be viewed on Prime Video.

The ins and outs – and there are many – of a novice sailing around the world in the 100% do-it-yourself capacity differ vastly from the experience and considerations of rally circumnavigation and likely vary from the scenarios of Laura Dekker and Ramon Carlin that we’ve shared here. Future articles here on Life of Sailing will explore firsthand recommendations for steering a global course on your own boat, with your own itinerary and route, and with your own planning, provisioning, and plotting.

The allure of circumnavigation is undeniable – and maybe more so for a novice than a seasoned sailor. In my twenties, the thought of circumnavigation and how I might accomplish it was a consuming thought of mine. While I haven’t ruled it out, after all the reading and documentary-watching I’ve done, the realities of what a circumnavigation actually entails has given me pause. An adventurous, risk-tolerant person most of my life, now at 55, age has given me greater wisdom, respect, and humility for thoughts of “conquering” or “mastering the sea.” But just as I continue to have a romantic notion of cowboys (Giddyup!) and pirates (Arrrr!!!), the thought of a sailing circumnavigation will likely live in my heart forever.

Elizabeth O'Malley

Elizabeth has sailed Sunfish, Catalinas, Knarrs, and countless other boats. Forty years later, she finds herself back on the waters of Bogue Sound, where she lives and sails with her daughter, Morgan, and chocolate lab, Choco.

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How To Sail Around The World (With Timeline and Examples)

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Every year 150 boats with crews complete a full circumnavigation of the globe, if(like me) you are in the process of planning the adventure of your life, or if you are just interested in how to sail around the world, then you have come to the perfect spot.

In this post, I will explain all of the aspects you need to consider before, during, and after a sailing adventure of this magnitude.

Firstly I will introduce you to 8 ways of sailing around the world; then, I will show how to plan and execute a circumnavigation .

There are 8 different ways to Sail around the world,

Join a research vessel
Get on a friend’s boat that is already out sailing.
Date the owner of a boat
Get paid to work as a; Mechanic, Chef, or General helper .
Use Your specialty skill to help the crew; online marketing, language teacher, musician, etc.
Work for free but instead receive free meals and a berth .
Take care of children on board.
Become a boat sitter .

Table of Contents

How to Sail Around The World in Your Boat

Choose the right boat.

I have written an entire series on this topic, and if you want the full in-depth detailings on how you can make sure you get the right boat for your needs, read this .

Some aspects that you need consider are, size, number of berths and hull shape etc.

What You Need To Know

How long is it going to take .

Circumnavigating the globe on a sailboat will take a considerable amount of time. There are some aspects that we need to consider before we can come up to a reasonable conclusion on how long it will take you!

To get some perspective on the matter here are some data;

The fastest boat to sail around the world is a trimaran, and the shortest time recorded is 40days.

If you are on a sailing cruiser, it will most likely take you somewhere between 1.5 to 5 years until you have reached a full circumnavigation.

If you join the A.R.C. world cruise, you will return in 1.5 years but will not have had much time to explore all the places you have passed through. Therefore, many people do half a circumnavigation with the A.R.C., stop and explore, and then continue on their own.

So if you’re interested in exploring the locations you sail through, then plan on returning home closer to the 5-year mark.

What Factors Impact Time?

The most significant factor in determining how long it will take for you to sail around the world is how much time you spend in each region.

Every region has a time window of when it is best to arrive and leave; these are often due to storm or other weather patterns that will impact your sailing safety and pleasure.

If you choose not to use your time window, you might have to stay another three months or so until the hurricane season is over.

A factor that is not very important in the long run is how fast your boat is, even though you have a faster boat and will reach the destination quicker, that time will quickly be eaten up by staying an extra day or two at a marina.

Here’s an example:

Crossing the Atlantic takes around three weeks, let’s say we double that speed(which is unrealistic but will hopefully make my point clear).

Now it only takes 1.5 weeks, and you have an additional 1.5 weeks that you can spend on sailing around or going to the next place.

1.5 weeks might sound much, but considering that this crossing is only one of around five major crossings, the amount of time you can save by going faster is small compared to how much time you will have in each region(months).

So if you want to get done with it quicker, then it is a better tactic to spend less time in each region than getting a faster boat.

There are, of course, benefits of having a faster boat, much of this is discussed in my article;

Or check out my youtube talk!

Possible Routes

The northern route means traveling through the arctic circle and around the North American continent instead of heading straight through the Panama canal. Taking this route means that you will have to pass through the northwest passage, more on that below.

Heading east or west?

Most boats travel to the west since this means that they are able to utilize the trade winds going downwind, something that is much more comfortable. Although this is more enjoyable, the speed records for going around the world are set by going east into the wind.

Southern Route Going West, 2.5 Year Circumnavigation Example

This is the most common route to take when sailing around the world, the most significant difference between the southern and northern route is the Northwest passage north of Alaska.

The reason why most opt for the southern route is due to the colder climate and a more strenuous trip when crossing the arctic circle.

Southern Route is faster since you will not have to sail around the North American continent, but instead, you will enter the Pacific Ocean through the Panama Canal and its giant locks( more on that here )

The Atlantic Ocean, 9 Months

July to March

If you plan to explore the Mediterranean, make sure you have plenty of time here during the summer since this is truly the best time. It also synchronizes well with the tropical hurricane seasons in The Caribbean, starting in June and ending on November 30th.

This means you can spend the entire summer and autumn on the European side and from November to December cross the Atlantic to The Caribbean side. This will give you three months in the Caribbean before it is time to sail through the Panama canal.

The Pacific Ocean, 8 Months (Total: 1 Year 3 Months)

March to September

Many say that spending only one season in The South Pacific is too short, so make sure you plan enough time to explore the many paradise islands that you probably never will return to again!

Most cruisers travel from Panama to Galapagos Islands and then head straight for Marquesas. I want you to know that there is an option here to head on a more southern route to include Easter Island on your trip, an Island that is well known for its hospitality but also those weird stones.

In this region, you will also have the opportunity to spend time in Fiji, Tonga, Bora Bora, and other magical places.

Your last big stop in this region is Australia, a land well worth exploring by car and a place to spend a lot of time exploring different animals and nature. Once you pass The Torres Strait, you will soon be in the next region.

The Indian Ocean, 6 Months (Total: 1 Year 9 Months)

October to April

Heading west after Australia, you can head towards The Suez canal via Thailand, Singapore, and the Maldives. Or you can stay south and reach the Atlantic through Cape Horn.

In this area, most people stop in Bali before continuing westward.

South Indian Ocean & South Atlantic Ocean, 9 Months (Total: 2 Years 6 Months

May to January

Due to the political situation around the horn of Africa and the Suez canal, most cruisers avoid that area and stay more south towards Madagascar and south Africa even though this has challenges of its own.

Rounding the southern tip of Africa is almost guaranteed to get you into some heavy weather, and you better prepare well.

Total Time to circumnavigate the world: 2 Years & 6 Months

Northwest passage .

July to August

This route will take you north of Canada and Alaska where you will have to find a way through the ice and snow that usually leaves an open path free from obstacles during late August.

The Northwest passage is around 782 Nautical miles, stretching from Canadian Baffin island in the east to the US Beaufort Sea in the west.

Sailing the Northwest passage at 7 knots will take 112 h or 4.5 days of continuous sailing.

This does not take into account navigating around icebergs or having to turn around since there might be no ice-free route.

The crossing can only be done in mid-august when enough ice has melted to create a way through.

Assuming that you leave the Caribbean when hurricane season starts at around June, this will get you in time to make the crossing in mid-august. If you make it, pop out on the other side in September, ready to head south and into warmer climates on the Pacific side.

Bottlenecks along the route

There are many variations of this route, but no matter what variation, you will end up going through one or more of these bottlenecks. (Unless you are competing in the Vendee Globe… but then you probably wouldn’t be reading this).

Panama Canal

Sailing across the Panama Canal is a story on its own, and I have dedicated an entire post to it ( read this ). The short version is that the canal will save you vast amounts of time since you won’t have to go around the cape horn, this is not as bad as the northwest passage, but it is still a cold and hard passage that will take its toll on boat and crew.

The Panama Canal is expensive; with all things covered, you will end up paying around USD 2500.

The Panama Canal will save you around 44 days and 8000 nautical miles!

Other than the security issues discussed above, the Suez canal is much cheaper than the Panama canal. The Suez canal is 5300 nm shorter than going around the cape of good hope.

Torres Strait

Torres Strait Is the water that separates Australia from Papua New Guinea and is the gateway between The South Pacific Ocean and The Indian sea.

How much time do you need to plan a circumnavigation

Actually, you dont need that much at all, once you find a boat suitable to your offshore needs you can get going. You dont have to have a perfect plan before you leave, if you are waiting for that, then you probably will never leave.

All you need is “enough preparations” to get you going, and once underway, many of the things can be sorted out.

A big one is to make sure you have an income or a big enough sum of money in the bank since this is one of the few things that can ruin your adventure.

You never want to be in the situation where you have to sell the boat, you might not have enough money to buy that fancy rigg or upgrade the rudder, but you will still have your home on the water, and with that, you can make money, one way or another!

If you don’t know anything about sailing, one or two years of planning and preparing is definitely enough time if you are dedicated to the mission.

12 Skills You Need to Sail Around The World

Here are some of the skills that we found very useful;

Glass fiber work

Planning your sail

Potential income.

B.O.A.T., Break out another thousand, you have probably heard that a boat is just a hole in the water where you throw all your money. I would argue that your boat can actually make you some money (Sign up for the email list to find out when the “how to make money off your boat” article is published).

There are a few ways to make some good dollars.

Putting a Berth out for rent on Airbnb could make some serious cash when you are in places that are well populated by tourists; this could earn you anywhere from USD 30 per night.

Take people out for snorkeling trips or a cruising weekend . You’re probably going to do this anyway so why not invite some new people, maybe you’ll end up being excellent friends! This has the potential of earning hundreds or even thousands of extra dollars for your trip.

Both of the examples mentioned earlier are good, but they require constant work involving customer interaction. I prefer a more stable passive income generated from either index funds or a low maintenance youtube channel.

Prepare Your Boat

Equipping the boat.

During your journey around the world, you will spend a lot of time on your boat doing stuff that you would also be doing in your nonfloating home onshore. Things like cooking, cleaning, and repairs should also be possible to undertake during a sail.

This means that your boat should be in perfect order to make sure you have the best experience possible.

The Galley should be configured to make food underway ; on a catamaran, This is less of an issue than on a monohull since it will not heel as much.

But your kitchen on water still should be able to operate during bad weather and therefore should have proper railings to hold on to, and many cruisers prefer a tight spaced galley instead of an open floor plan.

What sails do you need?

Getting the right sails is an entire article in itself, but I want to point out a few things here, firstly decide if you will travel in an easterly or westerly direction.

Most people go west(95%), especially sailors, with a catamaran since this means less upwind sailing.

Optimizing your boat for upwind performance requires another type of sails than it does for going eastbound and downwind.

The big difference between cruising your local archipelago and crossing big oceans is the number of different sails you will have to bring.

Since you will spend time in so many different weather patterns, you need sails that can work sufficiently in every condition, from storm to light winds.

Getting the right sail is very boat specific and differs widely, but there are a few key takeaways that I want to share.

Mainsail with a conventional single line reefing system with three reefs makes it possible for you to reef and raise the sail without leaving the cockpit. The system is also as basic as it gets and will most likely work when you need it the most.

Genoa is a sail that extends past the mast and is used to increase sail and is under low to moderate winds. These will come very handy during the low wind conditions mid-Atlantic or when coastal cruising. The Genoa is often combined with the spinnaker.

Asymmetrical Spinnaker resembles the Genoa sail but looks more like a balloon and is often called a kite or chute. The asymmetrical is easier to set and requires less crew to handle than the symmetrical spinnaker and is, therefore, the preferred option for long-distance cruising.

Storm Jib is a much smaller jib and is used to reduce the sail area to a minimum without losing too much speed rending the boat uncontrollable.

When picking out your sails, you should follow the O.S.R. Guidelines (Offshore Special Regulations).

Prepare Yourself and The Crew

What is it that you want to achieve on this trip?

Make sure everybody is on the same page regarding what you want to get out of this circumnavigation.

This dramatically reduces the risk for crew mutiny 😉 jokes aside, understanding each other is very important if wanting to avoid unnecessary conflicts.

To exemplify, consider the following; The most important thing to me is to complete the circumnavigation.

My friend’s most important thing is to get away from his lifestyle and enjoy some warm weather sailing.

These two missions might not seem very different at first sight, but when the time comes. You have to decide whether you want to leave for the Bahamas now, significantly increasing the crew’s workload, or staying another season(and enjoy the warm weather). The discussions will get emotional if you have not previously aired your goals for the trip.

Equipping The Crew

Ensure your crew has all the clothes they need for all the different weather types that you will encounter. Even though you might be sailing in the warmer parts of the world most of the time, once you get tired, wet, and the temperature drops, it will soon be freezing and hard on your crew.

Raingear is a must , even though it might be warm, a dry crew is a happy crew. Especially during night time in the Mediterranean, where it can be quite cold even in the summer.

Prepare for Emergencies

You need to consider two categories of threats, those that originate from natural causes, such as bad weather, and those initiated by a person, such as robberies.

Make sure you have an ongoing threat assessment and never allow yourself to get overly complacent.

Ensure you and your crew have sufficiently practiced drills such as Man overboard, M.O.B., Reefing, Storm tactics , etc.

The importance of these drills cannot be understated; you will learn so much from practicing; here’s an example.

Weeks before heading to The Bahamas, we went through the Miami river to practice M.O.B. drills in the bay’s somewhat choppy seas. Even though the conditions were almost perfect, we realized a few things. Firstly, if someone falls overboard without a harness, there is little to no chance to retrieve them during a storm. Secondly, if someone is attached to harness and tether, but it is too long, the only thing that will happen is that the M.O.B. will be pounded between the hull and the waves, not a good option.

The conclusion we reached? We must do everything in our powers to make sure nobody falls overboard, because if they do, we might not be able to save them. Shorter tethers and strict adherence to rules, and we felt comfortable to continue our journey.

These same principles also apply to reefing, make sure you understand precisely how it is done, and plan contingencies, what will you do when the mainsail jams? Cut it? There might be a time for such actions, but this means you no longer have a mainsail for the rest of the trip.

Plan and practice wisely, and when the time comes, you will handle stressful situations with ease.

Bringing a firearm or not?

Bringing a firearm might seem like an excellent idea at first, but there are a few things that you need to consider before bringing one onboard your boat.

Bringing a gun to another country isn’t something most countries take lightly, in many countries we visited they asked us if we had a weapon, we said no but asked what would happen if we did. They let us know that we would have to turn it in an get it back once we leave the country.

These rules mean that you won’t have access to the gun when you might need it, and that you need to exit from the same port that you entered.

This inhibits your freedom of movement in the country and just adds administration to your trip.

And even if you get to keep your gun, what are you going to do with it that you cant do with a flare gun that you already have on the boat(or at least should have)?

Yes, they still exist, no they dont have wooden legs or eyepatches, sorry 🙁

Pirating is still a significant safety concern; it is very uncommon in most parts of the world, but make sure you check out the I.C.C. website to assess the threat in your area.

Theft is something that will sooner or later happen to you, no big deal, you will get mad for a while, and then you let it go.

I only have one tip for you here, try not to take it out on the wrong people, not all the locals are horrible because somebody, who might not even be from there, stole your stuff.

Give the benefit of the doubt, and you will get plenty in return!

Health Emergencies

Bring all the medications that you need at home, and then assess what you will need in each region depending on the local situation.

Some basics include Malaria prophylactics, Imodium, and something for seasickness.

Ensure you get the right vaccines before leaving home.

Financial situations

Insurance can be costly , you dont need to have one, but I think that most cruisers are insured. Concerning offshore sailing around the world, there are many ifs and buts that they dont cover.

Two ordinary circumstances are; staying in hurricane territory during seasons and sailing through pirate-infested waters

Keep yourself updated, so if the accident strikes, you haven’t missed a loophole in the contract.

Make Sure You Bring The Right Paperwork

Every country has its own rules on what they consider necessary for you to enter the country.

Paperwork can be anything from yellow fever vaccine certificate to bank statements, keep yourself up to date on the local requirements. Here are some of the essential documents you will need for most countries.

VISA, Depending on where you are from, you might, or you might not need a visa to a particular country.

Usually, when entering a new country, the authorities want to make sure that you are the owner of the boat; make sure you bring an owner’s certificate in English.

If you carry a gun , bring the correct papers for that as well!

Before you enter a country’s territory, make sure you hoist the yellow quarantine flag and understand how you are supposed to clear customs.

Understanding and following the right procedures will significantly reduce unnecessary troubles when making your first port of entry.

Final preparations before you head out

A few more, easily missed, boxes we need to check to make sure you have the best adventure possible.

Prepay all your bills is an excellent idea since you dont know when and how good of a internet connection you will have, and you are also leaving the landlocked life behind so why not also leave the boring task of paying bills behind..

Ensuring that your bills are paid will give you more time to focus on the boat and reduces the risk of getting charged extra for being late on a payment.

If you have decided to keep your old home, whether it is a house or an apartment, it is good to prepare it for storage.

This includes getting someone to check up on it from time to time, set the temperature high enough that the house won’t freeze, and low enough that you don’t waste money on heating a place that you are not using. It is also good to make it look like it is still inhabited.

Share your float plan with someone you trust and make sure you update it as your plans change. The most important aspect of a float plan is, when should someone start looking for you, and where shall they look!

DOWNLOAD MY FLOAT PLAN FOR FREE

The importance of a going-away party should not be underestimated; this is the chance for all your friends and family to come together one last time before you leave.

These parties are always the best since the air is full of excitement and adventure!

During The Circumnavigation

So you are finally underway, this life-changing trip is off to a good start, but how do you keep the winds of luck blowing?

2 Things That You Always Need to Be Up to Date With

This will be as normal to you as checking your watch, understanding weather signs, and looking for changes is essential when sailing safely.

This includes understanding shifts in the tradewinds might be a sign of a cold front approaching, and heavy winds are on its way.

Understanding how the currents will impact your sailing, especially in places like the Bahamas where the sea bottom goes from 12 m to 2000m in a few minutes of sailing, is very important. This sudden drop in depth creates massive local currents that you just won’t be able to oppose unless you have a powerboat.

Seasonal changes are one of the most critical factors. We have briefly discussed hurricane seasons, but nature doesnt really use a calendar. She definitely doesnt wait for us humans to leave a place before it erupts into full blow storms.

Most cruisers will travel at the pace of the hurricane seasons and stay on the winter side of the equator.

It is also wise to keep in contact with cruisers in your area, for example, this might help you get the most recent update on the width of the doldrums (the area around the equator which usually have too little wind to sail)

2. The condition of your ship

Once the epic journey has begun, so will also the epic amounts of maintenance! One of the things we totally underestimated was the amount that we would have to spend on maintenance and repairs while underway.

Suppose you’re sailing a catamaran, and there is a need to do repairs under the waterline, then you can do something called beaching. Beaching is when you put your boat on a sand beach, and when the low tide flushes away the water, the ship will stand on its hulls, and you now have full access to the bottom of your boat.

There is always something that breaks or is underway to breaking.

And when you are not repairing, you are maintaining engines, hulls, electrical systems, or the dingy. Make sure you check every line and sail for chafing often, and when you are out on a long-distance sail, you want to check that every time you are on watch.

The same thing applies to the engines: they are running smoothly at the right water temperature and with the oil at the correct pressure. Adjust your RPM so you will get the maximum fuel efficiency!

After You Have Sailed Around The World

Coming back to a life on land can be hard if you haven’t prepared sufficiently, but with some thinking ahead before coming back home, the transition from a life at sea to a life at bay will be seamless.

Before you return home, you should have a solid plan for what you want to do and where you want to do it.

Do you want to keep or sell the boat? Then you want a good plan on where to sell it and when so you can maximize profit. If you decide to keep it, you also have the possibility to relive good memories by taking it out on weekend cruises.

Do you want to go back to your old life , or have you been accustomed to a different lifestyle? How will you earn your income?

Don’t expect everything to be the same way as when you left. Just as YOU have, the people back home will have carried on with their life, and you might not come back to what you left! For good and bad, of course, make sure you plan your future life on land according to the situation as it is right now!

Owner of CatamaranFreedom.com. A minimalist that has lived in a caravan in Sweden, 35ft Monohull in the Bahamas, and right now in his self-built Van. He just started the next adventure, to circumnavigate the world on a Catamaran!

SAILING AROUND THE WORLD: AN ESSENTIAL GUIDE [PDF]

Sailing around the world is a dream many sailors and cruisers share. It involves getting thousands of nautical miles under your belt, exploring new countries and tasting new cuisines, stargazing in the middle of an ocean, experiencing exotic cultures, making lots of new friends from all over the world, and much more. Imagine the incredible memories you’d make.

It’s an ambitious enterprise, which requires a lot of preparation, training, time, and money. In this guide, we look at what it takes to accomplish a circumnavigation by sailboat and how to pull it off. There’s a lot to say about the topic - books have been written about it - so we cover the crucial information sailors considering sailing around the world typically need at this stage.

If you like, you can download the guide as a PDF document, so you can store it on your tablet, computer, or smartphone and read it offline.

COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT CIRCUMNAVIGATING BY SAILBOAT

First, we answer some common questions about sailing around the world, so we can clear some key things up early on.

How many days does it take to sail around the world?

The world record is 40 days on a racing trimaran. However, this is not the type of circumnavigation many plan to complete. Leisurely sailing around the world normally takes between 3 and 5 years.

There are three kinds of speeds at which you can circumnavigate:

Non-stop (100-200 days): racing without stopping anywhere

Express (1-2 years): taking breaks every now and then for short amounts of time

Recreational (3+ years): comfortable sailing, stopping often and for long periods of time.

Non-stop sailing is a big challenge, which requires organising for supply boats to regularly come out and provide you with water, food, and fuel. To achieve such a circumnavigation in under a year, you need a fast boat, which can go at 10-20 knots average speed.

Most people who want to stop and visit some of the countries they come across take around 3 and a half years. While some sailors take over 10 years to complete their circumnavigations because they enjoy travelling at a slower pace and exploring more places.

In order to avoid sailing in hurricane or typhoon season, you will need to leave some countries during certain months of the year. This dictates how long you can spend in each area. For example, to avoid crossing the Atlantic during hurricane season, you need to do the passage anytime between November and April. While the Pacific hurricane season starts from May. This means that you either need to rush to cross the Atlantic and go through the Panama Canal, or you will have to stop somewhere safe, such as the ABCs or Panama, to wait out the hurricane season.

Is sailing around the world expensive?

The short answer is yes; however you can adapt your voyage to your budget. You can save money by doing your own boat work, anchoring out a lot, eating on board most of the time, keeping your equipment simple, and more.

Factor the following costs into your budget:

Buying and refitting a boat

Boat insurance

Health insurance

Home insurance (if applicable)

Boat maintenance, upgrades, and repairs

Fuel (diesel and petrol)

Holding tank pump outs (if applicable)

Marina and mooring ball stays

Boat storage

Grocery shopping

Phone contracts

Music and video streaming services (if applicable)

Any bills to be paid at home

Accountant fees (if applicable)

Visiting attractions

Hiring cars

Trips home.

All of these add to your yearly allowance, so the longer you take, the more expensive the voyage will be. Bear in mind that any costs related to your unique lifestyle (for example, smoking or getting regular haircuts) aren’t included in this list, but you will need to incorporate them into your financial forecast.

