Gipsy Moth IV, Greenwich, London 1969

Gipsy Moth IV is one of the most celebrated yachts in British maritime history. Designed by John Illingworth and Angus Primrose, this 54-foot ketch was custom-built in 1966 for the legendary solo sailor Sir Francis Chichester. His goal was ambitious: to sail single-handed around the world, following the route of the old clipper ships—with just one stop in Sydney.

Chichester set sail from Plymouth on 27 August 1966 and completed his epic 28,500-mile journey in just over nine months, returning on 28 May 1967. It was a feat that captured the public imagination and earned Chichester a knighthood, famously dubbed “the British public’s greatest hero since the war.”

Though Gipsy Moth IV faced numerous challenges—harsh seas, structural damage