To plan for a circumnavigation, it’s best to come up with a realistic budget, taking into account as many costs as possible, and add a decent contingency (5-20%) to it. There will be unforeseen costs to take care of every now and then, so you can’t rely on a rough estimate.

If the number looks too big, you can reduce some of the optional costs, such as eating out, but don’t plan to completely change your lifestyle during the circumnavigation. You need to be able to fully enjoy the ride, otherwise you will develop resentment towards your venture or vessel.

If you’re considering selling your home, weigh the pros and cons carefully. You will need a place to live when the trip is over and your circumstances may change before you can complete it.

If you aren’t confident in your boat maintenance skills, allocate a big portion of your budget to pay for marine professionals. Engines, generators, and outboards should be serviced every 6 months and all the systems, such as electrical and plumbing, require regular attention on a boat. The marine environment is harsh due to salt water and humidity.

How safe is it to sail around the world?

Sailing is a very safe way to explore the world, if you minimise risks. This entails choosing weather windows carefully, avoiding dangerous areas, interacting with everyone politely, and taking precautions against boat burglaries.

Some areas, such as parts of the Caribbean and Venezuela, regularly see cases of crime and violence against yachties. However, these are very much the exception. Most of the world is safe, especially for boats at anchor.

How big of a boat do I need to sail around the world?

There are bluewater sailing boats of all sizes - from 22 to 60ft long. So, as long as the boat is bluewater-capable, you can sail around the world on any size of boat. However, as you’ll be living on board for years, you’ll need to choose something that’s comfortable to be on full-time.

To enter the Atlantic Rally For Cruisers (ARC), which involves sailing from the Canary Islands to the Caribbean every November, you need a boat that’s at least 27ft long. This is still a very small boat for most people. Typically, cruisers settle on yachts that are 40-42ft in length , as these are cheaper to moor while still comfortable to live on. Circumnavigating families opt for boats over 50ft.

Can you sail around the world with no experience?

No. Going offshore with no experience is extremely dangerous. You need to be able to handle a sailboat in various weather conditions in order to stay safe. Moreover, many countries require you to provide proof of sailing qualifications when checking in. Take time to get plenty of nautical miles under your hull before you plan to set off.

How much experience is needed to sail around the world?

Preparation is key when it comes to circumnavigating. There is no required level of sailing experience to embark on such an adventure. However, you will need to have enough skills and knowledge to feel safe and comfortable in the middle of an ocean. The amount of time you need to get to that point depends on how often you can go sailing and how quickly you learn things and develop confidence.

Ideally you will have skippered on a number of offshore passages, sailed solo for a day or more, crewed on an ocean passage, sailed in some bad weather, dealt with broken gear underway, and anchored for the night a number of times.

No one will stop you from sailing around the world, but do you honestly feel ready? Have you researched the topic in depth? Do you know what to expect? Are you confident handling a storm at sea or in an anchorage? Can you fix your boat alone, without internet connection? These are the questions you should ask yourself before you start planning your voyage.

How difficult is it to sail around the world?

If you take time to develop the right knowledge and skills in advance, leisurely sailing around the world isn’t especially difficult; however, setting off ill-prepared will result in stressful and dangerous situations .

Circumnavigating entails a lot of multitasking: passage planning, weather routing, boat maintenance, sailing, anchoring, researching country entry requirements, crisis management, and more. The key skill is problem solving, as you will encounter countless issues and you will need to deal with each in a calm way, whenever they happen. If you’re unlucky, you may have to overcome a few emergencies. It’s important you know how to act in all situations.

SAILING QUALIFICATIONS

In order to sail around the world, many countries will require you to provide your sailing qualifications upon entry. Most marinas do, too. So you can’t circumnavigate without obtaining a boat licence, unless you avoid stopping in all the countries that require it. If you’re considering undertaking such an enterprise, gaining a sailing qualification shouldn’t be a concern, though. You will need to be capable of much more than what is required to gain a licence.

To start with, you’ll need to gain your country’s most recognised qualification - for example, the RYA Day Skipper. In some cases, showing this at a port of entry will be enough.

In other areas though, you may need to show an internationally-recognised qualification. The most accepted one is the International Certificate of Competency (ICC) , whichis recognised by the United Nations and valid throughout much of Europe and the Mediterranean. If you have already taken some certifications, such as the A.S.A. Bareboat Charter certificate, you may be able to skip the classroom training and take the ICC exam directly.

Bear in mind that when you go sailing your plans don’t always work out. You may end up having to stop in countries you hadn’t planned on your route in an emergency, so having the sailing qualifications required in most countries is very important.

SKILLS NEEDED TO SAIL AROUND THE WORLD

In order to sail around the world, it’s important that you can take care of your boat and yourself independently. You may be in the middle of an ocean when a piece of rigging breaks or you break an arm. Take time to learn and develop new skills, so you can get out of sticky situations and emergencies.

Marine weather interpretation

You will need to gain a more in-depth understanding of marine weather forecasts before you set off. A quick check of an app won’t be enough. You’ll need to learn how to read GRIB files and pilot charts, as well as how to use different weather models. Buy a good book on the subject. Understanding how weather systems interact on a bigger scale will give you a key advantage in your planning.

If you’ve been sailing in a specific area for a long time, you will have gotten used to the local marine weather patterns. These change throughout the world, though. So every time you go on a long-ish passage, you will need to read up about the new area you’re entering.

In the Caribbean, squalls often travel across the Atlantic and reach the Eastern islands. In the Mediterranean, summers typically see long periods of calms, while the other seasons are characterised by frequent changes in wind direction and strength - sometimes even throughout the same day.

Heavy weather sailing

While modern weather forecasting is accurate 70-80% of the time , some phenomena can be unpredictable. Think of hurricanes or typhoons. Moreover, on a circumnavigation you will need to undertake very long passages and in some instances you won’t be able to avoid going through some bad weather.

For these reasons, you should gain confidence in heavy weather sailing. Learn how to handle your specific boat in high winds and a big swell before setting off. Every boat behaves differently - you may need to practise heaving to or running downwind. It’s best to get used to it all when you’re not far from home and can hire a professional skipper to teach you the best techniques.

Getting hurt on a boat isn’t fun, even when you’re at anchor. You may need to get on a dinghy to get to a doctor or wait two weeks before you make landfall. Neither option is great. For this reason, it’s a good idea to go on a first aid course before setting sail.

Marine diesel engine

Your engine can break at the most inconvenient time. It helps if you can resolve the most common issues, such as oil or fuel injector problems. While anchoring under sail a couple of times may not be a big issue for most sailors, you’ll want to be able to fix the motor when you’re on a long passage. Having an alternative means of propulsion is essential.

You’ll want a professional rigger to check and update your rigging before a big passage or every few years of sailing. However, rigging wires and buckles can fail underway. In this case, you’ll need to be able to fix them, or you risk being dismasted. Try going up the mast underway at least once - it’s not as easy as it is in a slip.

Sail repairs

Carry a sail repair kit on board and learn how to use it. Sails can rip in gusts or when the boat is over-canvassed. If you don’t repair them, the rip can enlarge more and more until the sail is essentially useless. This skill will also turn out useful when a piece of canvas, such as the bimini, tears and you need a quick fix.

Plumbing problems can be catastrophic in some instances - you may lose all your drinking water during a long ocean passage. So it’s essential that you know roughly where all plumbing is inside the boat and you know how to repair it. Carry some spare tubes on board. It’s always a great idea to bring spare water and a portable watermaker for emergencies.

Electrical systems

Faulty wires can cause fires on board, which are extremely dangerous. Being able to check that your electric system is in working order is important. However, understanding how electrical connections work is very handy, as the instruments may stop working while you’re out at sea.

Steering and autopilot repairs

Big waves or an impact with a floating object at speed can break the steering system of a boat. Whether it’s the rudder, the steering cable, or the autopilot which gives up, you’ll need to be able to re–establish steering in order to get back to land. Understanding how these systems work and how to make temporary repairs is essential.

Outboard engine basics

In most cases, losing your outboard engine is no big deal. However, if you’ve gone out to a reef to fish or snorkel on a windy day, you might get into trouble. Understanding outboard basics is a useful skill to develop. You may also be able to help a neighbouring cruiser out and gain a few drinks or a dinner invite.

These aren’t all the skills you’ll need to be able to sail around the world. There are many more that can turn out useful along the way. However, these should keep you safe in most instances.

DOCUMENTS TO CARRY ON YOUR YACHT

While sailing around the world, you will need to carry a number of documents with you, as well as your personal ID and passport.

Boat registration

Keep on board the original boat registration document stating the vessel’s name, engine size, MMSI number, and more.

Proof of boat insurance is needed to enter any marina and sometimes to gain a cruising permit - for example, in Greece. A third party policy is enough; although most underwriters will require a boat survey before issuing it.

VHF radio licence

Some countries and the Maritime Police will ask for the boat’s VHF licence.

Engine certification

Some nations, like Italy, also check your engine certification - the document which states that the motor of your sailing boat meets certain requirements.

Boat licence or equivalent certification

As mentioned above, it’s a good idea to obtain and carry a boat licence or equivalent sailing qualifications.

On top of these documents, if the local Coast Guard was to board and inspect your vessel, they’d check that you have in-date flares and functioning emergency equipment.

Don’t forget to take any additional documents or accreditations, such as your driving licence or your diving certification card.

SAFETY EQUIPMENT

There is a lot of safety gear you can get your hands on these days. If you can afford to, invest in as much as you can. Peace of mind has no price tag.

These are the essential items we recommend keeping on board while circumnavigating:

Life jackets with harnesses and safety line

Portable GPS

Satellite phone

Fire extinguishers

Waterproof charts

Extra bilge pump(s)

Offshore life raft

Throwable flotation devices

First aid kit

Water and food

Handheld VHF radio

Waterproof torch

Distress flag

Portable or fixed horn

Bailer or heavy-duty bucket

Oars or paddles

Second anchor with chain or line

Emergency steering

Recovery system for man overboard

Radar reflector

Snorkel and mask to look at the boat underwater

Sail repair kit

A plywood sheet and epoxy.

Remember that once you’re out on the ocean, hundreds of nautical miles from shore, you’re essentially on your own. There is no guarantee that the emergency services will be able to come out to you or another vessel will be nearby to help you out. You’ll need to have the necessary equipment, knowledge, and skills to get yourself back to safety.

To plan your adventure, you will need to have a rough route in mind. You don’t have to schedule every stop before you set off, but you’ll want to make a general plan.

If it’s your first circumnavigation, it’s safer to follow the most popular cruising routes and use the trade winds to move across oceans. This involves sailing westward around the world via the Panama Canal and either through the Suez Canal or by rounding South Africa.

Once you have established which route to take, investigate the times of year when it’s best to take on the longer passages. For example, sailing from Europe to the Caribbean is safest between November and April.

Then, start listing out which countries you could possibly make landfall in. It’s good to have a list, so you can look into each and decide whether you’d like to stop there or not. Bear in mind that weather conditions, food stocks, and boat repairs will often dictate your schedule. You can adjust your course along the way, but you will need to be able to make landfall almost anywhere, so be prepared.

We can’t go through all the potential routes you may take to sail around the world in this guide - many thick books were written about the subject. We recommend reading World Cruising Routes by Jimmy Cornell to get started. The books explain everything there is to know about the different passages. Cross reference them with pilot charts to choose your route and timing.

ENTERING AND EXITING FOREIGN COUNTRIES

Each time you enter an overseas country, you need to check in the boat and crew. Procedures vary around the world and need to be researched in advance. The process usually goes like this.

You enter a country’s territorial waters and immediately raise the Q flag while heading to an official Port Of Entry without stopping, even if this inconveniences you. Some countries request that you give advance warning of your arrival. Once you get to the Port Of Entry, anchor or request a berth at the local marina.

After making landfall, you have a certain amount of hours (typically 24) to go complete clearance. In most cases, you will need to visit four offices:

Immigration

Port Control / Harbour master.

Each country has a preference in terms of what office you need to head to first. Bear in mind that not all the offices are close to each other.

Officially, only the captain of the boat is allowed to set foot on land to check in. In some countries you’ll need to wear long trousers and a shirt when visiting these offices as a sign of respect.

To check in, you will need to show the documents we listed above, plus:

Passports of all crew with a valid visa (when required) and 6 months validity minimum

Port Clearance certificate from the previous country

Ship’s stamp (in some countries)

MMSI number

Passport-sized photos of each person on board

Free Pratique from the last port (a certificate stating the boat is free from diseases)

Photocopies of all documents.

In some countries, they request extra papers, such as a picture of the boat or proof that you have AIS capability.

Don’t forget to read up about the entry requirements for each country you’re headed to beforehand. Don’t rely on books - these quickly get out of date. Since the Covid-19 pandemic hit in 2020, entry rules have changed drastically and are often subject to sudden alterations. Some countries close their borders for long periods of time. The latest information on the regulations is available in English on websites such as Noonsite . It’s also helpful to join cruising Facebook groups for the area you’re travelling to and ask if anyone has more recent information. Not even websites get updated as quickly as things change.

Some countries don’t allow any produce in or to carry guns. Enter a country’s waters fully prepared to check in. Once you’re inside their territorial waters, you must comply with the local laws.

After you’ve checked in, clearance officers may want to inspect your vessel (either at a dedicated dock or on their own boat), so make sure everything is shipshape. They’ll be looking for illegal drugs (including medicines), alcohol, drones, weapons, and more. Keep any prescriptions or licences on hand. Customs may decide to confiscate or hold some goods (such as drones or firearms) until you leave the country. Once the full check-in procedure is complete, you can lower the Q flag.

When you’re ready to leave a country, you will need to check out. Typically, you will have to go back to one or more of the offices you visited to get your Port Clearance document, which you will absolutely need to check in elsewhere. Make sure to find out how long you have to leave the country before you check out. You may be required to exit the territorial waters as soon as possible.

Entering and exiting a country can be facilitated by a local agent , who can save you the hassle of visiting the different offices and queueing up. Bear in mind that in many cases, agents are known for charging large sums of money. In a few places, such as the Maldives, hiring an agent is necessary, though.

Safety is a concern many sailors share, especially if they plan to anchor out much of the time. The truth is that only a small percentage of people have the means to get to a boat on the water. In fact, burglaries and violent crimes are more common in low-security boatyards and marinas, which can be reached on foot.

Some countries are known for having higher crime rates against yachts. It’s up to you to interpret the data from safety and security networks and make informed decisions. You could avoid such areas altogether or increase your safety measures before setting sail.

For example, you can make your sailboat or tender less easy to break into or steal - a few heavy-duty locks and a couple of motion sensor lights do the trick most of the time. In higher risk areas, you may also want to invest in a motion sensor alarm and some hatch bars.

No solution is 100% effective, though, so you should be aware of the threat and be vigilant. Remember that in most countries it’s forbidden to keep guns onboard a vessel.

REACHING FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE

Unless you can monetise your venture or work while cruising, you will need to be financially independent for years. For most people, being able to sail around the world means saving up for years or waiting until retirement.

Yet, more and more young people have started to work while circumnavigating. Below we have listed some ideas that could help you generate an income while sailing around the world

Seasonal jobs

You can leave your boat in a yard or marina and head home to work every now and then. This arrangement works well for people with seasonal jobs, such as scuba diving instructors, delivery captains, ski instructors, and more. If you’re in no rush, you can even stop in certain countries to obtain a work permit and work for a while.

Online work

Many young cruisers opt for working online - whether they freelance or have a remote job. This set-up is very convenient, as you can work from anywhere in the world with good internet connection. You will need to purchase local SIM cards in every country you visit and possibly buy satellite internet access.

Be sure to check the legislation of a country before checking in. Many countries allow you to be a digital nomad for up to three months. After this time, you will need to either move on or register for a work visa. Other countries, such as the US, don’t allow visitors to work on American soil even remotely.

Before accepting a remote job, make sure the company allows you to work from anywhere in the world - some businesses require you to be based in a specific geographical area to comply with certain laws.

Creating sailing content

Another popular route for cruisers is to create sailing content, which you can either publish on social media as an influencer or sell to sailing magazines, stock video and photography providers, and more.

Renting property

If you have bought property at home, you can rent it out or host it on AirBnB. Both options involve paying someone to look after the place, find new tenants, do check-ins and check-outs, and more. So in order to generate a good income, you’d likely need to own a few properties.

Sponsorship

If your circumnavigation is somewhat special, you could ask companies to sponsor you. This would entail things like providing education opportunities in some remote countries, collecting data for a sustainability project, and more.

ACCESSING THE INTERNET

Whether you plan to work from the yacht or not, you will need to have access to the internet to plan passages, check the marine weather forecast, keep in touch with family, and more.

When it comes to connecting to the web, you have three main options:

Connect to wi-fis based on land through a wi-fi booster

Use 4G data via a phone, tablet, or router

Purchase a satellite internet device.

All methods have pros and cons. Land-based wi-fis are free to use, but they tend to be slow and you need to go to shore to obtain the password. 4G data is very fast and fairly economical, but you need to buy a local SIM card in every country you visit. Satellite internet works anywhere, but it’s still rather expensive and slow.

Technology is evolving, so getting on the internet will become easier and easier.

While you will likely become a nomad during your voyage, you will still need to pay tax - whether that’s on the money you earn or property back home. If selling your boat in a foreign country, check if you need to pay tax on the sale, too.

To keep things simple, aim to stay a tax resident of your home country - otherwise you will end up having to register to pay it in more than one country per year, which makes everything rather complicated. Moreover, not all countries have double-taxation conventions, so you may end up having to pay tax twice.

GENERATING POWER

While circumnavigating, you can’t rely on your engine to generate energy. You will need to undertake long offshore passages, where you will need to keep the instruments, nav lights, and fridge on day and night. Your energy requirements will increase significantly.

You need to install a power system, which consists of a number of batteries and one or more energy generation systems, such as:

Solar panels

Wind turbines

Generators

Hydro generators.

The set-up you choose depends on your energy requirements and vessel. Solar panels take up a lot of space, while a wind turbine needs vertical space at the stern.

Whatever you decide, make sure to calculate your energy needs accurately, otherwise you may have to save energy by turning the fridge or radar off. It’s easier to upgrade your power system near home or by a big boating centre before your first long passage.

WHAT’S IT LIKE TO SAIL AROUND THE WORLD?

Sailing around the world is an adventure. Adventures are bold, somewhat risky undertakings, which push you beyond your comfort zone and make you grow. Circumnavigating is no exception.

Along the way, you’ll collect a stream of exciting, invigorating, and exhilarating moments. You will also likely feel scared, uncomfortable, and bored every now and then. Time will slow down, so the days will feel longer. You will learn new things most weeks and get to know yourself better. Emotions will feel deep and you will have lots of time to reflect during long passages.

Expect to be challenged often by your vessel, the weather, local regulations, the sea state, and more. If you can, take it slow. Experience each place and broaden your horizons.

TIPS FOR SAILING AROUND THE WORLD

Before we wrap this guide up, we want to share some tips with you, which will help you better plan your circumnavigation.

Choose the boat carefully

Picking the right boat is fundamental for a comfortable, safe voyage. She needs to be big enough to provide enough space for you and your crew, but small enough to manoeuvre safely in a marina or harbour.

All crew members need to be able to sail her solo. She needs to be comfortable underway, so people won’t get as seasick. Most importantly, she needs to be bluewater capable, so it can withstand the test of heavy weather conditions and wear and tear.

Take it slow

Unless you absolutely need to be back home by a certain date, circumnavigating is a lot less stressful if done on a very loose schedule. Try to be flexible and allow for changes of plan, so you can adapt to the circumstances and enjoy the ride more.

Go with the flow - spend extra time in a country, skip that sail or anchorage, accept dinner invites. Do what you know will make you happier, because the chance will soon be gone.

Picking weather windows

Many sailors find it hard to postpone a passage when the weather is rough. Even if your plans don’t work out, it’s best that you avoid sailing in heavier conditions than you’re confident in.

Don’t save money on gear and maintenance

If you’re on a budget, opt for a smaller, simpler boat, anchoring out more often, and eating out less. Don’t skimp on gear, especially safety gear, and keep your boat maintained to a high standard. Nothing is more important than your safety. Your life and that of your crew depend on your equipment functioning well and your boat staying afloat.

Don’t leave your boat unattended for long stretches of time

If you can, avoid leaving the boat and going home for months at a time in the tropics. The extreme UV radiation, heat, and humidity can dramatically reduce the life expectancy of your equipment above and below deck.

If you need to leave your boat somewhere, choose a non-tropical area and haul her out to protect her hull from fouling too much. Allow for a long and rather expensive refit when you make your way back to her.

On longer, more challenging passages taking crew on board is great help. You can share shifts, as well as chores, like cooking. Feeling well-rested while sailing is extremely important, as it leads to making better decisions and handling stress more efficiently.

You can either take friends and family on board to help you, or hire professional help. Don’t invite novice sailors along for the ride if you can - they will likely need to wake you in the middle of the night to reef the sails or ask about a light on the horizon. Only take as much crew as your boat can comfortably fit underway to avoid creating unnecessary stress on all crew members.

Satellite communication

While it’s still a rather expensive option, satellite communication is a fantastic technology. It allows you to have access to the weather forecast, alert the emergency services, get in touch with a doctor, keep your family up-to-date, and more. With more economical options available on the market these days, it’s an investment worth making.

Perform MOB drills regularly

A Man Overboard situation tends to happen when you least expect it, so it’s essential to memorise what to do in such circumstances. Regular drills are the best way to make sure that everyone on board knows what to do.

On top of this, of course you’ll need to wear a life jacket when the sailboat is underway and use a tether and harness to secure yourself to the boat. This is especially important in heavy weather conditions and when you’re on watch alone.

Always carry extra food and water

No matter where you are, it’s a good idea to have extra provisions on board at all times. Bad weather may not allow you to get to shore to go to the shops or your passage might take some days longer than it’s meant to. Long-life food doesn’t take up much space and you will never regret having it on board.

Have a base

Having a place to return to every now and then or when things go south is very important. It doesn’t need to be a property you own - it can be your parents’ place or your aunt’s holiday home. Knowing that if anything happens you have a safe place to go back to is priceless.

Keep up with healthcare

It’s tempting to stop going to the doctors altogether when you’re sailing around the world. Flights home cost money and private care can be expensive in certain countries. However, it’s very important that you stay healthy while circumnavigating. Regular check-ups pay off in the long run, when you don’t have to abandon plans due to a health emergency. Make time for adequate healthcare.

There are countless resources you can tap into when it comes to planning a circumnavigation. Here is a list to start you off:

World cruising routes by Jimmy Cornell to plan your passages

World voyage planner by Jimmy and Ivan Cornell

Reputable cruising guides and pilot books for each country you’re visiting

Modern marine weather by David Burch

Sailboat hull and deck repair by Don Casey

Complete Rigger's Apprentice by Brion Toss

Sailboat electrics simplified by Don Casey

Marine diesel engines by Nigel Calder

Don Casey’s complete illustrated sailboat maintenance manual by Don Casey

Nautical charts

Pilot charts

The Noonsite website to check country entry requirements, Ports Of Entry, and more

Legendary circumnavigators Lin and Larry Pardey ’s books, such as Self Sufficient Sailor

Local Facebook groups for cruisers

Inspiring videos by YouTube sailing channels, such as Follow The Boat .

Don’t forget to download the Deckee app from the App Store or Google Play before setting off on your circumnavigation. Look up anchorages, supermarkets, diving spots, aids to navigation, and more on the map.

Track your passages and share float plans with friends and family. Set up reminders to get a notification when you need to renew your boat registration, service the engine, and more. The app will become an invaluable resource throughout your voyage.

BOAT RAMP ETIQUETTE EXPLAINED

Hurricane preparation for boat owners.

World Sailing Circumnavigation Summary

THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS. PLEASE READ OUR DISCLOSURE FOR MORE INFO.

Last Updated on September 3, 2020 by Amy

From almost the very first day that we talked about selling all of our things and living on a sailboat, we talked with the goal of circumnavigating in mind. It took us nearly ten years to get from starting to talk about sailing around the world to actually completing our goal.

To complete a circumnavigation, one must*:

start and end at the same port
cross all meridians of longitude
cross the equator
travel at least 21,600 nautical miles

On March 26th, 2020, we sailed into Antigua and crossed our wake, making us world circumnavigators!

*this is according to the World Sailing Speed Record Council

Table of Contents - Click to Jump

Circumnavigation Summary

Left Antigua December 30th, 2015
Arrived Antigua March 26th, 2020
34,140 nm sailing
22 nm/day on average
10 long passages (1,000+ nm)
93.5% of those miles we sailed double-handed
27 Countries & Territories
4 Equator Crossings
4 Ripped Sails
6 Haul Outs
7 Trips Home
1100 Engine Hours (each)
3390 Generator Hours

Our World Circumnavigation Path

There is a lot that goes into planning a world circumnavigation . Some people might think sailing around the world means you can have ultimate freedom; in reality, the route is very restricted as there are places that bottleneck or parts of the world to avoid for piracy reasons.

We believe we got to visit a good mix of places; six continents, 27 countries or territories, places that are tourist hot spots, and places hardly anyone ever goes to. We explored amazing food, ancient cultures, and saw some of the most impressive wildlife in the world.

Before Our Circumnavigation

Since a circumnavigation must start and end at the same port, we’re primarily discussing our adventures since we left Antigua, the island where we crossed our wake. Of course, at the time, we didn’t know that would be where we would finish our world circumnavigation.

Our life onboard Starry Horizons started in October 2014, when she was launched in La Rochelle and we moved aboard . We self-delivered our boat to Florida, where we outfitted her for world cruising. We left Florida June 18th, 2015, which we consider the start of our cruising life.

Because we took so long in Florida, we only sailed the Bahamas for three weeks and then shot up to spend hurricane season in Nova Scotia and Maine . We made our way back down to the Caribbean and spent three months sailing the Caribbean islands .

2016: Sailing the Caribbean and South Pacific

We started the year in Guadeloupe and hopped our way down to Grenada, we sailed to Panama, where we transited the Panama Canal and set off across the Pacific . We spent three months in French Polynesia before sailing to Niue , Tonga , and Fiji . We ended the year in New Zealand for the cyclone season.

2017: Back to the South Pacific

We started the year off with five weeks on a road trip around New Zealand . After cyclone season, we realized that we loved sailing the South Pacific , and wanted to get out there again, extending our circumnavigation for another year. So we did; we went back up to Tonga , returned to Fiji , and then sailed on to Vanuatu and New Caledonia before coming to Australia for cyclone season.

2018: Australia and Southeast Asia

After spending New Year’s Eve in Sydney , we started to work our way up, sailing the eastern coast of Australia . We didn’t leave the country until July, so that was over six months exploring, including six weeks flying around Australia .

After Australia, we joined the Wonderful Sail 2 Indonesia rally and spent 100 days cruising Indonesia. Then we stopped in Singapore and Malaysia (mostly Langkawi ) before finishing the year in Thailand .

2019: The Indian Ocean and Africa

We left Thailand to sail across the Indian Ocean . Our first stop was Sri Lanka , where we traveled for twelve days inside the country. Then we island-hopped through the Maldives , Chagos , and Seychelles . We got stuck in Seychelles – we didn’t mind – and arrived in Madagascar early October and then crossed the Mozambique Channel to South Africa . We made it to Cape Town by the end of the year.

2020: Sailing up the Atlantic

This was the year of long passages. We sailed twelve days from Cape Town to Saint Helena , twelve days to Recife, Brazil , and fifteen days to Antigua . That’s a lot of miles!

How Long Should a Circumnavigation Take?

Our circumnavigation took four years and three months. The World ARC does it in 18 months. We’ve known people who’ve done it in 15 years. I think our time frame was pretty perfect.

For people who are just starting their circumnavigation plans, I’d say start with the World ARC route and expand it. If you do some research and think about what part of the world you are most excited about, plan to spend an extra year there. I think three to five years is a great time frame.

We wanted to spend a moderate amount of time on our circumnavigation. We were worried if we took too long, there would be too many things about cruising we didn’t like and we would choose to stop. And that was a legitimate concern. Many people we know stopped cruising earlier than planned or worse, split up with their partners because it wasn’t working in such a high-stress environment.

Read more about planning a circumnavigation .

How Often Did We Sail?

Here is a breakdown of how we spent our nights:

Total	1,547	% of total
Dock	292	18.88%
Mooring	134	8.66%
Haul Out	177	11.44%
At Sea	199	12.86%
Anchor	745	48.16%

This greatly depends on where you are in the world too.

Nights	Dock	Mooring	Haul Out	At Sea	Anchor	Total
2019 – Indian Ocean and Africa	181	15	15	42	112	365
2018 – Australia and Southeast Asia	67	15	60	33	190	365
2017 – South Pacific	19	66	99	25	156	365
2016 – Caribbean and South Pacific	25	38	3	60	240	366

We docked a lot more in 2019 than any other year. Here’s the breakdown of nights in a marina by year:

Nights	Dock	% of year
2019 – Indian Ocean and Africa	181	49.59%
2018 – Australia and Southeast Asia	67	18.36%
2017 – South Pacific	19	5.21%
2016 – Caribbean and South Pacific	25	6.83%

We went the entire 2017 cruising season without docking in a marina. We spent so many nights in marinas in 2019 because we opted to stay in Eden Island Marina for nearly two months in Seychelles and South Africa is not generally conducive to being at anchor.

Moorings are necessary in some places, though it can be difficult to trust them. For times when there was no room to anchor, or it was too deep, or we needed a place to leave the boat for cheap, we picked up a mooring ball.

Mooring	Mooring	% of year
2019 – Indian Ocean and Africa	15	4.11%
2018 – Australia and Southeast Asia	15	4.11%
2017 – South Pacific	66	18.08%
2016 – Caribbean and South Pacific	38	10.38%

In 2017 we left Starry Horizons on a mooring ball in Tonga while we worked a crewing position and were gone for six weeks.

Learn how to pick up a mooring ball .

We hauled out six times on the circumnavigation. Four of those times were short haul outs for projects. Two of those, we combined projects (usually a bottom job) with traveling; we were hauled out for six weeks in New Zealand and eight weeks in Australia, and both times we traveled around the country for a majority of the haul out.

Haul Out	Haul Out	% of year
2019 – Indian Ocean and Africa	15	4.11%
2018 – Australia and Southeast Asia	60	16.44%
2017 – South Pacific	99	27.12%
2016 – Caribbean and South Pacific	3	0.82%

We spent 199 nights underway on Starry Horizons during our world circumnavigation. That’s only 12.86% of our nights.

At Sea	At Sea	% of year
2019 – Indian Ocean and Africa	42	11.51%
2018 – Australia and Southeast Asia	33	9.04%
2017 – South Pacific	25	6.85%
2016 – Caribbean and South Pacific	60	16.39%

This is something to consider when thinking about the living space on your boat. Read our thoughts on bigger versus faster boats .

How fast does Starry Horizons sail? As a fully kitted-out cruising boat, we averaged 6.65 knots over our longest 25 passages.

Of our time at sea, ten passages were longer than 1,000 nautical miles. The longest passage on our circumnavigation was crossing the Pacific Ocean at 19 days and 3,142 nm.

Our fastest passage was sailing to Australia when we averaged 7.76 knots over 4.7 days. Starry Horizons’ optimum point of sail is about 90 degrees on the beam. Conditions were calm and the apparent wind speed was between 10-15 knots most of the way, perfect for our screecher.

And, no big surprise, almost half our nights were at anchor.

Anchor	Nights	% of year
2019 – Indian Ocean and Africa	112	30.68%
2018 – Australia and Southeast Asia	190	52.05%
2017 – South Pacific	156	42.74%
2016 – Caribbean and South Pacific	240	65.57%

We’ve got a great trustworthy anchor and anchor system .

Cruising Costs

Our blog post about the costs of cruising around the world has recently been updated, comparing marina and formality costs all over the world. Please keep in mind that this is for a 44′ catamaran.

Favorite Places

Check out our post detailing the best of our travel life !

The Best Parts of Sailing Around the World

This short list is in additon to our post, One Year Cruising: The Perks .

In our previous post, I’d talked about how we get to visit such amazing exotic locations. I grew to realize that cruising doesn’t just get you to fabulous exotic hot spots like Bora Bora and Fiji, but you also get to visit places other people literally can not get to without arduous voyages, places of extreme isolation . Places like Beveridge Reef , with no land, or Chagos , with no airport outside of the military base, are places that cruisers get to enjoy, but the rest of the world would have difficulty getting to. Even some places we went to, like Fulaga in Fiji , only have a connection to the outside world via supply boats and satellite internet.

Cruising is very conducive to slow travel . While, like in the ARC, you can jet-set around the world, it’s much more likely that cruisers are traveling slow. We spent 100 days in Indonesia, 70 in South Africa, 56 in the Maldives. These allowed us to get a truly wide view of each country.

In the South Pacific, we’d found quite a few boats who were on a pretty similar schedule to us. They came and went from our lives, meeting up with us again and again. In Australia, we met two boats that would become our closest cruising friends : Mirniy Okean (Carlos & Linda) and Slow Flight (Kimi & Trevor). In the Indian Ocean, there are a lot fewer boats making the passage, and we got incredibly lucky to click so well with these two boats. Though we weren’t on the exact same path, we did the rally together, caught up in Thailand, spent weeks with Slow Flight in the Maldives, hung out with Mirniy Okean in Seychelles, saw both boats in Madagascar and South Africa. Having this friendship was amazing.

Cruisers are generally an interesting and very diverse group of people . Along the way we’ve met people younger than us (we’re 35 right now) who are out sailing on shoe-string budgets. We’ve met some of the biggest sailing vloggers on YouTube (or in China). We’ve met families homeschooling as they go, people who’ve started and sold tech companies, people who’ve retired with simple pensions.

Thanks to the breadth of travel we’ve done, I think we’ve become better world citizens by exposing ourselves to different cultures. We’ve seen what it’s like to live in some of the biggest cities (Sydney, Singapore , Cape Town ) but also what it’s like to live in incredibly rural parts of incredibly poor countries.

We know how big the world is now. Sailing all the way around it (take that, flat-earthers) was a huge accomplishment and gave us a better appreciation for the ability to travel so easily via other methods.

The Worst Parts of Sailing Around the World

This short list is in addition to our post, One Year Cruising: The Challenges .

We have an expression we like to use when we say goodbye to cruisers: “another day another bay” . Parting ways with our friends is doubly hard in the cruising life, because we truly have no idea when we might see them again. Plans change, and you can never count on reconnecting with your friends in person. Mirniy Okean, who we last saw in Madagascar? It’s very likely the two boats will never see each other again.

Even with over four years to sail around the world, some places we still felt rushed . A lot of that was weather constraints . At the start of every hurricane or cyclone season, there’s always the looming deadline of the next place you have to get to for a safe storm season.

While we were out sailing around the world, we missed so much time with our friends and family . Grandparents passed away, friends got married and had kids. While we returned to the states for funeral services of our grandparents, we missed other occasions that gathered friends and family for celebrations. That was tough.

While cruising is great for getting us out to see the world, there is definitely a social-economic bubble within cruising . Almost everyone is white and straight, most are native English speakers, older, and fairly affluent.

It seemed like the longer we cruised, the more difficult formalities became . In the Indian Ocean and Africa, we usually had to hire an agent (Sri Lanka, Maldives, Seychelles) and it was expensive. In Madagascar and South Africa, we had to visit offices in every port we went to. Back in the Caribbean? David checked us into Guadeloupe using a computer in the back of a souvenir shop, and it was free.

The longer we go, the more boat projects pile up . Living full time on the boat, things break constantly, even on a brand new boat. We’ve had a few situations where something breaks and we have to urgently fix it – usually, we have no idea how to start.

The Indian Ocean and Africa were also difficult to get boat supplies . Thailand has East Marine Asia , the Caribbean has Budget Marine and Island Water World , but in between, there wasn’t really much. Even South Africa didn’t seem to have a big all-inclusive chandlery like West Marine , or maybe we just weren’t looking in the right places. Even in Antigua, where we have a Budget Marine ten minutes away, we might have to wait a few weeks to have a $10 part delivered to the island. It’s always been a general frustration that some companies, even marine companies, don’t understand that we are nomadic and will have to wait for their package to arrive, so when they mail us the wrong part, or “forget” to ship something, it takes a larger toll. Patience is key!

In some places like Indonesia, acquiring fuel is difficult – there are no fuel docks. Sometimes the fuel dock has huge black rubber fenders that leave marks all over the boat.

The lack of a schedule can sometimes get to us. When we are on the move a lot, like day hopping through islands or along a coast, it’s hard for us to have a routine down. Usually, David and I try to exercise every day around sunrise. But what if we need to leave in the early hours to move anchorages? Boat projects always take 3x longer than the 3x you calculated off of how long you thought it would take. Committing to doing anything at the same time of day or the same time every week is nearly impossible. Being in lockdown these past few weeks has shown us how truly lovely it is to be able to create our own schedule and stick with it every day.

Need to take a break from cruising? Here are my tips for how to break out of the cruising funk .

What About Pirates and Bad Weather?

Generally, we avoided the areas with the most violent piracy levels (the Philippines and the Horn of Africa). We were really fortunate that nothing was stolen off our boat the entire circumnavigation. We lock our boat up every night but have no security system. We put our dinghy up in the davits EVERY SINGLE NIGHT. The outboard is locked to the dinghy.

As far as bad weather, the worst weather we encountered usually lastest just a few hours. We had a storm hit us coming into Bermuda and our screecher started to unfurl and flap around. Coming into Seychelles, a storm blew directly from our destination. In both those situations, the wind wasn’t incredibly high, but it was coming from directly ahead of us, making the conditions very uncomfortable.

Sailing over the tip of Madagascar was a tough one. The current was so strong, and we were vacillating between 10 knots surfing down the waves and 1 knot getting sucked back up. Meanwhile, the wind was blowing strong and at a high wind angle (I think 50?). We turned our engines on and ran perpendicular to the current to get out of it as fast as possible.

Sailing the coast of South Africa , we saw high winds – up to 40 knots, but it was always dead downwind. I think that every time we arrived in port in South Africa, we did so with a little bit of the genoa unfurled and chugging along comfortably.

Well, your favorite Star Chasers are currently in Antigua, riding out this COVID-19 thing and waiting for the weather to clean up so we can head outside of the hurricane zone. We are planning to haul out June 1st at Cape Charles Yacht Center in Virgina.

Starry Horizons will spend hurricane season taking a rest. David and I will buy a car and drive to Texas and split our time between Houston and Dallas. We hope that we can hold parties in both cities to celebrate the end of our circumnavigation (especially since our party in the Caribbean was canceled!).

In October we will drive back to Starry Horizons and launch her for the 2020-2021 season. Our current plan is to sail down to Turks & Caicos and spend the season working our way downwind (no overnight sails! no upwind sailing!). We won’t have a particular goal in mind, which will be a relief for all of us (except for, you know, getting out of the hurricane zone again).

Beyond that….we don’t know yet!

38 Comments

Have you ever considered the psychological impact of constantly being on the move and how it may affect your ability to maintain a routine or sense of stability in your life?”, “refusal

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My wife and I have just finished your series and congratulations on completing a fantastic adventure that required an amazing amount of planning and learning and sharing that with everyone! Have you been able to execute your plan to leave for Virginia for June 1?

Hi Bob! No, we are still in Antigua, waiting for the weather to get better. It’s ok, everything is pretty great here!

Wow that’s absolutely amazing! What an incredible adventure and love all the stats you’re sharing!

Thank you! We have loved sharing our adventures!

This is beyond inspiring!! What a journey. You guys are awesome!!

Aw thank you!

Wow this is so cool. I want to learn sailing. I had no idea about circumnavigation until now. Thanks!

What??? First time that happened was 500 years ago.. better study some history…

The first world circumnavigation? Yes, you are correct. Nowhere do we say that we are the first to circumnavigate… that would be ridiculous!

Thank you! It’s easy to start small, at a local sailing club, or chartering a boat!

WOW! I have no other words! Such an adventure you lived guys! I am REALLY impressed!!! Congrats for completing the circumnavigation!

Such an excellent recap of your adventures! You continue to amaze me with the organization of your writing and the detail of the statistics you keep. I imagine being finished with the official circumnavigation brings both relief and sadness. Finishing your goal is tremendous, but for planners like you guys, maybe it puts you at loose ends a little? Then again, knowing you don’t have a set schedule must be freeing too! I’m terribly sorry you couldn’t have your celebration of the completion! But I bet you will have plenty of folks who will happily celebrate with you at the delayed parties. We are truly happy for you and proud of your accomplishments. And your detailed writing and summary will guide us as we travel, so thank you. Love from Mary Grace and Frank

Thanks so much yall! You’ve been an awesome part of our journey, and I hope we get to hug and celebrate in person sometime soon!

This trip sounds incredible! I’ve never thought about sailing but this sounds amazing.

Thank you! Sailing around the world has some amazing perks!

This is literally something I dream about doing, but I have no sailing knowledge! How does one get into this?? I’ll def be poking around more of your site!

Start small! I learned to sail on small boats called sunfish. There are a lot of small sailing boats out there, or classes, where you can learn the basics. Check in with a local yacht club if you can!

Wow what an incredible trip! So much knowledge, thank you for your insight. Would love to sail the world but have a very slight fear of the open ocean haha.

That would make it tough! 🙂

So impressed. It was great you could do it together.

Yet another great article Amy. So much valuable info in “power pack” format. Our global cruise might come sooner than I expected, COVID might just force our hand.

Glad you found it helpful! I hope whatever happens, its a good thing!

Brilliant Amy and David, thank you for sharing your amazing trip and being so open and honest with your wealth of knowledge. Lynda and I have applied numerous of your thoughts and suggestions aboard our Helia Itiki. Hopefully we will cross paths when we are in the Caribbean once we settle down into however the New World pans out.

I hope so too! Would be great to catch up!

Your writing, Amy, is truly excellent! I sense a spreadsheet or two behind all that data. What a wealth of information!

Lots of spreadsheets and help from a finance guy! 😉

Congratulations and THANKS! We have been following you for several years as we prepared and launched our circumnavigation on our Helia. Your content, attitude, and approach are truly inspirational and appreciated!! Jeff & Debby SV Making Memories

Aw thank you! We really appreciate the kind words!

So proud of you both. This was a great post, a very well written recap of the trip.

Thanks mom! 🙂

Lovely article Amy. Super well put together and, oh my, the details! It’s amazing you have all that information. Congratulations on the circumnavigation and glad to hear you’ll carry on cruising!!

Thanks Ryan! I hope we see each other out here someday!

The importance of choosing the right boat

Your boat is not just a means of transportation; it's your home, your shelter, and your safety net while sailing across the world's oceans. Therefore, selecting a boat that can withstand the challenges of long-distance sailing, provide comfort during extended journeys, and ensure your safety in varying conditions is crucial.

Key features to consider

Size and stability.

One of the fundamental aspects to consider when choosing a circumnavigation boat is its size and stability. Larger boats tend to offer more space and stability in rough seas, while smaller vessels can be more maneuverable in tight spots.

Safety features

Safety is paramount when sailing across vast oceans. Learn about the essential safety features your circumnavigation boat should have, including advanced navigation systems, emergency equipment, and sturdy construction.

Read our top notch articles on topics such as sailing, sailing tips and destinations in our Magazine .

Check out our latest sailing content:

Sailboat at sea.

Top picks for circumnavigation

Now, let's dive into the top boat choices for circumnavigation. We'll provide detailed insights into each vessel, highlighting their unique features and advantages.

Hallberg-Rassy 42 : Known for its durability and comfort, this Swedish yacht is a popular choice among circumnavigators.
Amel Super Maramu : Renowned for its self-sufficiency and ease of handling, the Super Maramu is a favorite for long-distance cruising.
Oyster 475 : Oyster yachts are synonymous with quality, and the 475 is no exception, offering excellent performance and seaworthiness.
Outbound 46 : This American-built sailboat is designed for bluewater cruising, making it suitable for circumnavigation.
Hylas 46 : Hylas yachts are celebrated for their strength and beauty, making them a reliable choice for sailing around the world.
Island Packet 420 : Known for their robust construction, Island Packets are well-suited for offshore adventures and global voyages.
Contest 42CS : Dutch craftsmanship and a solid build make the Contest 42CS a top contender for circumnavigation.
Valiant 42 : Designed specifically for offshore cruising, the Valiant 42 is favored by many experienced sailors.
Mason 44 : With classic lines and a reputation for seaworthiness, the Mason 44 is a timeless choice for circumnavigation.
Nordhavn 40 : For those considering a powerboat, the Nordhavn 40 offers long-range capabilities and comfort for extended journeys.

So what are you waiting for? Take a look at our range of charter boats and head to some of our favourite sailing destinations.

I am ready to help you with booking a boat for your dream vacation. Contact me.

Denisa Kliner Nguyenová

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Owners' advice: An insider's guide to world circumnavigation

It's all relative.

Image courtesy of Ainhoa Sanchez/Volvo Ocean Race

Yacht owners and racers who have done it already offer their advice to help you get the most out of your epic world circumnavigation...

It's all relative: Dee Caffari, record-breaking circumnavigator

“You go through a storm and it’s bad, but the next storm is a comparison to the last one – is it as bad or is it a little easier? And you grow in confidence as you go,” says Dee Caffari, who just finished her sixth circumnavigation, this time as skipper of the Volvo Ocean Race team Turn the Tide on Plastic.

Oddly enough, Caffari says she never set out to sail around the world. “It was an opportunity that presented itself,” says the ex-PE teacher of skippering a yacht crewed by amateurs in the Global Challenge race in 2004, “and from there it kind of evolved. Each time I push my boundaries that little bit further.” You could say the next time she pushed a lot further. Her second circumnavigation made history as she became the first woman to sail single-handed non-stop “the wrong way around”, against the prevailing winds and currents.

So why does she do it? “I love the environment you get to play in. No two days are ever the same; you’re constantly being challenged. The ocean is a pretty magical place and I think we’re lucky to have that as our office.”

“It’s not always going to be smooth sailing, but you will regret not going,” say the owners of Enso . They were inspired by “Sailing La Vagabonde” – YouTube videos of a couple with no previous sailing experience going around the world. “They got out and did it instead of 99 per cent of the world who just think about it,” says the husband.

Enso’s owners jumped into a circumnavigation with both feet, setting off immediately after taking delivery of their new 25 metre Oyster 825. You could say their shakedown cruise was the Oyster World Rally. For the wife, it was a jump into the deep end as her previous sailing experience amounted to a week in Sardinia .

The rewards have been innumerable for Enso’s owners: from freediving with manta rays in Bora Bora to the 300kg marlin they caught and released in the Tuamotus, they have enjoyed vibrant ecosystems off the beaten yachting path. Sharing these experiences with family and friends has made it even more special.

They do admit that leaving so quickly after delivery had a downside. It took time to build the tight-knit crew they’ve had for the past 11 months. And they underestimated the impact that maintenance and warranty work would have on their time. “A new boat is always going to have a lot of warranty work in the first 12 months until it gets into its own rhythm and the crew understand the boat. A year-old boat is actually a much better proposition,” they advise.

Get involved

The owners of 25 metre Southern Wind SW82 Feelin’ Good have been sailing around the world for nearly four years. “Not everyone is able to take the time to be this involved, which makes us appreciate this experience all the more,” they say.

“The long days spent sailing the open sea are the best in my opinion because it is the essence of the journey,” says the husband, who most enjoyed the stretch from Galápagos to Marquesas known as the Coconut Milk Run for its excellent sea conditions. “We sailed the entire passage on one tack! The night sky at sea is like no other, and at the midway point, the closest humans are passing overhead inside the International Space Station.”

The husband and wife both participate alongside their crew on board. “I take my watches along with everyone else, but my wife’s talent is in the galley; she can be down there cooking under any conditions,” says the husband.

Their advice for other owners is to be as involved as possible. “Be on board as much as you can and share the experience with your crew, because it will change your life.”

It's a big world

On Lenny Recanati’s office desk sits an antique globe and a model of his 27 metre Jongert Vivid , which says it all. “I have loved travelling all my life,” he says. “To do it by boat is the best way. On a boat you can go to the end of the world!” Indeed, if the world were flat, he would have fallen off. He spent 12 years travelling on Vivid and has two circumnavigations under his belt, one around the equator and one from pole to pole.

“I like the more remote places where not too many people have been.” The Antarctica expedition stands out, he says, “because of the ferocious sea. In the Drake Passage, the winds were 50mph and the seas were like mountains. The first half hour was a little scary but then the boat gets in a rhythm, you get used to it and relax.”

Enjoy the ride

Many people plan and plan and plan for a circumnavigation and still never actually do it. Eddie Jordan is the opposite. He says he has no real idea what made him want to sail around the world, but now that it’s over, he wants to do it again. Or at least some parts of it.

His was a rush to the starting line of the first Oyster World Rally in 2013 with his then new 27 metre 885 Lush (above). Not studying the cruising guides in advance had some benefits. “I like the surprise element,” he says. “For example, I had never heard of the San Blas islands – probably the last set of islands in the world where they don’t have a currency and operate on a barter system. Our watermakers were running full time to give them as much water as they needed and we got beads and vegetables. We fished off the back of the boat all the time. We had the most magnificent fresh tuna carpaccio with a big glass of rosé wine; that for me was just heaven.”

Some destinations that he had built up in his mind before the trip, such as Bora Bora, turned out to be a disappointment. But there are other places he’d like to return to, such as Rangiroa, the Tuamotus’ largest atoll, where he swam with 50 to 60 blacktip sharks that came close enough to nip at his nose. And he never got a chance to visit Vanuatu. He plans to remedy that, perhaps on his just-purchased 45 metre Perini Navi sailing yacht Blush .

“If you want to have a mixture between enjoying the sailing, cruising, a bit of a party, friends on board, I don’t think there’s any better

way to do that than a sailing boat,” says the man who owned Sunseeker motor yachts for three decades. “And I like to be closer to the sea,” he adds. “With this new Perini I’m able to go out the lazarette and just dive into the water.”

You must adore the sea

“Sailing long distances is not for everybody,” says the owner of the 56 metre Alloy Mondango 3 . “If one tends to motion sickness, definitely not. And even if not, one has to be happy with the quiet and tranquillity of being on the sea for days without the sight of land.”

He wasn’t so sure about himself at first. “Although I had always been a water person, I had never been to sea, as in a long crossing in my own vessel. My wife had only crossed the Atlantic on a large passenger liner. So we did an experimental crossing on Sea Cloud from the Canary Islands to Antigua. It was an easy crossing. However, there was very little wind. The one time the sails went up was very exciting and we were hooked. Since then, he and his wife have logged more than 200,000 nautical miles between their two Mondangos and they always do the crossings.

To other owners considering the same, he says you must adore the open sea and the peace and quiet that comes with it. He also warns that mistakes come with the territory. “Although I have been involved in water sports and sailing dinghies most of my life, this dream was fraught with mistakes,” he says. “You have to go through this no matter from whom you buy your boat. Constant vigilance. Constant spending. Constant adoring.”

Szymon Kuczynski World Record for the Smallest Yacht around the Globe Solo and Non-Stop

Szymon Kuczynski secured a new world record for the smallest yacht to circumnavigate the globe singlehanded and unaided, when he returned to Mayflower Marina in Plymouth on Thursday 17th May.

Szymon, who set sail last year from Plymouth on August 19, completed the circumnavigation in 270 days, 10 hours and 29 minute. The World Sailing Speed Record Council recognizes a similar feat by Alessandro di Benedetto (FRA/ITA) in 2009-10 who sailed a 6.5m (21ft 3.9in) Mini yacht around the world in 268 days, 19 hours, 36 minutes, 12 seconds.

The solo sailor took a classic route round the three famous capes of Africa, Australia and South America . Szymon had been living in a space of just four square metres for over 9 months and accomplished this trip without ever making any stops to ports.

In 2013, he sailed back and forward across the Atlantic Ocean on his self-built, 5m long yacht, “Lilla My” as part of a ‘Call to the Ocean’ race.

And in 2014, Szymon finished his round the world trip- “Maxus Solo Around”- taking the Pasat Route, making stops at ports along the way.

About the boat

The sailboat was manufactured in the Northman shipyard in Poland. The Maxus 22, which is normally used for in-land sailing and close-shore waters, has been adjusted for such and ocean challenge, by changing most of it’s construction.

The hull and rigging have been strengthened and the interior of the yacht has been limited to the essential appliances. The cabin can be hermetically closed, and the hull can still remain floating on the water, even in case of an accident and a complete water flooding inside.

Szymon Kuczynski Journey Statistics

Time: 270 days, 10 hours, 29 minutes. Miles travelled: 29 044. Average speed: 4,5 kt. Maximum speed: 14,9 kt. Books read: 143.

A Skipper’s Insight into the Windelo 54 Sport’s Transatlantic Success

1936. voyage around cape horn by schooner wanderbird, how to avoid a gybe broach – video tutorial, the ultimate dummy’s guide to sailing. infographic, live your passion, subscribe to our mailing list, one comment.

How could you leave out the most important part of the news. Here it is: 6,36 m.

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Circumnavigation or Sailing Around the World

Sailing around the world. It has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? Circumnavigation has always been sort of an obsession of humanity. Since people made the first boat and started sailing and travelling with boats, there was this question: “How far am I able to sail with a boat?” In the beginnings, people only travelled short distances, usually within the same continent because they didn’t know for the existence of other continents. Those travels were predominantly by merchants who were selling their goods. And spontaneously with trade travels, the other kind of travelling by boat came to existence – the exploration kind. But first, let’s tackle the definition of circumnavigation.

What Does Circumnavigation Mean?

Circumnavigation is a complete navigation around an island, continent, a planet or, in modern days, astronomical body like Earth or the Moon.

In this blog post we will focus on sailing around the world. And not the astronomical kind, but the ‘simple’ water-travelling kind. The reason is because that kind of circumnavigation includes sailing. And by sailing, we mean whole lotta sailing.

Exploration of Ancient World

Exploring in the anceint world was quite a bit different than it is today. Nowadays you can simply buy cheap plane tickets and find yourself on other side of the planet in no-time. Famous explorers of the ancient world are Herodotus and Abu Al Hasan Al Masudi . They were both writers, historians and, you’re guessing, explorers. They gave us some of the best descriptions of the ancient world. And they’re quite extraordinary. Let’s get to know the first travelers by boat .

Herodotus is one of the main sources of information when it comes to the ancient world. His writings are exceptional even for today’s standards. He is best known for his description of events because he wasn’t bothered so much with the actual facts as much as he wanted to transfer the emotion or atmosphere of the certain even to the reader.

That’s why his numbers are mostly off. Quite often off by far. He is famous for his description of Greco-Persian Wars and as the father of history and other social sciences such as ethnography. He is also the first who has described the process of mummification.

Other than by his historiographic work, Herodotus is also known for his, in that time, immense travelling . He was the greatest explorer of his time and he traveled throughout all known world. He has been to Africa and to the Middle East, which is very far away from his home town of Halicarnassus considering it was 400 BC. In his travel he has encountered a lot of different people and cultures which he had the privilege of describing first.

In many ways Herodotus travels inspired all the explorers that came after him. And one of such was Abu Al Hasan Al Masudi .

Abu Al Hasan Al Masudi

Abu Al Hasan Al Masudi comes more than a thousand years after Herodotus, but his travels quickly became as well-known throughout all the known world. Much like Herodotus, he was also a historian, but also a geographer. He spent most of his life travelling. Masudi has been to East Africa, the Middle East, Persia, Russia, India and China which is extraordinary considering that he was alive at the end of first century .

He is often called ‘the Herodotus of the Arabs’ and all his travels are combined in the book ‘The Meadows of Gold and Mines of Gems’ .

These two, along with other great explorers of the ancient times set path for all the great explorers that most people know today. We can say that they, in many ways, make up what will soon be known as circumnavigation.

The Beginnings of Circumnavigation

After the Antics, things started to get better for circumnavigation. The world has started to get bigger as other parts of the world were discovered. America was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1492 . Abel Tasman discovered Australia in 1642. Between people discovering those two nowadays continents, the first circumnavigation took place. But before we go ahead to the first successful circumnavigation , let’s take a look at some of the most famous explorers and how has their discoveries made the first circumnavigation possible.

Famous Explorers

Christopher Columbus (1451 – 1506)

Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer. Columbus made four ground-breaking voyages to the Americas. The first journey was in 1492 and Columbus got to the Bahamas believing he came to India. Sailing in uncharted seas, Columbus greatly extended the knowledge of crossing the Atlantic and paved the way for the Spanish conquest of the two Americas.

Christopher Columbus was born in the Republic of Genoa , in what is today Northwestern Italy. Columbus learned to sail from an early age and later worked as a business agent, travelling around Europe to England, Ireland and later along the West coast of Africa. Christopher Columbus was a believer in the spherical nature of the world (some Christians still held the view that the world was flat). An ambitious man, Christopher Columbus hoped to find a Western trade route to the lucrative spice markets in Asia. Rather than sailing East, he hoped that sailing West would lead to countries like Japan and China.

Vasco de Gama (1469 – 1524)

Vasco da Gama was a Portuguese explorer who was the first European to reach India by sea. Da Gama made a direct voyage to India – travelling around the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa – arriving in Calicut in 1498.

Vasco da Gama was a Portuguese explorer who became the first European to successfully navigate a naval route from Europe to India. The Portuguese had a strong naval tradition and had already sent ships down the west coast of Africa in search of gold and slaves . Portuguese ships had got as far south as the southern tip of Africa, but loss rates were high and they only received limited riches from the west coast of Africa. In 1481, King John II of Portugal ascended to the throne; he was a keen supporter of encouraging better trade routes. He put Vasco de Gama in charge of finding one.

Marco Polo (1254 – 1324)

Polo was a Venetian traveler and explorer who made ground-breaking journeys to Asia and China. His journeys and writings helped to open up the Far East to Europe and inspired Christopher Columbus and many other explorers.

Marco Polo was amongst the first Europeans to travel the famous Silk Road trade route, stretching from the Middle East to China. Significantly, Polo is reputed to have been born in Korčula himself, although evidence to support this thesis is at best sketchy. If Marco’s place of birth is somewhat ambiguous, it is certain that he was taken prisoner by the Genoese in the naval battle of Korčula, between the Venetian and Genovese states .

Having been captured and taken to a Genoese prison, he wrote his book ‘Million’ (see below) about his travels to China. Yet, it was Marco’s cellmate, Rusticello who would later produce a book ‘The Travels of Marco Polo’ . This made Marco’s travelling exploits famous throughout the world. The work caused a sensation in western society when published, since many Europeans were for the first time vividly immersed into the exotic and hitherto unknown culture of the Far East.

Polo noted down the use of coal and ceramics in China, centuries before they became widespread in Europe. However, many of Polo’s stories seemed so far-fetched that people thought that he had made them up. Some of his claims have never been verified . Nevertheless, many merchants would follow Polo’s routes, and many more travelers and explorers, including one Christopher Colombus, were to be inspired by Polo’s achievement.

James Cook (1728 – 1779)

Cook was a British explorer who made groundbreaking voyages to the Pacific Ocean. He made the first European contact with Eastern coast of Australia and he chartered the islands of the Pacific from New Zealand to Hawaii .

Born in the tiny village of Great Ayton, Yorkshire in 1755, Captain James Cook went on to become one of the most famous sea explorers of his age. He helped to find new lands and redraw the maps of the time. After working for a year as a grocer, James Cook gained an apprentice for a Quaker-owned shipping company . It was here that James Cook began learning the arts of navigation and seamanship. During the late eighteenth century, there was great interest in surveying unknown lands.

After serving in the seven-year war with France, he was commissioned in 1768 by the Royal Society on a scientific expedition to the Pacific. This was the start of his travels around the oceans of the world. He helped to chart the coasts of New Zealand and Australia . Cook visited many unknown islands – witnessing human sacrifices in Tahiti amongst other things. He was an explorer of tremendous determination and faith. He helped spread the boundaries of known sea travel and raised standards for the welfare of his men serving under him.

Sir Francis Drake (1540 – 1597)

Drake was an English explorer who made the second successful circumnavigation of the world in 1577-1580. He also fought the Spanish Armada in 1588.

Sir Francis Drake was an English sailor and explorer. Beginning around 1563, he and his cousin, Sir John Hawkins, became the first Englishmen to sell slaves from Africa in the New World . In Panama in 1573, he captured a fortune in silver and gold that the Spanish had seized from the Native Americans and became the first Englishman to see the Pacific.

He was also the first Englishman to sail all the way around the world. Because of this, he was made a knight by Queen Elizabeth I . His rise from commoner to great war hero and influential person was rare for his time.

Ferdinand Magellan (1480 – 1521)

A Portuguese sailor and adventurer who led the first expedition to make a successful circumnavigation of the globe. Magellan also made the first crossing from the Atlantic into the Pacific and also the first successful crossing of the Pacific Ocean. He died before the expedition reached Europe.

Ferdinand Magellan was a Portuguese sailor who, from 1519 to 1522, led the first circumnavigation of the world . He was a skillful sailor whos idea was to discover new routes to reach India. Appointed by the King of Spain, he was given permission to seek India by sailing around the southern point of America.

He successfully led the mission through many turbulent experiences. In doing so, he made notable firsts. Magellan was the first to find the passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific. He was the first one to cross the Pacific. He led the first circumnavigation of Earth .

First Circumnavigation of Earth

The Magellan-Elcano expedition was the first expedition that completed the travel around the world. It started in 1519 in Spanish town Seville by experienced Portuguese sailor Fernand Magellan, but was completed by Spanish sailor Juan Sebastian Elcano in 1522. Even though Ferdinand Magellan didn’t complete the expedition, his name remains written in history as the first person to sail the world. On the other hand, the name of Juan Sebastian Elcano is somewhat forgotten even though he played an important role in completing the circumnavigation.

However, this expedition made all the other circumnavigations possible. Magellan and Elcano were the first to find the route from the Atlantic to the Pacific, they crossed the Pacific first and they found the route back to Sevilla first from the other side of the world. All of that was a huge deal in their time.

The first circumnavigation lasted for three years . The circumnavigation started on 10 August 1519 and was finished on 8 September 1522. The ship that first sailed around the world was called Victoria.

Circumnavigation in Modern Days

Circumnavigation nowadays doesn’t take nearly as long as the first circumnavigations did. People can nowadays sail around the world in a year or a year and a half. Even though, a lot of circumnavigations today take between 3 to 5 years . It is because people usually go sightseeing and take the time to relax and explore.

Sailing around the world costs anywhere around €1500 – €2500 a month . That amount covers all the costs for food and necessities. It also covers additional expenses that may or may not come while sailing. Depending on the personal preferences and a lot of other factors, sailing around the world can be more or less expensive. But this amount of money is which a lot of circumnavigators agree with.

Sailing around the world is a lot easier in modern days . All the modern tools, GPS and navigation make it a lot safer, too. Currently there are a lot of people who are on their expedition around the world. Some for sport, some for the adventure and the other to break world records.

Golden Globe Race is circumnavigation that people do for sports. It is a race around the world on a sailboat with only one crew member. First one was in 1968. The last taking place in 2018 and the next will be in 2022.

Sailors sail east. The starting and finishing point is Les Sables-d’Olonne in France. The competitors usually take five to six months to finish the race. The race in 2022 will start on 4 September. During the race, the competitors can’t use modern equipment.

Others sail the world for the pure adventure. One of those people who do it for the experience is Sailing Togetherness . They are going to sail around the world starting from their hometown in Denmark in 2020. Their plan is to use 100 % green energy and do all the boat work themselves. If you want to joint them, feel free to send them a message on Instagram.

Sailing Togetherness

Sailingtogetherness is a project started by two Danish guys Jakob (22 years) and Mikkel (23 years) aimed to inspire young people to start sailing . Mikkel has seven years of sailing experience and teaches young people in sailing. Jakob has never been on a sailboat but is willing to learn along the way.

The boat a Luffe 54 was built in 1988 as a luxury yacht on a danish boatyard. But it was bought as a insurance claim which means there is a lot of repairs needed. The plan is that the boat, Togetherness, will be ready to start its first circumnavigation in 2021 where it will cross the Atlantic to the Caribbean .

Everybody who wants to join can do so. The boat can house between 6-8 people while sailing . Experience in sailing is not a requirement but will be taught along the way. The crew will share all of the expenses during their stay. Depending on the location we expect it to be around 6500-7500 DKK (870-1000 euro) a month .

The route is not planned. The decisions of where to sail will be taken by the crew on the boat by that time. On sailingtogetherness’ Instagram it is also possible to vote on different locations that should be visited! The dream is to visit as many “local” (not touristed) places as possible. And the circumnavigation takes between 10 and 15 years. Another goal is also to sail along the South American coast and south of Cape Horn.

If people have interest in joining or hearing more they can write on Instagram or Facebook under the name Sailingtogetherness .

Fastest Circumnavigation Around the World

The world record holder for the fastest sail around the world is Francois Gabart . He has beaten the previous world record by 30 minutes in 2018. The record is now 42 days, 16 hours, 40 minutes and 35 seconds. The distance Francois sailed is 27 860 nautical miles with average speed of 27.2 knots and the maximum speed of 39.2 knots .

Francois did it on his trimaran Macif . This record will probably remain for quite some time because sailing around the world that quickly is more than amazing.

Youngest Person to Circumnavigate the World

The youngest person to ever sail around the world is Laura Dekker . Laura Dekker was born in 1995 and she loved sailing since she was a child. She was making her own improvised sailboats as a kid and was in love with the sea. As a result, she bought her first sailboat when she was only 11.

By the time she was 13, she sailed alone from Holland to England. After more than a few sails to England and back, she said that is enough of waiting. She went ahead and decided to fulfil her dream of sailing around the world. A few court cases later she managed to set off. Her starting point was in the Caribbean . She started the journey when she was 14 and returned when she was 16, making her the youngest person to ever circumnavigate the world .

Global Solo Challenge - How would you prepare for a single-handed circumnavigation?

The Real Story Behind Jessica Watson's Sailing Journey in Netflix’ 'True Spirit'

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The Russos Explained ‘Avengers: Endgame’s Silliest Mystery and It Makes Total Sense

Lauren bacall’s only oscar nom came thanks to one of barbra streisand’s best directed movies, no robin williams movie better captures everything he was and everything he could do.

Editor's Note: The following contains True Spirit spoilers.

True Spirit , out on Netflix now, tells the fascinating true story of Jessica Watson , an Australian sailor who circumnavigated the globe in 210 days back in 2009 – but how factual really is this retelling?

Circumnavigating the globe is impressive as it is, but in Jessica's case, she was also a 16-year-old girl. In a year when most 16-year-olds were planking and doing the stanky leg, Jessica was sailing around the world solo. Earlier this month, Netflix premiered True Spirit, starring Titans ' Teagan Croft as Jessica Watson. The movie also features Cliff Curtis, Anna Paquin, and Josh Lawson. True Spirit gives its viewers an honest and inspiring look at a remarkable story of determination and grit while also being littered with hits from the time, like Empire of the Sun 's "Walking on a Dream," or "Geronimo" by Sheppard in a way that captures the essence of the early 2000s perfectly.

True Spirit tells the encouraging tale of a young woman, her mentor (Curtis), and her family (Paquin and Lawson portray Watson's parents, Roger and Julie, respectively). Beyond being a tale of hard work and courage, True Spirit illustrates the complicated process a parent must go through in letting a child gain independence and come into their own. Although it's a more arduous journey than most take, at its core, True Spirit is a story of what we can accomplish with the proper avenues of support, no matter how young. To this day, Jessica Watson is still one of the youngest people to circumnavigate the world and the youngest to sail the world unassisted, without stopping. Interestingly, according to the Australian Museum , Julie Watson saw Jessica as the least likely of her children to have become a sailor due to her shyness.

All that said, how much of True Spirit is true, and how much of it was Hollywood magic?

RELATED: First 'True Spirit' Images Show Jessica Watson's Harrowing Journey

Jessica Watson Already Had Plenty of Sailing Experience by 2010

As it turns out, quite a lot of it was true. True Spirit is based on the book of the same name, written by Watson, about her sailing journey, which began when she was about eight years old. Watson is one of four children born to Julie and Roger Watson, all of which took sailing lessons from a young age. The family even lived on a boat for several years, during which Julie Watson would read Jesse Martin's book about his journey sailing the world as a bedtime story (clearly had a strong influence). In a story without shortness of magnificence, Jessica spent ages 11-15 honing in on her craft. Jessica sailed 6000 ocean and 6000 coastal miles while acquiring numerous sailing qualifications. She would join the crew of several boats, gaining well-rounded experience in sailing.

By 16, she had decided to circumnavigate the world by herself. On October 18, 2009, she (literally) set sail on her boat, Ella's Pink Lady , a 34-foot Sparkman & Stephens yacht. In the process, she faced monstrous waves, storms, and understandable loneliness. She would sail 18,582 nautical miles, which, for those that don't know, is slightly longer than a mile on land by 0.1508 miles. Jessica documented her travels on her blog and by video, which would become well-known and still holds hundreds of comments.

The World Sailing Speed Record Council (WSSRC) would determine that Jessica did not technically sail the world because she fell short of the 21,600 nautical miles required by the Council for a sailor to rightfully claim they traveled the world. However, this determination did not seem to matter to the people of Australia, as her arrival home on May 15, 2010, was met with a pink carpet to match Ella's Pink Lady and crowds of admirers. In a twist of fate, a very young Teagan Croft was among one of the attendees of Jessica's return. In 2011, Jessica Watson was named Young Australian of the Year, and in 2012, Jessica received the Medal of the Order of Australia.

True Spirit details controversy and conflict with the media regarding her age, which was very accurate. The Watson family received criticism for allowing Jessica to take on the "Everest of sailing" with her limited experience and youth, even though she had been sailing for nearly a decade by the time she began this journey.

In a moment that displays authentic humility and an attitude that was far beyond her years at the time, Jessica did not see herself as a hero. She saw herself as an "ordinary person, who had a dream, worked hard at it and proved that anything really is possible."

What's Fiction in 'True Spirit'?

According to Entertainment Weekly , Julie and Roger were represented precisely as they were. However, two characters were prominent in the film but were more representations of different people. The first is Ben Bryant (portrayed by New Zealand's Cliff Curtis), Jessica's mentor and disgraced sailor who had lost a crew member while under his command. Ben is a supporting character who is nearly as present as the Watson parents on Jessica's trip. He helps guide Jessica by radio and offers encouragement from afar. In real life (and not mentioned in the movie), Jessica's parents were New Zealanders. She holds dual citizenship in Australia and New Zealand, making Curtis' prominent role almost like a homage to her heritage.

The second made-up character is a particularly inflammatory reporter played by Todd Lasance. Lasance's character, Craig Atherton is based on several reporters who criticized her journey and her parents' support of the trip as they viewed it as too dangerous for a child. The film shows a collision between the Ella's Pink Lady and a cargo ship during a test trip before she begins her voyage. This collision did happen, and in the film, it adds fuel to the fire of the negative press.

In terms of events conveyed in the film, several did not happen in Jessica's real-life journey. Two of them were particularly impactful, the first being stuck at sea with no wind for a week and the second being knocked unconscious by a frying pan during a storm. These made-up events do not take away from the peril of Jessica's journey, though, as there is a scene in which the Ella's Pink Lady is temporarily sunk 15 feet during a storm, and frighteningly, this is true and did happen.

For those looking to watch a movie about a young woman who takes on a Goliath in the form of massive ways and soul-crushing loneliness, True Spirit is currently streaming on Netflix.

Movie Features

Two Indian Navy women officers embark on sailing expedition, circumnavigating the globe

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The Independent Climate 100 List 2024

Our inaugural list of the world’s foremost environmentalists is not in order of importance, nor does it compare or rank one climate changemaker against another. It is published to coincide with Climate Week NYC, where The Independent will also be holding its own Climate 100 event

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Business & finance, entertainment, royalty & sport, food & agriculture, ngos, non-profits & philanthropists, politics & government, reader’s choice, scientists & academics, tech & entrepreneurs.

T he climate crisis is the defining issue of our age. By now, dealing with it should be at the top of every country’s priority list. In this time of great unrest around the world, it may feel counterintuitive for it to take precedence, but, to put it bluntly, if we don’t act now nothing else will exist.

As Greta Thunberg so accurately and succinctly puts it, it’s an existential emergency. Last year was the hottest on record, with temperatures soaring to 34.8C in the UK. Wildfires have been sweeping through Europe, hurricanes are becoming more frequent out of season, and crops are being ravaged by both floods and droughts, pushing ecosystems to the brink.

Aside from the terrifying impacts we can see and feel, there are those not visible but very much present, including the disparity between rich and poor nations. The latter bear a disproportionately large part of the physical and financial burden of the climate crisis, but have contributed the least to it. Island nations, smaller countries and coastal areas are at risk of being totally submerged. Entire cultures could be lost along with land, and whole populations are at risk of displacement. We are nearing tipping points at which the drastic effects of the climate crisis caused by humans will become irreversible .

However, there is hope, in the form of innovators around the globe, pushing to have their voices heard and protecting the environment for the next generation, while paving the way for a better, cleaner and greener future.

That’s why The Independent is launching its inaugural Climate 100 List , which includes changemaking activists, scientists, academics, philanthropists, political leaders, business and tech leaders, and fashion entrepreneurs. These people have innovated with solutions such as hydrogen storage, sponsoring oceans, discovering plastic-eating bacteria, and revolutionising chemical-free textile dyeing, to name a few examples.

The Climate 100 List isn’t in order of importance, nor does it compare or rank one changemaker against another. Instead, it’s a celebration of the people and companies dedicated to finding positive climate solutions. Some have made a splash recently with a notable contribution to the fight, while others, such as King Charles and Jane Goodall, are celebrated for their longevity. We also asked you, our readers, to nominate five unsung climate heroes, and they are included on the list too.

Our inaugural list is published to coincide with Climate Week NYC – one of the climate world’s biggest events – where The Independent will also be holding its own inaugural Climate 100 event.

So, meet the exceptional people solving the planet’s greatest challenges.

1. Ayisha Siddiqa

At just 25 years old, Ayisha Siddiqa has achieved a lot as a human rights defender and climate activist. Born in Pakistan, she moved to Brooklyn as a child. At just 14, she saw the effects of climate change not only on the environment, but also on humans, after family members in Pakistan became ill from polluted river water . The links she saw between human rights and the climate crisis led her to get involved in climate activism, and she went on to found her university’s branch of Extinction Rebellion in 2019 and lead a strike involving 300,000 people.

In 2020 she co-founded Polluters Out, a global youth movement, and helped create an activist training course, the Fossil Free University. She contributed to The Climate Book , edited by Greta Thunberg , and continues to encourage young people to get involved in activism.

Siddiqa believes solutions to the crisis are too often developed from a global-North perspective, which doesn’t work for many of the countries worst affected. She campaigns for Indigenous people’s rights, as well as for women, who she recognises are disproportionately affected by floods and other devastation caused by the climate crisis, as water collecting and family care duties often fall to them.

2. Bill McKibben

Bill McKibben’s 1989 book , The End of Nature , is widely recognized as the first for a general audience about climate change. It remains in publication and has been translated into 24 languages.

The author, environmentalist and activist was awarded the Gandhi Peace Award in 2013 and has been a key climate protest organiser for decades.

He co-founded the global grassroots organisation 350.org in 2008, which aims to end our reliance on fossil fuels. The name is an ode to climate scientist James Hansen, who warned that any atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide above 350 parts per million (ppm) was unsafe. Currently, the planet’s concentration is over 420ppm.

In 2021, he founded Third Act , an activist group for older environmentalists, with the support of big names including Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and Jane Fonda.

In this US presidential election season, he continues to be a force in bringing out the climate vote and is crisscrossing the country to drive support for Democrat candidate, Kamala Harris, over climate science denier, Donald Trump.

So many good people are finally engaged in this fight, and that if nothing else makes me very happy

3. Greta Thunberg

Few people can claim to have been as engaged in the climate crisis from such a young age as Greta Thunberg . From the age of eight, Thunberg became vegan and wouldn’t travel by airplane in order to reduce her carbon footprint. Since then, she has dedicated her life to the cause, consistently calling out world leaders in her sharp speeches for their inaction on climate change.

In 2018, at the age of 15, Thunberg inspired a global movement after holding her first school climate strike outside the Swedish parliament, which called for the end of reliance on fossil fuels. She garnered huge media attention, and thousands of students around the world joined her Fridays For Future strikes. She achieved what other activists had struggled to do by bringing the severity and urgency of the climate crisis into homes across the world, an impact that quickly became known as the “Greta effect”. She has also inspired others with Asperger’s (which she calls her superpower) to feel included and take a stand.

Thunberg was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize every year between 2019 and 2023. In 2019, she became the youngest person to be named Time magazine’s Person of the Year. In 2022, she published The Climate Book , a “book of the year” for many top publications.

Since finishing her schooling last summer, Thunberg has ramped up her activism. Earlier this year, aged 21, she was acquitted of charges of blocking an oil conference. After the verdict, she said : “We must remember who the real enemy is”.

14.1m followers on Instagram

5.5m followers on X

4. Julia Olson

Julia Olson is the founder and executive director of Our Children’s Trust , a not-for-profit law firm that earlier this year won a landmark case against the state of Montana over the constitutional right to a healthy environment. Representing 16 young people, the trust sued the government for prioritising fossil fuels over ensuring a safe climate for future generations.

Formerly an attorney, Olson founded the trust in 2010 while pregnant with her second child and after watching Al Gore’s climate documentary, An Inconvenient Truth , during which it dawned on her that future generations could be left with a near-devastated world without drastic action.

Our Children’s Trust empowers young people to hold governments accountable for their climate inaction.

5. KlimaSeniorinnen

Known collectively as KlimaSeniorinnen , this group of Swiss women in their 60s and beyond, are proving that age is no barrier when it comes to environmental action. Galvanised by the urgency of climate change, the women collectively won a historic case against their government in April after successfully arguing its inaction had put them at particular risk of dying during heatwaves because of their age and gender.

The group is made up of more than 2,000 women, and the court decided that the Swiss government had violated their human rights by not doing enough for them. The case has resonated across Europe as the weather becomes more extreme, and will likely encourage other groups to bring forward similar cases.

6. Neeshad Shafi

As co-founder of the Arab Youth Climate Movement Qatar ( AYCM ), Neeshad Shafi has created a first-of-its-kind study on public perceptions of climate change in Qatar.

Qatar regularly experiences some of the world’s highest temperatures, with Shafi noting that “global warming” is over and the period of “global boiling” has begun.

Through his work, Shafi attempts to change the minds of the proportion of people in Qatar who don’t believe in the climate crisis, by showing them how effects will impact them. One of the biggest battles Shafi has faced is some people’s belief that they can’t do anything to help change the situation, and countering that view is a major focus for him.

7. Nemonte Nenquimo

As the first woman president of the Waorani people of Pastaza and co-founder of the Indigenous-led, non-profit organisation Ceibo Alliance, Nemonte Nenquimo has become a powerful voice in the fight against the climate crisis in Ecuador and around the world. Ceibo is the first alliance of its kind between four ancestral nations within Ecuador, Peru and Colombia.

Since 2013, she has been defending Indigenous rights and lands against extractive industries in the Amazon. She won a case against the Ecuadorian government in 2019, protecting half a million acres of Waorani ancestral land in the Amazon rainforest from oil drilling. It set a landmark legal precedent to protect a further seven million acres from planned oil auctions.

Nemonte co-wrote her first book with her husband Mitch Anderson. Published in June, We Will Not Be Saved, is a memoir of hope and resistance about the Amazon rainforest.

For her work, she has become the first Indigenous woman to be included on the Time 100 list, and she was one of six environmental leaders to be awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize . In 2020, the United Nations Environment Programme awarded her its Champions of the Earth award in the category Inspiration and Action.

8. Nurul Sarifah and Dayeon Lee

Korean pop music (K-pop) and climate activism may not seem the most natural of pairings. Yet after meeting online through a young environmental leaders group and realising they shared a love for K-pop, Nurul Sarifah and Dayeon Lee brought their two passions together to create Kpop4Planet in 2021. With their unique bridge between the two worlds, the pair can tap into the likes of the 75 million followers of K-pop’s biggest band, BTS, while the hashtag “Kpop” has more than 134 million tags on Instagram.

Within the community, the duo can speak to K-pop fans globally, informing and educating millions of young people around the world about the climate crisis while also mobilising them to take action . They use slogans such as “There’s no K-pop on a dead planet” to drive the severity of the issue home to this niche, but increasingly large, group of people.

9. Raoni Metuktire

Raoni Metuktire, the chief of Brazil’s Kayapo tribe, is now 92 years old, and has spent decades fighting for the Amazon. In the late 1980s, he campaigned with pop star Sting and his wife Trudie Styler to prevent hydroelectric dams being built on the Xingu River, a major tributary of the Amazon.

Though the campaign was a huge success at the time, and Metuktire has been referred to as the most effective protector of the Amazon, the threat has since resurfaced, on an increased scale. Now, an estimated 60 hydroelectric dams are planned for construction along the Amazon, including at least six on the Xingu.

Even a decade ago, as reported by The Independent , Metuktire said the developed world was intent on “destroying everything” and urged its citizens to fundamentally change the way they think. Growing up following a nomadic lifestyle in the Amazon, he did not encounter the outside world until he was 22.

10. Rise St. James

This Louisiana-based climate justice group is led by Sharon Lavinge, and they’re fighting against what has come to be known as “Cancer Alley”, an 85-mile stretch of the Mississippi River home to more than 200 petrochemical plants and refineries, which cause extreme pollution. Black communities bear the brunt of the ill-effects from these plants and refineries, a striking example of environmental racism.

In 2022, the group campaigned to prevent construction of a plastics manufacturing complex. Costing $9.4bn (£7.4bn) and made up of 10 plants covering 2,400 acres, it would have been the US’s largest petrochemical complex. The group argued there were already too many chemical plants in the area, and they won.

In January of this year, however, the decision was overturned after a Louisiana court upheld the air permits for the petrochemical complex, meaning construction can go ahead. Despite this setback, Rise St. James have vowed to continue their fight.

11. Roger Hallam and Dr Gail Bradbrook

The co-founders of campaign group Extinction Rebellion (XR), Roger Hallam and Dr Gail Bradbrook started their movement in 2018. There are now more than 1,000 XR groups globally, and it has reshaped environmental activism.

Hallam is a farmer-turned-activist while Bradbrook is a psychoanalyst. They organise peaceful but often disruptive protests demanding urgent, meaningful action from governments. They achieved this in 2019 when their efforts led to UK parliament finally declaring a climate emergency . But in recent years, public support for XR has wavered when more extreme tactics are deployed.

Hallam, who is also a founder of the activist groups Just Stop Oil and Insulate Britain, was imprisoned for five years in July after being found guilty of disruption on the M25 as part of a protest during which five members of the group climbed onto gantries over the motorway. They are thought to be the longest sentences ever given for peaceful protest, yet the movement remains undeterred.

In a piece Bradbrook recently wrote for The Independent ’s Climate 100 series , she said: “Simple, human-made rules – such as corporate laws that prioritise shareholders’ profits over life and wellbeing… have built an economy that is dominated by psychopathic actors (banks, oil companies, billionaires, corporations peddling false solutions) that are prepared to see the world burn and unravel just so their obscene profits can keep rolling in.”

12. Wawa Gatheru

Kenyan-American climate activist Wawa Gatheru is the founder of Black Girl Environmentalist , which supports women of colour and gender expansive people. Its aim is to create a representative and inclusive climate movement, and is now one of the biggest Black youth-led climate organisations in the US, making her a powerful voice for underrepresented communities.

She was aware of the climate crisis while growing up, but came to the realisation that those most affected by it – people of colour – were generally not the same people making the decisions.

She saw that the narrative for people of colour was more likely to be “victim” than “problem solver”, and also recognised that women had even less of a voice. Black Girl Environmentalist’s aim is to champion Black women as the leaders they already are.

13. John Vaillant

Award-winning author and journalist John Vaillant isn’t your typical environmentalist. Instead of making impassioned speeches to get his point across, he harnesses his voice through his fiction and non-fiction writing, using storytelling as a powerful tool.

His bestselling books include The Golden Spruce and The Tiger , and his work highlights often overlooked consequences of human actions on the environment.

His most recent book, Fire Weather: The Making of a Beast , published last year, retells the story of Canada’s 2016 wildfire – nicknamed “the Beast” – which swept through Fort McMurray, Alberta, the hub of Canada’s oil industry. The book is a terrifying wake-up call on just how flammable the world is, and earned him a place as a Pulitzer Prize finalist.

14. Gisele Bündchen

The hugely successful model became an environmentalist after animal rights activists jumped onto a catwalk to protest against her collaboration with a fur brand in 2002. She used her leverage as the world’s highest-paid model (at the time) and refused to work with fur, setting an example for others.

Bündchen is a UN Environment Programme Goodwill Ambassador and uses the role to draw attention to the devastation of the Amazon rainforest in her native Brazil. She set up her Água Limpa project, which ensures Brazilian communities have access to clean water and helps restore the rainforest.

She uses her global audience (she has 22.9 million followers on Instagram alone) to encourage people to protect the Earth, calling it our “fundamental life support system”, which she sees as “our responsibility” to protect for generations to come.

When she turned 40 in July 2020, she marked the occasion by planting 40,000 trees . That number grew to 250,000 trees after her fans got involved.

4.5m followers on X

22.9m followers on Instagram

15. Arizona Muse

British-American model Arizona Muse is the founder of the charity Dirt , a non-profit organisation which aims to change the fashion industry by supporting regenerative methods.

After witnessing the fashion industry’s impacts, she speaks out about the hidden costs of fashion on the environment and communities, including ethical and sustainability-related problems associated with exploitation.

She has spent the past decade highlighting the importance of regenerative organic agriculture, especially for growing the raw materials needed to make our clothes.

Being recognised as one of the Independent’s Climate 100 is generating even more energy for me to pour into my work for the earth

16. Francis Kéré

Originally from Burkina Faso, Francis Kéré is a globally renowned architect focused on sustainability. It’s through his work in his resource-scarce home country that he has seen first hand the effects of the climate crisis.

Kéré combines modern architectural principles with traditional African techniques, resulting in work that is a powerful testament to the potential of architecture to drive positive change.

He was the first child in his village of Gando to go to school, which meant going to live with his uncle in the city. After completing his further education in Berlin, he built a school in his home village. In contrast to other school buildings in the area, Kéré’s school was made from mud bricks rather than concrete, better suiting the climate and allowing for ventilation.

He has launched the Rural Climate Adaptation Initiative, training builders across Africa in sustainable construction. This programme empowers communities to create climate-resilient infrastructure using local resources. Kéré was awarded the 2023 Aga Khan Award for Architecture , highlighting his impact on sustainable design in the Global South.

17. Jimena Suárez Ibarrola

A former lawyer from Mexico City, Jimena Suárez Ibarrola’s work focused on sustainable development and environmental justice until founding SENTIENT , her vegan leather handbag company, in 2020. Its name is a poignant nod to her stance of causing no harm to animals.

What sets her brand apart is that the vegan leather is not made from polyurethane, a plastic that is harmful to the environment. Instead she uses mirum, a high-quality, plant-based material that biodegrades and is free from plastic. Made from cork, charcoal, coconut husk, soybean oil and natural rubber, it emits 10 times less carbon than traditional chrome tanned leather.

Suárez Ibarrola also educates people against the myth that leather is a by-product of the meat industry - explaining that, in fact, animals are slaughtered solely for their skin for the fashion industry.

18. Kongjian Yu

Known for his groundbreaking work in ecological urbanism, Kongjian Yu is the founder of Turenscape, one of China’s leading visionary architecture and landscape companies , where his work has redefined the relationship between cities and nature.

Yu is most famous for his “sponge city” concept, which won him the 2023 Oberlander Prize and is cleverly designed to prevent flooding in cities. It is an example of taking inspiration from natural landscapes to help manage water in urban settings and prevent flooding and drought, linked to the climate crisis.

His concept works by integrating green spaces, such as wetlands, parks and permeable surfaces, into his designs to help cities absorb, store, and purify rainwater and reduce flooding, thus making them more resilient and improving residents’ quality of life.

19. Livia Giuggioli Firth

Livia Giuggioli Firth raises awareness on sustainability in the fashion industry. She is the founder of the Green Carpet Challenge, which began in 2010 and has brought sustainability to the forefront by encouraging celebrities and designers to choose eco-friendly materials and follow ethical practices on the red carpet, spotlighting the environmental costs of fast fashion.

Her 2015 documentary, The True Cost, highlights the hidden environmental and ethical toll of fast fashion, largely on women in the Global South. Through her activism, she has influenced major fashion brands to adopt more sustainable practices and sparked a movement towards greater transparency and accountability in the industry.

In August, she closed her longstanding consultancy business, Eco-Age, after 17 years. In an emotional Instagram reel , she said the business had been unable to financially recover after being “targeted by criminals”.

I know we are more than 100, 10,000, or one million working for a more socially and environmentally just world, and we must always keep that in mind. We are not the minority

20. Natsai Audrey Chieza

Fashion has a pollution problem, but the Zimbabwe-born Natsai Audrey Chieza found an unlikely solution within biology.

Most of the textile industry’s ecological damage happens near the end of the process at the dyeing stage, as it requires a huge amount of water and many chemicals used are petroleum-based. Chieza came across a solution in the pigment found in mould, which she harnessed to create a toxin-free dye, creating a groundbreaking alternative technique.

It’s just one achievement out of her design, research and development studio Faber Futures . Set up in 2018, it designs at the intersection of nature, tech, science and sustainability, using biology to address problems caused by the climate crisis. Her work not only reduces the environmental impact of textile production but also promotes a broader dialogue about the role of biology in sustainable design.

21. Olafur Eliasson

Icelandic-Danish visual artist Olafur Eliasson creates large-scale, innovative and immersive installations that pose questions about the climate crisis . They’re as much a form of activism as art, and a powerful presence at the intersection of creativity and activism.

His environmentally-conscious work explores the relationship between art, nature and sustainability, and he uses light, water and natural elements to create experiences that highlight environmental issues such as melting ice caps and drought in a dramatic way, making them conversation-starters.

His notable projects include Riverbed, which transformed Denmark’s Louisiana Museum of Modern Art into a biodiverse riverbed in 2014; the Weather Project at the Tate Modern in 2003, which looked like a giant sun taking up the entire turbine hall at the gallery; and Ice Watch, which involved placing huge chunks of melting ice in the shape of the numbers on a clock in Copenhagen’s City Hall Square.

His latest exhibition, which opened in Doha last October, is entitled The Curious Desert. It has 12 sites and uses the landscape to highlight the fragility of the natural environment.

22. Sabrina Dhowre Elba

Canadian model and actress Sabrina Dhowre Elba is a UN Goodwill Ambassador for the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), which supports millions of smallholder farmers on the frontlines of the climate crisis. Women and girls form the majority of this informal agriculture market, but have far less access to resources.

Speaking to The Independent in 2022 , Elba said: “Women and girls get the short end of the straw. They are always affected in a way that is disproportionate to men, and cultural issues in rural areas can make things even more difficult.”

In Africa and Asia, smallholder farmers produce 80 per cent of food consumed, yet only receive only 1.7 per cent of climate finance – at a time when producers are buckling under extreme impacts. The climate crisis has pushed the Horn of Africa into its most severe drought in 40 years.

At the UN climate summit, Cop27 , Elba joined calls for rich countries to make good on their promise of $100bn a year in climate finance for developing nations, and for half of that amount to be channelled into adaptation including for agriculture.

23. Stella McCartney

A name that’s been associated with sustainability long before it became a buzzword, Stella McCartney has used her status and following to speak out on environmental issues.

Inspired by her mother Linda, a noted vegetarian and animal rights activist, McCartney has become one of the most influential figures in sustainable fashion, refusing to use any kind of animal products, and encouraging the reuse and recycling of materials, as well as the reduction of waste.

She launched her fashion line in 2001 and has been committed to ethical and environmentally conscious practices since. She has recently gone on to champion regenerative farming practices in her supply chain and has expanded the use of bio-based materials.

7.4m followers on instagram

942.2k followers on X

24. Ajaita Shah

Ajaita Shah is the CEO and founder of Frontier Markets , a social commerce platform dedicated to helping rural women in villages across India become entrepreneurs while fighting climate change.

She has been cited by the World Economic Forum for her work, which seeks to connect up to 100 million rural households using smartphone technology by 2030. Shah was also named as one of the Fortune India 40 under 40 entrepreneurs to watch in 2022.

Frontier Markets, founded in 2011, benefits from Shah’s background in microfinance and gender inclusive business models, and provides safe energy sources to millions of women by replacing kerosene-based products. The company educates farmers, shop-owners, nonprofits and even local governments in how to substitute pollutive and toxic energy practices for clean ones.

25. Boris Gamazaychikov

Boris Gamazaychikov is senior manager of emissions reductions at Salesforce , where he is responsible for implementing clean energy strategies around the world to develop and grow the tech company’s massive data centre operations.

As research in AI and products such as ChatGPT grows, tech companies such as Salesforce, Google, Amazon and Microsoft are scouring the earth for new places to build data centres to accommodate soaring energy demand tied to the new technology.

“The short-term climate risk is that AI growth is going to prevent some of that energy transition,” said Gamazaychikov in an interview with Callaway Climate Insights earlier this year. “There’s a potential that AI growth may be the reason that we have to reopen a coal plant, or an oil refinery.”

The California-based executive’s goal is for Salesforce to cut its emissions in half by 2030, while also expanding its AI energy usage. The solution is finding places to tap into clean energy sources to develop the centres. Gamazaychikov also advocated breaking AI computing programs into smaller projects that will use less energy.

Among his accomplishments in the last year were creating and launching the Green Code initiative, including the Sustainability Guide for Salesforce technology.

26. Eva Zabey

Eva Zabey is the CEO of Business for Nature , a Geneva-based group of more than 100 organisations seeking to work with business and policy-makers on behalf of the environment. It ambitiously plans to achieve a nature-positive economy for all by 2030.

Before joining Business for Nature, Zabey was a senior member of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. As an ecologist, she has long been associated with work to reverse the loss of important natural systems, as well as biodiversity initiatives.

27. Jonathan Maxwell

The British investment banking entrepreneur Jonathan Maxwell created Sustainable Development Capital LLP almost 17 years ago to seek opportunities in the booming market for energy efficiency. Since then, it has been at the forefront of creating value from wasted heat and gas.

Maxwell notes that up to a third of global emissions are caused by the construction sector, from cement and steel to inefficient lighting and air conditioning systems. From steel mills in the US to olive presses in Spain, the company works with large commercial operations to find ways for them to save energy by reducing waste.

Last year, he published a book called The Edge: How Competition For Resources Is Pushing The World, And Its Climate, To The Brink – And What We Can Do About It . It covers how events of the past decade, such as frequent extreme weather, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and China’s economic evolution, have contributed to a battle for resources that in part has led to political fighting over whether to use more or less oil and gas.

28. Ben Goldsmith

Ben Goldsmith is a financier and environmentalist, inspired by his father, Sir James Goldsmith , who towards the end of his life was one of Europe’s most prominent founders of green causes along with his uncle, Teddy Goldsmith, a founder of the Green Party.

As the founder of the JMG Foundation, which funds campaigning and advocacy work, Goldsmith has supported numerous environmental causes, focusing on biodiversity, climate change, and sustainable agriculture. He has also played a key role in promoting rewilding, which encourages restoration of natural habitats and wildlife.

Following the tragic death of his daughter Iris in 2019, he wrote his first book, God Is An Octopus: Loss, Love and A Calling to Nature, which covers how he found solace in nature on his Somerset farm. He and his ex-wife, Kate Rothschild, set up the Iris Project, an environmental charity which provides grants and mentoring to young environmentalists.

29. Lisa Jackson

Some sustainability jobs are more high profile than others. For Lisa Jackson , being named the first Black administrator of the US Environmental Protection Agency, appointed by former president Barack Obama, was high profile enough.

But she then went to Apple where she currently holds the role of vice president of environment, policy and social initiatives. Among tech giants – which have massive emissions because of their data centres – Apple is among the most respected by climate watchers.

Earlier this year, the company said it had cut emissions and those of its vast supply chain by as much as 55 per cent since 2015, as part of its plan to be carbon neutral by 2030. Apple has reportedly leaned on its suppliers to use more clean energy in its businesses as part of its efforts.

A significant part of harmful carbon production comes from the manufacturing process, and Apple said late last year that it has cut the emissions in production of its new iPhones by up to 30 per cent by using different materials.

Jackson has been in environmental protection since the late 1980s. She was named head of environmental protection in New Jersey by former governor Jon Corzine in 2006, and two years later was nominated by Obama to the Environmental Protection Agency, where she served from 2009 to 2013.

30. Satya Nadella

Satya Nadella is chairman and CEO of Microsoft, one of the tech giants most associated with climate and environmental ambition, but also with destructive greenhouse gas emissions tied to its growing AI goals.

Nadella was one of the first tech leaders to establish a target for going carbon negative by 2030 - withdrawing more harmful carbon from the atmosphere than it’s putting in.

In July, Microsoft signed what was billed as the largest carbon removal deal yet, agreeing to purchase eight million tonnes of carbon removal credits from a unit of BTG Pactual, a Latin American investment bank.

But Microsoft’s growing demand for developing data centres to accommodate its AI research, and that of partners such as Open AI, have put Nadella’s plans in reverse. The company’s emissions rose 30 per cent last year because of the new data centres.

For Nadella, who was born and raised in India and has worked at Microsoft since 1992 before becoming CEO in 2014, working to make AI’s extraordinary demands for more electricity compatible with reducing the company’s carbon pollution will become a major part of his legacy.

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31. Scott Tew

Scott Tew knows better than anybody the opportunities – and risks – inherent in fighting climate change. Tew is managing director of the Center for Energy Efficiency and Sustainability at Trane Technologies, one of the world’s largest industrial cooling and heating companies.

In a world in which record temperatures are being set every month, there is arguably no better position to be in than working at an air conditioning company. Tew is one of the environmental, social and governance (ESG) world’s most prominent corporate innovators, drawing large audiences when he discusses how companies need to develop sustainability cultures.

Trane is based in North Carolina but domiciled in Ireland, and its stock is among the best performers on Wall Street of any clean tech stocks of the last few years. With 15 per cent of emissions coming from inefficient heating and cooling systems, and another 10 per cent from food transportation, Tew and Trane are in a strong position to influence how the world reacts to global warming, and how companies can prepare.

32. Stefania Di Bartolomeo

Stefania Di Bartolomeo is the founder of Physis Investments , a Boston-based asset manager with an all-woman executive team dedicated to making investing in the fight against climate change profitable and transparent.

A Harvard graduate who grew up in Italy, she became focused on sustainable finance in her early 20s after taking a call from an investor asking how her money, specifically, was making a difference.

Di Bartolomeo conceived a software portfolio package that would show investors not just how much money they were making or losing on a stock, but also how that company uses money on things like water security, energy efficiency, corporate philanthropy, or to increase the number of women in its senior management ranks.

Physis, a fintech company whose name is Greek for nature or law of nature, is dedicated to advocating the position that there are important metrics to investing in companies beyond just profit and loss.

“If I talk to people about alpha or beta they don’t understand, but if I tell them we’re using their money to empower women to get management jobs in Europe, that’s something they can understand,” Di Bartolomeo once said.

33. Yvon Chouinard

Yvon Chouinard is one of the most influential businessmen in the climate world. A rock climber, environmentalist and philanthropist, he became a billionaire after founding Patagonia , the California-based maker of outdoor recreation clothing in 1973.

In 2022, Chouinard stunned both the environmental and corporate worlds by donating all of Patagonia’s investing stock (while keeping control of its voting stock) to a trust to ensure that future profits are used to address the climate crisis.

In the 1950s and 1960s, Chouinard was a well-known mountain and ice climber in Europe and the US, and started out making steel pitons (spikes) for climbing. In the 1970s, when he learned that the steel pitons were cracking the rock faces in Yosemite National Park, he changed the material to aluminium and in the process invented what is now called “clean climbing”.

34. Randy Durband

Randy Durband is the CEO of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), a non-governmental organisation created by the United Nations almost 20 years ago to help reduce the environmental impact of tourism while boosting travel opportunities as a way to benefit people.

As tourism expands post-Covid and travellers demand more and more immersive experiences, the potential to harm specific environments and cultures grows. Several cities in Europe rebelled against tourists this past summer, including Barcelona, for crowding their streets and polluting.

Durband and GSTC particularly work with hotels to hold them to guidelines for waste management, emissions and environmental practices. A year ago, GSTC partnered with BCD Travel China and Colorful Earth to develop a “Sustainable Business Travel Strategy Guide” targeted at corporate travel clients and sustainability professionals.

35. Lauren Uppink Calderwood

Head of Aviation, Travel and Tourism at the World Economic Forum (WEF), Lauren Uppink Calderwood is a leading voice for innovative technologies that can reduce carbon emissions in the booming travel industry.

She acknowledges the aviation industry’s pollution problem but says ignoring the progress that’s been made to decarbonise only hinders further positive action. “We cannot afford to be paralysed by climate pessimism but must rather accelerate action,” she said in June last year.

Uppink Calderwood led WEF’s 2021 “Clean Skies For Tomorrow” coalition of 60 major companies who pledged to replace 10 per cent of global jet fuel supply with sustainable aviation fuel by 2030. Though the aviation industry still has a long way to go in terms of scaling this up, it’s a positive starting point and Calderwood is looking towards a future of carbon-neutral flying.

36. Alia Bhatt

Bollywood star Alia Bhatt has long been active in raising awareness on environmental issues, which is why she was drawn to work on the Amazon Prime TV series Poacher . Airing in India last year, the show enabled her to combine her work with her dedication to protecting endangered species, recognising the power of film and TV as tools for conveying environmental messages.

Instead of acting in the show, Bhatt was an executive producer. In the crime drama, forest officials try to uncover a poaching ring, addressing the critical issue of the illegal wildlife trade which affects the delicate balance of ecosystems and biodiversity.

Aside from her acting career, in 2021 she launched her eco-conscious initiative Coexist , which focuses on both animal welfare and the importance of ecological conservation.

21.6m followers on X

85.2m followers on Instagram

37. David Byrne

Everyone needs a little extra cheer every now and then, especially online, which is what legendary musician and former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne had in mind in 2018 when he created nonprofit news magazine, Reasons To Be Cheerful .

“The negativity bias is a big deal. We’ve evolved as a species, as most animals do, to be aware of negative things in the environment around us and to be attracted to those more than we would be to things that are good,” Byrne told George Washington University last year.

The online platform has a growing audience for its evidence-based, positive news items and stories covering solutions to the climate crisis, nature loss, homelessness and mental health issues to name a few.

38. Don Cheadle

Actor and Goodwill United Nations Ambassador Don Cheadle has previously asked “what is more important than food and clean air?” Such a simple sentence, which gets to the crux of what we’re fighting for, serves as a simple reminder of the key issues at stake.

He was one of the founders of the Not On Our Watch Project in 2008 which has since merged with The Sentry organisation, involving other celebrities like George Clooney, Matt Damon and Brad Pitt. The organisation urges leaders to protect vulnerable, marginalised and displaced communities, such those in Darfur in Sudan. For this work, he and Clooney were awarded the Summit Peace Award.

Cheadle also worked with actor Harrison Ford to create Years of Living Dangerously , a documentary TV series tackling climate issues.

39. Gretchen Bleiler

While travelling the world for snowboarding competitions, Olympian Gretchen Bleiler has witnessed first-hand what impact climate change is having on winter and the sport she loves.

She sits on the board Protect Our Winters (POW), an organisation that raises awareness about the environmental threats facing mountain ecosystems, and encourages the winter sports community to take action.

40. Jane Fonda

Activism has long been an important part of life for Jane Fonda . From her days of anti-Vietnam war campaigning in the 1960s, the 86-year-old actor now channels her energy into climate activism.

Fonda has been arrested five times for civil disobedience while marching and protesting in recent years. In 2019, Fonda launched Fire Drill Fridays alongside Greenpeace, a series of weekly protests in Washington DC to urge political leaders to take stronger action on climate change.

These protests, inspired by Greta Thunberg, have managed to galvanise public support. They have since expanded into virtual events that educate people about climate justice, sustainability, and environmental policy.

She also founded the Jane Fonda Climate political action committee, which raises money to defeat the fossil fuel industry’s influence on US politics and elect climate champions across government.

41. Leonardo DiCaprio

Leonardo DiCaprio started his eponymous foundation in 1998, having been inspired by watching nature documentaries as a child. Since then, the foundation has funded over 200 projects across more than 50 countries, protecting endangered species, restoring ecosystems, providing clean water and funding renewable energy.

DiCaprio is a UN Messenger of Peace for Climate Change and has had the most impact reaching audiences through hard-hitting documentaries he has produced, including Before the Flood (2016) and Ice on Fire (2019).

Most recently he narrated the climate documentary, Carbon , and in 2021 he starred alongside Jennifer Lawrence in Don’t Look Up , a film about an asteroid on track to destroy the earth, and a thinly-veiled analogy for the climate crisis.

In the past year, he has backed a campaign calling for Scotland to become the first “Rewilding Nation” in the world.

18.8m followers on X

61m followers on Instagram

42. Lewis Pugh

British-South African former maritime lawyer Lewis Pugh is an endurance swimmer and prominent speaker on the devastating problem of plastic pollution and the effects of the climate crisis on our rivers and oceans.

He plans long-distance swims in some of the planet’s most vulnerable and challenging waters – including the Arctic and Antarctic – to highlight the importance of marine conservation. In 2022, he swam 100 miles across the Red Sea to underline the impact of climate change on fragile coral reefs.

Last year, he swam all 315 miles of the Hudson River and wrote an opinion piece about it for The Independent to highlight the importance of clean rivers. He also became the first person to swim the full length of the River Thames in 2006.

He is a United Nations Patron of the Oceans, and part of the 30x30 campaign, which aims to protect 30 per cent of the world’s oceans by 2030. His work, and epic swims, are inspiring global efforts to safeguard marine ecosystems.

43. Mark Ruffalo

The anti-fracking movement’s most famous face, actor Mark Ruffalo has been an environmentalist for years, and uses the term “fractivists” to describe this particular branch of activism.

He is often found among other celebrities campaigning on environmental issues. In 2016 he, Colin Firth and the late Vivienne Westwood wrote an open letter to then prime minister David Cameron to oppose fracking. In 2013, he co-founded The Solutions Project , an organisation committed to promoting 100 per cent renewable energy.

His environmental ethos can be found in his on-screen work too. In 2020, he starred in and produced Dark Waters , which is based on a true story. He plays Robert Bilott, who left his job as a corporate lawyer to become an environmental activist campaigning to stop a chemical company knowingly using harmful toxins in its products.

In February, Ruffalo worked with politicians in New York to try to ban a new type of fracking, following up on a successful campaign to ban the drilling practice in the state in 2014. The new variety swaps the use of water for pressurised carbon dioxide to get at methane trapped in shale. Fracking companies say this is a carbon-neutral fuel operation, but “fractivists” disagree.

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20m followers on Instagram

A British singer and an Amazonian tribal chief may seem unlikely friends, but environmentalism brought Sting and Chief Raoni Metuktire (also included in this list) of the Brazilian Kayapo tribe together.

After Metuktire asked for his help in protecting their Indigenous land and people, Sting, along with his wife Trudie Styler, founded the Rainforest Foundation Fund , a charity dedicated to raising awareness of deforestation and the rights of Indigenous people. For nearly four decades, the fund has donated to projects that have saved 28 million acres in 20 different rainforest countries.

In 2021, Sting repurposed his song, Message in a Bottle , into a powerful call for action on climate change aimed at world leaders attending Cop26 , urging them to “do something now” for the planet.

45. King Charles III and Prince William

Since he was a young man, King Charles III has been a green champion, long before sustainability became the buzzword it is today. It’s a trait that appears to have been passed down to his son and heir, Prince William, who has picked up the baton and launched his own initiative to tackle the climate crisis.

The king was head of the Duchy Estate for seven decades (a role now passed to Prince William), and he has been a tireless champion of organic food and agriculture.

For his unwavering focus on green issues, Tony Juniper, chair of Natural England and former director of Friends of the Earth, praised the king as “possibly the most significant environmentalist in history” . It is something that he has continued since ascending to the throne, installing the first solar panels on Windsor Castle and using biofuel in royal cars as he strives to reach net zero within the palace walls.

Prince William, who has followed in the footsteps of his environmentalist father and philanthropist mother, used his speech at the celebrations for the Queen’s platinum jubilee in 2022 to talk publicly about climate change.

Although we have “increased our awareness of the impact humans have on our world, our planet has become more fragile”, he said, and “the pressing need to protect and restore our planet has never been more urgent”.

The Prince of Wales’ flagship initiative is the Earthshot Prize , launched four years ago. It supports young innovators from around the world in their ambitious attempts to solve our biggest environmental problems, from ocean pollution to poor air quality, by awarding five winners with £1m each.

46. Pharrell Williams

Alongside his successful music career, Pharrell Williams has been talking about the climate crisis for years. In 2015, he spoke to the UN General Assembly on the subject, urging gathered leaders to move beyond talk to action.

That same year he and former US vice president and Noble Peace Prize winner, Al Gore, launched Live Earth, a series of concerts to raise awareness on the climate crisis. The unlikely duo hosted concerts on all seven continents with over 100 artists.

Williams is also the creative director of Bionic Yarn, a fashion company which uses recycled ocean plastic as clothing fibres. Though it works positively to take plastics from the ocean, polyester clothing comes with its own issues as it releases microplastics every time it is washed.

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15m followers on Instagram

47. Dr Geoffrey Hawtin and Dr Cary Fowl

The winners of 2024’s World Food Prize , Dr Geoffrey Hawtin and Dr Cary Fowl were awarded the honour for their work in safeguarding seeds.

Together they’re renowned as the fathers of the Global Seed Vault , having played key roles in establishing it. Today it holds 1.25 million seed samples of more than 6,000 plant species in an underground facility in the Arctic Circle.

The globally-respected agricultural scientists have worked towards the preservation of global crop diversity, crucial for food security.

With a career spanning decades, Hawtin has been instrumental in ensuring the sustainability of global food systems, while Fowler has championed the conservation of plant genetic resources.

48. Marcus Samuelsson

Award-winning chef Marcus Samuelsson owns a number of restaurants across the US and was the youngest chef to receive a three-star rating from the New York Times at just 24. He was born in Ethiopia, but his mother died of tuberculosis when he was young during the early years of the country’s civil war. He was adopted in Gothenburg, Sweden, and later moved to the US.

His 2006 cookbook The Soul of a New Cuisine , based on Ethiopian food, won the James Beard Foundation’s Best International Cookbook award and helped reshape American cuisine.

Recognising the climate crisis and conflict have caused world hunger to rise, Samuelsson and his wife Maya Gate Haile started the Three Goats Organization, which supports Ethiopian families by providing access to food and water during floods, heatwaves and other climate-induced disasters.

Samuelsson has since gone on to become an investor and advisor for Aleph Farms , a company pioneering cultivated meat: a more sustainable alternative to traditional meat production. In his own restaurants, he doesn’t use palm oil, champions urban farms and sources local produce while reducing food waste.

49. Ethan Brown

Ethan Brown is the founder, president and CEO of Beyond Meat. With the aim of creating a meat-free burger that looks, tastes and behaves in the same way as its meaty counterparts, Beyond Meat’s burgers stormed the market in 2016.

The burger is designed to help reduce carbon emissions from beef farming, and its USP made it the world’s first “bleeding” vegan burger. Looking like any other juicy patty with the help of beetroot and pomegranate juice, it totally changed the face of the meat-alternative market.

Made from proteins such as pea, brown rice, mung bean and faba bean, it was a revolutionary product created at the height of the “Veganuary” movement, when people challenged themselves to eat a vegan diet for a month, and hopefully beyond that.

After entering the stock market in 2019, the company’s name changed to BYND and it has gone on to make meat-free sausages, jerky, nuggets and even fillet and mince. Though the company has since struggled to make a profit in the US (in part due to Covid) in the past year, it has been gaining momentum in Europe and is focusing on achieving price parity with actual meat products, as well as cutting its saturated fat by 60 per cent .

50. Nidhi Pant

Combating food waste, rural poverty and gender inequality – three of the Indian farming community’s biggest issues – is S4S Technologies , which was co-founded in 2013 by Nidhi Pant and six university friends.

It creates pioneering solar-powered dehydrators, which are used to prevent food waste. By drying food out without using electricity, it enables rural smallholder farmers to financially benefit from being able to sell their entire crop. Previously around 30 per cent could be lost due to bad weather, being misshapen or market price fluctuations. It’s a life-changing move for rural farmers living in poverty.

Since it began, S4S Technologies has helped provide sustainable incomes for around 300,000 rural farming women, vastly improving gender inequality in the process.

Pant was awarded the Earthshot Prize in 2023 by Prince William. Using the funding, the team wants to have reached three million smallholders, and aims to have removed 10 million tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere by next year.

51. Sean Sherman

Chef Sean Sherman, a member of the Oglala Lakota Sioux tribe, was inspired to preserve his own heritage by the time he spent in Mexico with the Indigenous Huichol people.

That led to him founding The Sioux Chef company, which promotes food sovereignty by championing and educating others on Indigenous cultures and the importance of their environmental stewardship.

His ethos is to source local, wild and heirloom ingredients and follow the sustainable practices that Indigenous communities have used for generations, which are far less taxing on the environment than many modern approaches.

In 2021 Sherman and restaurateur Dana Thompson founded the restaurant Owamni (which translates to the place of falling, swirling water) in Minneapolis. The following year, it won the James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant.

It is mostly staffed by Indigenous people and serves Indigenous dishes without ingredients introduced by Europeans, such as butter, black pepper and sugar. Since 2023 it has been run as a non-profit. For his work, Sherman won the prestigious Julia Child Award in 2023.

52. Al Gore

After leaving public office as US vice president in 2001, Nobel laureate Al Gore has become one of the best known leaders in the climate fight.

He founded the Climate Reality Project in 2005, which has trained more than 3.5 million people worldwide, empowering them to devise climate solutions for their communities. The following year, Gore’s documentary An Inconvenient Truth brought the realities of climate change to the fore and sparked a global conversation.

Last year, he directly named the fossil fuel industry as a core perpetrator in creating and perpetuating the global climate crisis. The “fossil fuel industry speaks with forked tongue” as he memorably said at NYC Climate Week 2023, over oil and gas companies’ deceptive tactics.

Gore has never shied away from controversial remarks in the name of climate progress. Last year, he condemned the United Nations, saying it had gone “too far” in naming Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, head of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, as president of the Cop28 climate summit in the United Arab Emirates.

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53. António Guterres

For the past five years, under the leadership of Secretary General António Guterres , the United Nations has intensified efforts to push for ambitious climate action, urging countries to meet and exceed the goals of 2015’s legally-binding Paris Agreement .

Guterres frames the climate crisis as the defining issue of our time, championing the need to transition to renewable energy, reduce carbon emissions and protect vulnerable communities.

At Cop28 in Dubai this past December, he kept up the pressure to make the event ambitious, despite heavy criticism of the choice of the oil-heavy UAE as host. The summit ended with a historic deal which acknowledged for the first time the need to start transitioning away from all oil, coal and gas this decade, with a view to reaching net zero by 2050. (The world currently is far off course from this target.)

Guterres continues to push for global net-zero by 2050 , though he now thinks richer nations should aim for 2040 , and calls for greater international cooperation to address biodiversity loss and environmental degradation.

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54. Mary Robinson

After serving as Ireland’s first female president, Mary Robinson , a lifelong champion of human rights, has established her own climate group, Project Dandelion , which pushes for women to be prioritised within the climate crisis response.

As well as advocating for women, she also emphasises the need for inclusive solutions that properly serve the needs of marginalised communities. For her work, she has become one of the most highly respected people in the climate conversation.

Last year, Project Dandelion launched a short film, We Are Dandelions , in which Robinson features alongside other influential women in the movement. It premiered at the virtual Unite for Climate Solutions: A Women-Led Summit event, ahead of Cop28 .

In an interview with The Independent last year , she explained that she thinks the US, which is responsible for the largest share of historic greenhouse gas emissions , could do more in the fight against the climate crisis.

“They are not good on climate finance to help developing countries because they have such a divided Congress,” she said. “It’s such a politicised issue here in the United States.” She added the US is also “not good” at reducing emissions, in light of the Biden administration creating new opportunities for fossil fuel development.

55. Bill Gates

Though best known for founding Microsoft and his philanthropy through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation , Bill Gates is pouring a significant amount of his time and wealth into tackling the climate crisis. He founded the investment firm Breakthrough Energy in 2015, which backs tech companies focused on climate solutions.

His approach to net zero is grounded in his tech world background. He said in an interview with Fortune last year that “planting trees will not solve the climate problem” and added that “doing climate policy by brute force will not work either”.

He believes the answer is to “invest in new technologies for carbon removal, clean energy, and electric vehicles and to implement policies like carbon taxes that could fund future green technologies”.

In his 2021 book, How to Avoid a Climate Disaster , he outlined a comprehensive plan for reaching net-zero emissions, emphasising the importance of global cooperation and innovation.

Earlier this year while speaking at the Breakthrough Energy summit, Gates voiced concerns that political backlash against green policies in developed countries could hamper the climate fight.

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56. Brian O’Donnell

Within the wider conversation about the climate crisis, nature can often be forgotten. But in 2023, Brian O’Donnell, director of the Campaign for Nature , launched the Nature Positive Initiative - a coalition of 27 of the world’s largest conservation organisations, institutes, business and finance firms - with the aim of delivering nature-positive outcomes.

“Nature positive by 2030” refers to halting and even reversing biodiversity loss by 2030.

O’Donnell said: “With nature facing immense challenges, a united global effort to halt and reverse biodiversity loss is essential. The Nature Positive Initiative provides a platform to converge in support of an overarching goal for nature, one that offers a hope for a better future for life on earth.”

57. Darren Walker

As president of the Ford Foundation , an investment fund that supports social justice philanthropy, Darren Walker is responsible for overseeing an endowment of $16bn (£12bn). It is one of the US’s largest private foundations and he is credited with redirecting its approach in grant-giving towards addressing inequality and social justice.

In October 2021, Walker moved the Ford Foundation away from investments in fossil fuels and towards opportunities in renewables. Since then, the foundation has directed significant resources towards environmental initiatives, supporting renewable energy solutions and climate-resilient communities.

Recently, the foundation announced the 26th class of Ford Global Fellows, a diverse group of people tackling the climate crisis and environmental injustice head-on with the support of the programme.

After 11 years at the helm, Walker recently announced he will be leaving the role in 2025.

58. Helen Clarkson

Helen Clarkson’s career path hasn’t been conventional. After tackling humanitarian crises while working for Médecins Sans Frontières in countries including Sudan and Pakistan, she switched her focus to the planet’s wellbeing.

She’s now the CEO of The Climate Group , a non-profit driving businesses towards net-zero emissions, which also runs the annual Climate Week event, held every September in New York. Clarkson is responsible for taking Climate Week from its humble beginnings in 2009 as a panel discussion to the globally important, myriad of events it is now.

She advocates for systemic change, pushing for ambitious climate policies and fostering collaboration between businesses and governments. In 2022, she was awarded an OBE for services to environmentalism and supporting the UK’s presidency of Cop26.

59. Inger Andersen

Inger Andersen is a Danish economist who leads the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

Among her recent achievements is leading global negotiations on plastic pollution, which seem to moving towards an international legally binding deal to tackle a burgeoning global problem, both for the environment and public health.

“To stop plastic pollution, we need to start at the start and end at the end,” she said earlier this year. “This means crafting an instrument that ensures we use fewer virgin materials and less problematic plastic.

“That we design for circularity. That we use, reuse and recycle resources more efficiently. This is the instrument we need to protect human and ecosystem health – while ensuring a just transition and space for the private sector to thrive in a new sustainable economy.”

There is hope that a final, lasting deal may emerge from the UNEP meeting in South Korea this November.

60. Juan Carlos Jintiach

Juan Carlos Jintiach is a member of the Shuar People of the Ecuadorian Amazon. He has become a powerful voice among indigenous communities on the frontlines of deforestation.

As executive secretary of the Global Alliance of Territorial Communities (GATC), he represents 35 million people managing vast swathes of forests across 24 countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America, and believes Indigenous communities are the best stewards of their territories, having lived in harmony with nature for generations.

He is also a technical adviser to the Coordinator of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin (COICA), a major Amazonian Indigenous federation.

The GATC have created Shandia, which is a high-level platform that is dedicated to supporting Indigenous funds, as well as effective and sustainable funding, and ensuring accurate tracking of funds. For his work, last year he was shortlisted for the Nobel Peace Prize.

61. Lisbet Rausing

As heiress to Sweden’s Tetra-Pak business, a science historian, co-founder of philanthropic foundations Arcadia and the Lund Trust , and a landowner in Scotland, Lisbet Rausing has many strings to her bow. Collectively, they all play a part in her environmental work.

Rausing owns the 57,000-acre Corrour Estate in the Scottish Highlands, and since 2015 has worked on environmental projects including deer management, planting native woodlands, restoring peat bogs and reintroducing red squirrels.

This year, Corrour Estate joined Loch Abar Mòr , a nature preservation partnership that already included the National Trust for Scotland , Glenaladale Estate, The Woodland Trust, Glen Nevis Estate and the Nevis Landscape Partnership.

Together, they will restore a large part of the Lochaber area in the Highlands to make it more ecologically diverse and so more resilient to the effects of the climate crisis over the next 50 years.

Rausing is also vocal on championing women and wrote an impassioned piece for The Independent Women’s List 2023 .

62. MacKenzie Scott

An author and philanthropist, MacKenzie Scott is still perhaps best-known for who she used to be married to – Amazon billionaire, Jeff Bezos. But since 2019, she has emerged as a major force in environmental giving.

Scott has donated $15m (£12m) to Global Fishing Watch , an independent nonprofit that creates and shares data on the ocean to increase the transparency of fisheries and help improve marine resilience.

She has also donated $20m to Blue Ventures , which supports coastal communities and small-scale fishing operations.

Scott’s approach to funding is unique: her grants are “unrestricted”, which gives organisations more autonomy and helps empower grassroots groups living and working on the frontline of environmental issues.

63. Michael Bloomberg

Billionaire businessman Michael Bloomberg , former mayor of New York and founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies , has a two-pronged approach to fighting the climate crisis - policy advocacy and financial innovation.

During his 11 years as mayor he reduced the city’s carbon footprint by 13 per cent. Since leaving politics, he has continued to call for the phasing-out of coal power and through Bloomberg Philanthropies, created a $500m fund dedicated to closing coal plants and transitioning to cleaner energy sources.

He also advocates for sustainable finance with his initiatives promoting better climate risk disclosure by companies and encouraging greater private sector investment in clean technologies.

He was also the most generous charitable donor in the US last year , according to Chronicle of Philanthropy ’s top-50 list, which reported he donated $3bn to causes including the arts, education, environment and public health.

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64. Mithika Mwenda

Mithika Mwenda is the co-founder and executive director of the Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance ( PACJA ), a collection of more than 70 organisations not affiliated with the government that have come together to address problems around the climate crisis.

Mwenda has worked in the climate sector for a decade and has a strong influence over climate policy. He advocates for sustainable solutions that are specifically tailored to the needs of African countries rather than those of the Western world, while also ensuring Africa’s development.

Last year, the PACJA criticised the decision to appoint oil executive Sultan al-Jaber to lead Cop28, a move it called the “lowest moment” for the UN. Mwenda also said it was “hard to see al-Jaber leading objective, science-backed negotiations in the interest of the most vulnerable”.

In May this year, the PACJA hosted the UN Civil Society Conference in Kenya – the first time the event has been held there – as a precursor to the Summit of the Future at the UN in New York this month.

65. Dalton Tagelagi

Dalton Tagelagi is premier of the tiny Pacific island nation of Niue , home to just 1,700 people, and has come up with a revolutionary idea to help protect the island . His plan is essentially to attract sponsors for sections of the ocean that surrounds it, which is vital for the livelihoods of Niue’s inhabitants.

He launched the initiative in September last year, offering people and companies the chance to protect one square kilometre of water surrounding the island from the worsening threat of illegal fishing (which can deplete stocks for locals who rely on it) and plastic pollution for 20 years, by paying $148 (£114). It is a bold and ingenious move that he is hoping will inspire other nations to take similar action.

If all goes to plan, 127,000 sq km will be sold, raising more than $18m. The money will go towards improving the island’s resilience against climate impacts such as rising sea levels and more intense tropical storms.

66. Ed Miliband

The former leader of the Labour Party , Ed Miliband is the new UK government’s secretary of state for energy security and net zero – a key position in Sir Keir Starmer’s administration. The role is similar to the one he held 14 years ago when Labour was last in government under Gordon Brown, underlining Miliband’s commitment to the issue and his vast knowledge of it.

During his tenure as secretary of state for energy and climate change between 2008 and 2010, he played a pivotal role in shaping the UK’s Climate Change Act.

Just two days after he was appointed to the role again in July 2024, he lifted the offshore wind ban, then quickly increased the renewable energy budget to a record figure of more than £15bn . Of that, £1.1bn will be allocated to offshore wind, which is set to “accelerate the delivery of clean, cheap, low-carbon electricity to families”, according to the energy department’s statement. Miliband has set a precedent for enacting positive change in his time in the role so far.

67. Lee Hsien Loong

The former prime minister of Singapore, Lee Hsien Loong, left office in May after serving for 20 years, though he will stay on as a senior minister . During that time, he has been the driving force for the city-state’s large-scale climate adaptations.

Under his leadership, Singapore has advanced as a global leader in urban sustainability with initiatives such as the Singapore Green Plan 2030, which aims to reduce the country’s carbon footprint, promote clean energy and enhance urban biodiversity.

One of his greatest achievements is the innovation of NEWater, the city’s recycled water initiative, and the subsequent roll out of its plants for public use of the reused water, which has turned Singapore into a model example for urban water management.

He has also encouraged the development of more green spaces and the implementation of smart city technologies to improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions.

68. Sadiq Khan

London mayor Sadiq Khan, who secured a third term in May 2024, has been a powerhouse when it comes to fighting the climate crisis in the British capital. He has made significant strides in reducing the city’s carbon footprint, with a particular focus on tackling air pollution.

Khan’s most notable policy has also been his most controversial, but his re-election shows support for the Ulez (Ultra Low Emission Zone) scheme, while similar models have been adopted in other cities and areas of the UK.

In an opinion piece for The Independent ‘s Climate 100 series, he calls London’s air pollution the “gravest environmental threat to human health… with our poorest citizens and minority ethnic communities suffering the worst effects”.

He adds: “Since its introduction, the Ulez has proved to be one of the most effective public health and environmental initiatives established anywhere in the world and remains at the centre of our efforts to clean up London’s air.”

Under new Ulez rules, roadside nitrogen dioxide levels have been halved since 2016, pollution has been cut by over 20 per cent in outer London, and the capital’s “air quality is improving at a faster rate than the rest of England’s average,” he says.

My experience has taught me that sometimes you just need to find a way. Today, because of the policies we introduced, we are now on course to bring London’s air quality within legal limits next year – 184 years earlier than projected

69. Lord Deben (John Gummer)

Tory peer Lord Deben, also known as John Gummer, has been a steadfast advocate for environmentalism for decades. He served as Conservative Party chairman under Margaret Thatcher and as environment secretary in John Major’s government, but more recently he was the chair of the UK’s Climate Change Committee (CCC) between 2012 and 2023.

In this role he played a crucial part in shaping the nation’s climate policies and guiding the UK towards its goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.

Despite the CCC being the government’s own watchdog on climate, he has spoken out about worries the previous government would not meet its climate targets. In June last year he said they had been “too slow to act” .

As part of The Independent ‘s Climate 100 series, he writes that despite the crisis surging on, it is still within our collective power to mitigate its effects .

70. Marina Silva

Brazilian environment minister Marina Silva has dedicated most of her career to saving the Amazon rainforest.

As a native Amazonian from a rubber-tapper family, Silva is serving as environment minister for the second time, having also held the role from 2003 to 2008. Back then, she implemented policies that significantly reduced deforestation rates, and she is continuing that work now.

It was recently reported that deforestation is down to its lowest level since 2016 , a development that Silva has had a hand in. She believes protecting the Amazon rainforest, two thirds of which is in Brazil, is the key to staving off the worst effects of the climate crisis.

Silva is regarded as one of the most influential ministers in Brazil thanks to her work to rebuild the country’s capacity to halt rampant illegal deforestation in the Amazon. She has also been a staunch defender of Indigenous rights and biodiversity.

71. William Ruto

After serving as deputy president for nearly a decade, William Ruto has been president of Kenya since 2022. Under his leadership, Kenya has continued to expand its renewables sector, particularly in geothermal, wind, and solar power. Ruto has also emphasised the importance of reforestation and the protection of natural resources. He introduced an annual tree-planting holiday last November as part of his larger ambition for Kenya to plant 15 billion trees in 10 years.

He pledged to end the use of fossil fuels in Kenya’s electricity production by 2030 and has encouraged sustainable farming practices and water management. Last September, he hosted the first Africa Climate Summit in the capital, Nairobi, which ended in a joint declaration demanding that major polluters commit more resources to helping poorer nations.

However in June, huge riots took place during which the parliament building was set on fire, resulting in the loss of at least 40 lives. This came after Ruto’s controversial finance bill, which many Kenyans believed would be unaffordable, and was proposed following the restructuring of Kenya’s international debt earlier this year.

After the riots, many measures were dropped , but the proposed taxes on eco-measures, which included items such as disposable nappies, are being amended.

72. Mia Mottley

Mia Mottley is a woman of many firsts, including becoming the first female prime minister of Barbados in 2018, and also the first prime minister to serve after Barbados became a republic in November 2021. The following year, she announced her landmark Bridgetown Initiative , which proposes to entirely reform how global debt works.

The plan calls for wealthier nations to contribute far more financially to the global climate fight, as poorer nations are bearing the physical and financial brunt of the crisis, despite having contributed the least to it.

After floods, hurricanes or droughts, poorer nations struggle to financially rebuild due to their high debt rates. These can be as high as 12-14 per cent in poorer nations, compared to just 1-4 per cent for wealthier counties.

Mottley argues that if these high repayment interest rates are not paused or even cancelled – as was done for some countries after the Second World War – then they could be a death sentence for countries like hers.

73. Theresa May

The second woman to serve as the UK’s prime minister, Theresa May committed the country to a legally binding target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 , making the UK the first major economy to make such a commitment.

In 2018, the country was gripped by David Attenborough’s Blue Planet II , which showed the devastating effects of plastic pollution. That year, May introduced her landmark 25-Year Environment Plan, aimed at improving air and water quality and biodiversity, as well reducing plastic waste in the oceans and waterways.

She also instituted a UK ban on microbeads often found in toiletries, and extended the 5p charge for plastic bags from just supermarkets to all shops.

Since leaving office, May has dedicated herself to the eradication of modern slavery – a complex global human rights issue that is being exacerbated by the climate crisis.

74. Joe Biden

After his predecessor, Donald Trump, withdrew from the global Paris Agreement in 2017, US President Joe Biden marked his first day in office by rejoining the accord, setting the tone for his administration, and making it clear to the world that America was back in the climate fight.

Throughout his presidency, the US has reinvigorated international climate diplomacy, leading global efforts and promoting sustainable development.

On the domestic front, Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act, which has seen billions of dollars invested in renewables, electric vehicles and other green technologies, the largest investment in clean energy in US history.

Earlier this year, Biden ordered coal-fired power plants to use carbon removal technology to clean up their emissions entirely in 10 years or face closure. The order was the biggest climate initiative the president has attempted since passing the IRA.

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75. Zac Goldsmith

Zac Goldsmith says his lifelong commitment to environmentalism was inspired as a child by the naturalist Gerald Durrell’s books and David Attenborough’s documentaries, and he has been a vocal advocate for conservation, climate action and animal welfare throughout his career.

Goldsmith championed the UK’s landmark ban on ivory sales and led efforts to combat deforestation and protect endangered species. As an MP and now as a peer, he has pushed for stronger policies on air quality, plastic waste reduction and renewable energy.

He served as minister of state for climate, environment and energy for the Conservative government until resigning in June 2023, citing Rishi Sunak’s apathy towards environmentalism . He also previously labelled Boris Johnson’s government’s climate policy as “in effect, a lie”.

76. Dr Ye Tao

https://www.meer.org/our-directors/dr-ye-tao

After becoming increasingly aware of the climate emergency, Dr Ye Tao sacrificed his career at Harvard University to concentrate his efforts on finding climate solutions, and went to found Meer (Mirroring Earth’s Energy Rebalancing ).

He was the person nominated the most times by our readers, who described him as a “true unsung climate hero” for dedicating his work to some of the most pressing issues of our time.

Dr Ye has been in Sierra Leone since January, where he is working on the Cool Down Freetown Project , which is replacing roofs in Kroo Bay (a coastal part of Freetown, the country’s capital) with Meer’s roofs, which are made from thin reflective surfaces that can be built using recycled materials.

The design helps cool down rooms by reflecting light back before it has the chance to become heat: a life-changing innovation in the face of rising temperatures. As well as having designed them, he is often helping to fit them, too.

77. Wolfgang Blau

Wolfgang Blau began his career as a radio journalist and news editor in Germany before climbing the ranks at Condé Nast, and is now the managing partner of Brunswick’s global climate hub. Here he advises businesses and governments on climate issues, and is also an advisor for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Blau co-founded the Oxford Climate Journalism Network at Oxford University, which launched in 2022 and is designed for reporters and editors who already report on the climate crisis, or want to bring the issue to the forefront of their journalism. Every year, it trains around 250 journalists from the world’s top publications.

78. Ellen MacArthur

Best known for single-handedly circumnavigating the world in 2005, Ellen MacArthur, aged just 28 at the time, covered 27,354-miles in a trimaran boat. She broke the previous record by one day, eight hours, 35 minutes and 49 seconds, and was awarded a damehood.

She retired from sailing in 2010 and launched the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a charity that works with business, policymakers and academics to push for a closed-loop circular economy to eliminate waste and pollution from our oceans and land.

The idea is that waste is prevented by giving it value and a new life and thus keeping it out of landfill, benefiting the environment and people alike.

79. Hannah Ritchie

In a world of disinformation, fake news and images are becoming ever more prevalent. Data scientist and communicator Hannah Ritchie, head of research at Our World in Data , has made it her mission to debunk climate myths through the use of big data. She tackles some of the world’s biggest problems within environmentalism, from misinformation around EVs to food miles and heat pumps, among other subjects.

One reader’s nomination for Ritchie said: “Her evidence-based approach cuts through the climate culture wars like a knife through plant-based butter.”

Ritchie has given a TED Talk on whether we are the last generation on our planet or the first sustainable one. It’s a thought-provoking subject she has also turned into a book, which was published earlier this year and is titled: Not the End of the World: How We Can Be The First Generation To Build A Sustainable Planet.

80. Dale Vince

Climate campaigner and green industrialist Dale Vince has come up with a solution to the problem of how to run outdoor events without mains power, which uses more than 12 million litres of oil per year in the UK alone.

His Stroud-based green energy company Ecotricity, which he started at Glastonbury 30 years ago, has become a big business, selling green energy to consumers and pioneering the use of huge industrial batteries relying solely on wind power.

In August his company powered an outdoor Massive Attack gig in Bristol with 30,000 attendees, entirely without any diesel backup, the first time such a large event has been put on using this method.

Vince has been a climate campaigner for over 30 years and has never been afraid to call out big industrial farming for its contribution to the global crisis. His debut book, Manifesto , was published in 2020. It details his unwavering commitment to the environment, and discusses the road to a greener Britain. He also runs Forest Green Rovers, the world’s first carbon-neutral football club.

81. Ali Abbas

The fight to curb the plastic pollution epidemic had a eureka moment last year when Ali Abbas , an Australian chemical engineering professor, and his research team, found that two common moulds could break down plastics.

The two types of fungi – Aspergillus terreus and Engyodontium album – are found in plants and soil and can break down polypropylene when it is put under UV light. Polypropylene is used to make many common, difficult-to-recycle items such as takeaway containers, ice cream tubs and cling film.

Plans are in place to scale up the process within three to five years, and eventually it will be sped up too, so plastics can be completely broken down when exposed to UV rays in less than the current 140 days.

The process should be a helpful part of the solution to the problem of plastic pollution, but many plastics destined for recycling still end up in landfill, so it’s not a silver bullet. The main answer to the problem is still a drastically reduced reliance on virgin plastics.

82. David Attenborough

No one has been a greater force in raising awareness of the climate and environmental crises than Sir David Attenborough .

The British documentarian and naturalist is behind dozens of TV series, beaming unforgettable portraits of animals and plants in their natural habitats into the homes of millions around the world. His enthusiasm, love and respect for our uniquely diverse planet has inspired generations of scientists, academics, conservationists and activists.

Known as the “voice of nature”, Sir David is still working and broadcasting with his signature eloquence at the age of 98. He has presented from some of the world’s toughest environments, and at every opportunity, uses his platform to advocate for immediate action to combat environmental degradation.

He has also done this through TV programmes including Natural World , Wildlife on One and the Planet Earth series. The Blue Planet is regarded as having drawn attention to the global problem of plastic pollution. His latest series, Mammals , which aired in February, explores the threat human progress has posed to every other species on earth.

In a video message to mark World Environment Day 2020, he said: “Suddenly, saving our planet is within reach. We have a plan. We know what to do.

“Stop the damaging stuff, roll out the new green tech, stabilise the human population as low as we fairly can, keep hold of the natural wealth we have currently got, and we’ll have built a stable, healthy world that we can benefit from forever.

“We now have a choice to create a planet that we can all be proud of, our planet. The perfect home for ourselves and the rest of life on Earth.”

83. Dr Peter Davis and Dr Britney Schmidt

Polar oceanographer Dr Peter Davis and planetary scientist Dr Britney Schmidt have discovered an important understanding into how glaciers behave. With the help of a robot called Icefin, which they sent into a 600m deep borehole, they measured the melting ice under the Thwaites Glacier, part of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, also known as the “Doomsday” glacier. It’s one of the world’s fastest-changing glaciers, and at 74,000 square miles, it is nearly the size of Great Britain.

Though the melt rate across the ice base averaged two to five metres per year (less than previously thought) they found that parts of the bottom of the ice shelf are melting up to 10 times faster due to crevasses allowing heat to get to the ice much more quickly. That is weakening the shelf, and if it collapses, the sea level could rise by 65cm.

Schmidt said: “These new ways of observing the glacier allow us to understand that it’s not just how much melting is happening, but how and where it is happening that matters.”

84. Dr Dawn Wright

In 2022 the geographer, oceanographer and chief scientist of the Environmental Systems Research Institute ( Esri ), Dr Dawn Wright, became the first Black person to reach the deepest known part of the seabed , the bottom of Challenger Deep . Found in the western Pacific Ocean’s Mariana Trench , it is 10,971m below the surface.

The descent mapped the ocean floor to gain a more detailed understanding of our oceans and humanity’s impact on them. To date, barely one fifth of the seabed has been mapped in detail, but Wright has made it her mission to change that. She has written and contributed to some definitive literature on marine geographical information systems technology.

For her work on the deep waters, this year Wright has been selected to be part of the US Science Envoy Programme, which helps gather information to better understand the oceans. Made up of four distinguished scientists, the group is the first all-female cohort in the history of the programme.

85. Dr Ayana Elizabeth Johnson

Dr Ayana Elizabeth Johnson is a marine biologist and co-founder of the nonprofit Urban Ocean Lab , a think tank for policy on coastal cities. She’s long promoted ocean conservation and co-authored the Blue New Deal, a roadmap for including the ocean in climate policy.

She has also been involved with environmental policy, written books and articles on the subject, and co-hosted the podcast How To Save A Planet .

This year adding to her long history of climate work, she published her own book, What If We Get It Right? Visions of Climate Futures . The book is a collection of essays, poems and musings on potential climate futures by people working in areas ranging from farming to architecture, that offers hope, joy and new perspectives. It acknowledges the idea that there may be many different solutions to the climate emergency - not just one sole plan of action.

86. Fatih Birol

Fatih Birol is the executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), which helps countries to form energy policy. He is known for championing the transition to a sustainable, low-carbon future, and emphasising the need for urgent, coordinated global efforts to limit global warming to 1.5C.

Last year, he said the war in Gaza has proven that “oil and gas are no longer safe choices” , adding that the Middle East crisis could accelerate the move to clean energy.

Renewables grew rapidly in 2023 and Birol said earlier this year that renewable energy use will increase by 2.5 times by 2030, but that that would still fall short of the tripling that nations agreed at the Cop28 climate summit. He added that the goal is still reachable, though success hinges on increasing funds for clean energy in developing countries .

87. Jane Goodall

Dr Jane Goodall ’s name is synonymous with her groundbreaking work on the study of chimpanzees, which she began in 1960. She is a renowned conservationist and ethologist (scientific study of animals in their natural habitat), and at 90, she continues to show an unwavering commitment to conservation.

Through the Jane Goodall Institute , her work focuses on education and community conservation projects. In 1991, she set up Roots & Shoots, supporting young people to work on environmental, conservation, and humanitarian issues. In 2023, Goodall launched the Trees for Jane campaign, promoting tree planting and forest preservation worldwide.

Speaking to The Independent last year she said the world had squandered the opportunity that Covid had presented to open back up to nature and protect the environment, though she is still hopeful that the younger generation, who make up a large section of her supporters, will change things while there is still time.

At this year’s Glastonbury Festival, Goodall took to the Greenpeace stage to warn people that their pensions could be contributing to deforestation. She said: “I urge all pension providers out there to remove completely any projects involving deforestation from their portfolios and instead invest in projects that help to protect and restore the beautiful places of our planet for future generations.”

1.4m followers on X

88. Dr Kim Budil and team

For 70 years, scientists have attempted to replicate the energy process that powers the sun. In December 2022, a team in California finally managed to do it after 13 years of trying.

Fusion energy holds the promise of providing nearly limitless clean energy, and could revolutionise efforts to meet the world’s energy needs sustainably, changing the trajectory of the climate crisis .

Physicist Dr Kim Budil is the director of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory ( LLNL ) in California. She is the first woman to hold the position, and it was under her leadership that the team made their historic breakthrough in nuclear fusion.

Known as a “net energy gain” – producing more energy in a fusion reaction than was used to ignite it – the experiment delivered 2.05 megajoules (MJ) of energy to the target, resulting in 3.15 MJ of energy output.

Budil said that while “very significant hurdles” exist in the science and technology of reaching commercial nuclear fusion, it could happen in a “few” decades as opposed to the 60 or 70 years previously estimated.

89. Michael Mann

For Michael Mann , climate scientist, author and professor of climate science at the University of Pennsylvania, the problem of climate denial has been at the heart of a major libel case that has continued for 12 years.

In February of this year, Mann, who is also a member of the National Academy of Sciences, was awarded $1m (£760,000) in damages after winning a case against two writers who, in a blogpost for the libertarian think tank Competitive Enterprise Institute, compared Mann’s depictions of global warming to a convicted child molester, which Mann says damaged his reputation.

Mann first gained widespread attention for a graph first published in 1998 in the journal Nature that was dubbed the “hockey stick” for its dramatic illustration of the warming planet.

After the verdict was announced, Mann said: “it’s a good day for us, it’s a good day for science”. The case has become a symbol of upholding of scientific integrity in the face of disinformation.

90. Robert D. Bullard

Known as the father of environmental justice, Robert D. Bullard has campaigned and raised awareness on the connection between pollution and racism since the 1970s.

It led him to found the Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice , which advocates for policy changes that protect communities most impacted by pollution. He is a professor at Texas Southern University, and was appointed to the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council in 2021.

More recently, his focus has been on the Justice40 Initiative, which ensures 40 per cent of federal clean energy investments reach disadvantaged communities, a crucial step towards an equitable and truly sustainable future.

This year, he is working to help Shiloh, Alabama, a town facing environmental racism. The traditional flat land has been made into a bowl after widening of the nearby Highway 84, which has been causing repeated destructive flooding for the past six years.

91. Wanjira Mathai

For Kenyan environmentalist Wanjira Mathai, activism is in her blood. She is the daughter of Wangarĩ Maathai, an environmental and political activist who in 2004 became the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize, for her work in fighting deforestation and encouraging sustainable development.

Her mother set up the grassroots Green Belt Movement, which Mathai continues to work on today, which has enabled 51 million trees to be planted in Kenya since 1977, tackling deeply entrenched problems of deforestation.

She runs her own organisation, the World Resources Institute Africa , which supports female entrepreneurs and is a prominent voice at the UN on climate and justice in finance.

92. Lord (Nicholas) Stern

Lord Nicholas Stern is an economist, banker, academic and author of the landmark 2006 report The Economics of Climate Change: The Stern Review , which called on governments to act quickly not only for the environment, but also for the economy.

Last year, Stern criticised former PM Rishi Sunak’s government, saying Britain’s leadership on tackling climate change had “faded” . He has gone on to call for stronger political leadership to fight climate change.

Stern, alongside 14 other figures who were involved in the UN Cop26 climate summit in Glasgow, wrote a letter to Sunak to express their “deep concern for your government’s lackadaisical approach to international climate, nature, and environment issues”.

He also echoed worries expressed by others that the UK was no longer a leader in fighting climate change and urged Sunak to make a statement reaffirming how seriously his government was taking the climate emergency and mapping out their plan for the future.

93. Aliou Diallo

In 2012, a discovery was made in Bourakébougou in the West African nation of Mali. A businessman, Aliou Diallo, had funded tests of a water well in the small village which had been plugged in the late Eighties after it caught fire. The tests revealed that the borehole was releasing 98 per cent natural hydrogen.

Bourakébougou subsequently became the first place in the world to get its electricity from a source of natural hydrogen, which was run through a retrofitted Ford engine.

For the village, it was a game-changer, giving people lights in their homes and public spaces for the first time. Children did better in school as they were able to study into the evening.

Diallo, his daughter and their team went on to dig more wells. Their company, Hydroma, has now drilled some 30 wells in Mali and given the country a valuable source of clean energy.

Because of the political turmoil in Mali, progress hasn’t been as quick as Diallo’s team hoped, but the company, which is based in Montreal, plans to export the natural hydrogen to neighbouring countries in Africa as soon as possible.

94. Charlot Magayi

Charlot Magayi was raised in the Mukuru slums in Nairobi, and after becoming a mother at 16, she got a job selling charcoal. On seeing the effects of charcoal fumes on her village and both her and her daughter’s health, Magayi invented a clean stove in 2017 that uses biomass to cook, reducing pollution by as much as 90 per cent.

Magayi founded her company, Mukuru Stoves , and soon became a successful entrepreneur and climate activist. The company has sold more than 400,000 stoves as of last year, and Magayi has received numerous awards, including the Earthshot Prize in 2023.

She is currently building a 30,000 square foot clean energy campus in Kenya and working on other types of new fuels that can reduce pollution and fight disease.

95. Christoph Gebald

Christoph Gebald is a mechanical engineer who co-founded a company to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere , and launched what has become the hottest climate tech industry in the world, carbon removal and storage .

Gebald, from Germany, started Climeworks in Switzerland with Jan Wurzbacher in 2009 while the pair were doing their PhDs at ETH Zurich. The company, whose corporate offices are in Zurich, has quickly become a darling of the global investment community and one of the potential business saviours of the environment from the ravages of climate change.

In May of this year, Climeworks officially opened its Mammoth plant in Iceland, which has been in the works for two years. When it is fully up and running it is expected to remove up to 36,000 tonnes of carbon a year from the atmosphere. That’s 10 times more than the nearest competitor, of which there are several hundred, but it is still well short of the one billion tonnes that Gebald has set as a goal to help meet the world’s net zero goals.

96. Elon Musk

Elon Musk leads Tesla , the world’s first major electric vehicle company, earning him the reputation of a green billionaire.

For a while he was at the vanguard of the climate movement, funding a $100m global contest to remove carbon from the atmosphere, called the Xprize .

But as Musk’s politics have evolved, his green reputation began to nosedive.

During an interview last month on his social media platform X, with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, Musk claimed that “the risk is not as high as a lot of people say it is with respect to global warming”.

Musk has also backed establishing taxes on products that emit carbon into the atmosphere, an idea that has gone nowhere politically in the US. Earlier this year, in a post widely circulated on X, he said: “The only action needed to solve climate change is a carbon tax.”

Meanwhile, Tesla is struggling with new competition in the EV sector, and high costs.

198.4m followers on X

97. JB Straubel

As the fifth employee to join Tesla in early 2004, Jeffrey Brian Straubel was an early proponent of electric vehicles. For the next 15 years, he was chief technical officer as the company rose to dominate the early EV market in the US, Asia and Europe.

When he left his full time job in 2019 , he took his knowledge of EVs and EV batteries with him, launching Redwood Materials, a company dedicated to creating powerful new batteries from recycled lithium-ion batteries, with some other Tesla alumni.

In an industry that is more than 70 per cent dominated by Chinese batteries, Straubel and Redwood aim to swing the pendulum on the most important and expensive part of EVs back toward the US.

Redwood began producing the fine black powder that is known as cathode active material from used batteries at a new plant in western Nevada in March. Redwood investors believe it has the best shot of any American battery startup to change the game for EVs back in favour of US manufacturers.

98. Miranda Wang

The idea of a “ circular economy ” - in which plastic waste is recycled into materials that can be used again - has long been at the centre of climate discussions. Miranda Wang decided to do something about it while she was still in high school in Vancouver.

The result is Novoloop , a Silicon Valley technology company that transforms plastic waste into a variety of products including footwear, sporting goods and automotive products.

Wang and her co-founder, Jeanny Yao, started the company in 2015 after working on it while in college at the University of Pennsylvania. Earlier this year, the company reached a key milestone, announcing the construction of a pilot plant in India that will demonstrate just how much Novoloop can scale its technology into actual manufacturing.

99. Rob Niven

Among the most pollutive substances in the world after oil and gas is concrete, specifically the cement used to make it for construction of buildings around the world. In 2012, Rob Niven and his colleagues founded CarbonCure Technologies in Halifax, Nova Scotia to solve this growing climate change problem.

CarbonCure uses proprietary technologies to inject carbon dioxide captured from the process of making concrete directly into the concrete, where it is stored and poses no danger.

CarbonCure has become the largest and best known of dozens of new technology companies dedicated to making clean concrete, attracting investors such as Bill Gates ’ Breakthrough Ventures and Amazon’s Climate Pledge funds. In March, the company celebrated a milestone with its concrete partners around the world: the development of 50 million cubic yards (38 million cubic metres) of low carbon concrete, which it said would be enough to fill AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas about 13 times over.

100. Ted McKlveen, David Jaramillo and Bav Roy

Ted McKlveen, David Jaramillo and Bav Roy are the co-founders of Verne , a company that is developing low-cost hydrogen storage technology for use in trucks, aeroplanes and ships, which can revolutionise fuel and thus cut out huge amounts of pollution globally.

Typically, hydrogen is stored as a liquid or as compressed gas, which makes it expensive to store and transport. Heavy-duty transportation is very difficult to decarbonise with batteries that lack energy density.

Verne is aiming to store hydrogen in its cryo-compressed state, which offers higher-density storage at a much lower cost. This opens up the possibility of more applications for hydrogen fuel cells, helping to bring down global CO2 emissions. The team has already set world records for hydrogen storage and demonstrated the power of the technology in a short space of time.

Harvard will pay for a brand-new public dock on the Charles River, while keeping its own boathouses private

An agreement with the state will allow harvard to keep sections of riverfront to itself, but also make it easier for non-harvard boaters to get into the water.

A person rested on a bench near the Charles River Friday, across from Harvard's Newell Boathouse.

Environmental groups have long taken issue with some of the Charles River’s private boathouses, whose docks take up wide swaths of public riverfront but are in many cases off-limits to people who aren’t affiliated with them.

Now, in a move one key nonprofit has called a “win-win,” Harvard, which operates two of the historic buildings along the river’s edge, says it has agreed to pay for an improvement elsewhere on the water that will make it easier for the general public to access it — just not on the school’s property.

A new pact reached earlier this year, but announced last week, will see Harvard pay for the design, building, and maintenance of a 200-foot floating dock at Christian Herter Park in Brighton, a move advocates for public access to the Charles say will make it easier for everyday boaters, as well as high school rowing clubs, to enjoy the natural resource that flows between Boston and Cambridge — even as it allows Harvard to keep parts of the riverfront to itself.

That’s a trade that the Charles River Watershed Association said it supports whole-heartedly.

“We applaud Harvard and [the Department of Environmental Protection] for this terrific outcome,” Emily Norton, the nonprofit group’s executive director, said in a statement. “The public gets enhanced access to the Charles River, which is protected under Massachusetts’ Public Waterfront Act, and collegiate rowers and recreational boaters alike will be able to use and enjoy the river — a win-win.”

The announcement comes two years after Harvard sought permits to renovate the docks at its Weld and Newell boathouses, which are home to its men’s and women’s crew teams. Critics had pressed the state to hold up the permits unless Harvard’s plans included allowing visitors to use the wooden docks. They said the plans did not follow a part of state law that calls for public access to public waterfronts — including the Charles — for walking, fishing, and other activities.

Harvard at the time maintained that it needs to keep its boathouse docks private in order to protect valuable rowing equipment and to restrict access to spaces including student locker rooms. It also said there were safety concerns on the docks, as they are sloped at an angle meant to make it easier for student athletes to launch boats there, not for pedestrians to use for picnicking or taking a walk by the water.

At the same time, the university has welcomed the public to the land directly adjacent to the docks, much of which it spruced up with new landscaping as part of recent renovations.

After negotiations with the state, Harvard agreed to fund construction of the permanent dock in Brighton, which will float about a mile away from the Newell Boathouse. It will make a one-time payment of $60,000 to pay for maintenance of it over the next 30 years, officials said.

Harvard signed the agreement in January, and the state’s Department of Environmental Protection issued a license for the renovations in July, but the entities shared the news publicly only this month.

A statement from a university spokesperson said Harvard views the Charles as “an integral and iconic part of the Greater Boston landscape — providing the community with both recreation opportunities and a unique sense of place.” It said the university “is thrilled to enhance public access to this remarkable body of water.”

The dock had been a goal of the state Department of Conservation and Recreation, whose master plan for that section of the river sought to see new facilities built for area high school students, including the rowing clubs at Boston Latin and Brookline high schools.

Harvard officials aim for the dock to open in 2026. They would not say how much the project might cost, but the state agency in 2022 estimated that the price tag would be around $650,000.

“Access to our waterfront is critical for the well-being of our residents and families in our urban communities like Boston,” said DCR Commissioner Brian Arrigo. “This new dock that Harvard will build as part of this agreement will connect the public and high school kids to the Charles River, providing them with opportunities for recreation including boating, kayaking, and rowing.”

The commissioner of the state environmental protection agency, Bonnie Heiple, put it more simply: “Everyone has a right to access and enjoy the waterfront.”

A crew team Friday passed the site where a new public dock will be built at Christian Herter Park on the Charles River.

Spencer Buell can be reached at [email protected] . Follow him @SpencerBuell .

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COMMENTS

7 Best-Known Routes for Sailing Around the World (with Maps)
I'm talking about the coastal cruiser's dream of circling all the world's continents, whereby effectively circumnavigating the globe. Eventually. This is the longest route ever. The idea is pretty simple. You can go around the world sticking to the coast with no crossings, except for the Norwegian Sea and a few short stretches in Southeast Asia.
Sailing Around The World
There's something about sailing around the world that captures the imagination and inspires. For some, it's the reason for learning to sail in the first place. Others only start to think about global circumnavigation as their skills and experience grow. Regardless of what motivates you to circumnavigate, one thing remains true.
World Circumnavigation Routes for Sailboats
Year 3: French Polynesia to Fiji, store in Fiji. Year 4: Fiji to Australia, store in Australia. Year 5: Australia to South Africa, store in SA. Year 6: SA to the Caribbean. Of course, you'd see a lot less than you would on a 6-year circumnavigation like ours, but you get it done in a fraction of the cost and less risk.
10 Best Sailboats For Circumnavigation
The boat itself looks like a traditional circumnavigating sailor, but it's got a lot of modern features to offer. The ship itself is designed to be operated by a small crew of two people. Everything is about efficiency. For example, the ketch rig is designed to be simple yet highly effective. Even the sails are electrically controlled!
Can a Novice Sail Around the World?
The Reality of Circumnavigating as a Novice Sailor. Broken electronics. Howling, terrifying winds. Treacherous icebergs. Moldy bread, instant coffee, fruit-fly infested bananas, ramen noodles eight days straight. ... (details below), there are a variety of ways to circumnavigate the globe without being on the same boat with the same people ...
How To Sail Around The World (With Timeline and Examples)
There are 8 different ways to Sail around the world, Join a research vessel. Get on a friend's boat that is already out sailing. Date the owner of a boat. Get paid to work as a; Mechanic, Chef, or General helper. Use Your specialty skill to help the crew; online marketing, language teacher, musician, etc.
A Guide to Sailing Around the World
Contact me. +420 730 188 100 / [email protected]. Explore the freedom and beauty of sailing around the world with our expert guide. From selecting the right sailboat to navigating international waters and embracing diverse cultures at port calls, we cover everything you need for this life-changing voyage.
Sailing Around the World: an Essential Guide [Pdf]
Leisurely sailing around the world normally takes between 3 and 5 years. There are three kinds of speeds at which you can circumnavigate: Non-stop (100-200 days): racing without stopping anywhere. Express (1-2 years): taking breaks every now and then for short amounts of time. Recreational (3+ years): comfortable sailing, stopping often and for ...
World Sailing Circumnvaigation Summary
The longest passage on our circumnavigation was crossing the Pacific Ocean at 19 days and 3,142 nm. Our fastest passage was sailing to Australia when we averaged 7.76 knots over 4.7 days. Starry Horizons' optimum point of sail is about 90 degrees on the beam.
Circumnavigation: Alone Around the World— part 1
Circumnavigation: Alone Around the World— part 1. Jeff Hartjoy. Updated: Mar 31, 2024. Original: Dec 5, 2016. On July 28, 1999, my wife, Debbie, and I cut the dock lines on our Bob Perry-designed Baba 40 ketch, Sailors Run, at the Long Branch Marina in Washington's South Puget Sound, and sailed away to explore the world under sail: an ...
Circumnavigation: the latest world record attempts
The 61-year-old is hoping to go full throttle in November 2016, attempting to beat the current fastest-circumnavigation record of 60 days, 23 hours and 49 minutes. The 24,000-nautical-mile route will include refueling stops at 10 countries along the way. His 78-foot custom design would average 22.5 knots, carrying 35 tons of fuel with seven ...
Best boats for circumnavigation: Your ultimate guide
The idea of circumnavigating the globe, crossing vast oceans, and exploring diverse cultures is both thrilling and awe-inspiring. However, to turn this dream into a reality, choosing the right boat is of utmost importance. The importance of choosing the right boat. Your boat is not just a means of transportation; it's your home, your shelter ...
Around the world sailing record
From the first round-the-world yacht race (Sunday Times Golden Globe Race) in 1968, to November 2020, around 200 sailors tried their luck in a monohull and less than 100 managed to complete the course, mainly in the context of the Vendée Globe.[citation needed]Only 6 sailors achieved the Westward route facing the dominant winds and currents. [citation needed]
Owners' advice: Top tips for world circumnavigation
"A new boat is always going to have a lot of warranty work in the first 12 months until it gets into its own rhythm and the crew understand the boat. A year-old boat is actually a much better proposition," they advise. ... On Lenny Recanati's office desk sits an antique globe and a model of his 27 metre Jongert Vivid, which says it all ...
Szymon Kuczynski Solo and Non-Stop around the World
8,767 1 minute read. Szymon Kuczynski secured a new world record for the smallest yacht to circumnavigate the globe singlehanded and unaided, when he returned to Mayflower Marina in Plymouth on Thursday 17th May. Szymon, who set sail last year from Plymouth on August 19, completed the circumnavigation in 270 days, 10 hours and 29 minute.
Circumnavigation
The Magellan-Elcano expedition was the first circumnavigation of the Earth. Circumnavigation is the complete navigation around an entire island, continent, or astronomical body (e.g. a planet or moon).This article focuses on the circumnavigation of Earth.. The first circumnavigation of the Earth was the Magellan Expedition, which sailed from Sanlucar de Barrameda, Spain in 1519 and returned in ...
Circumnavigation or Sailing Around the World
Golden Globe Race is circumnavigation that people do for sports. It is a race around the world on a sailboat with only one crew member. First one was in 1968. The last taking place in 2018 and the next will be in 2022. Sailors sail east. The starting and finishing point is Les Sables-d'Olonne in France. The competitors usually take five to ...
List of circumnavigations
Terry W. Virts and Hamish Harding, 11 July 2019, fastest circumnavigation of the globe via the North and South Poles. Virts and Harding headed a crew of eight in a Gulfstream G650ER jet to circumnavigate the globe in a time of 46 hours, 40 minutes and 22 seconds, with an average speed of 860.95 km/h (534.97 mph). [78]
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Here are eight of the finest sailboats for travelling around the world: 1. Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 54DS. Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 54DS is easily one of the finest and luxurious sailboats for circumnavigation. It's a spacious and visually stunning vessel with large, swooping curves that give it its unique shape.
The old man and the sea: 73-year-old to sail solo around world in ...
Swedish pensioner Sven Yrvind hopes to make history circumnavigating the globe in world's smallest boat, just 3 meters-long - slightly bigger than a bathtub. CNN values your feedback 1.
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There seems to be no age limit for solo-circumnavigators. Not so long ago we had Californian Jeff Hartjoy set a record for the oldest American to sail around the globe solo, nonstop and unassisted, at the age of 70. A few months ago, 77-year-old Briton Jeanne Socrates became the oldest person to achieve the same feat of skill and endurance ...
Global Solo Challenge
Preparing for a solo circumnavigation by the three great capes is an enormous challenge. So much so that getting to the start line is often just as hard as the navigation that will follow. Preparation is key to success, the areas to cover are so many and so wide ranging that it can feel overwhelming. Not only skippers have to learn about solo ...
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Circumnavigating the globe is impressive as it is, but in Jessica's case, she was also a 16-year-old girl. ... On October 18, 2009, she (literally) set sail on her boat, Ella's Pink Lady, a 34 ...
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Lt Cdr Roopa A and Lt Cdr Dilna K of the Indian Navy are preparing for Navika Sagar Parikrama II, a global circumnavigation on INSV Tarini. This expedition highlights the Navy's efforts in ...
The Independent Climate 100 List 2024
Best known for single-handedly circumnavigating the world in 2005, Ellen MacArthur, aged just 28 at the time, covered 27,354-miles in a trimaran boat. She broke the previous record by one day ...
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Harvard will pay for a brand-new public dock on the Charles River, while keeping its own boathouses private An agreement with the state will allow Harvard to keep sections of riverfront to itself ...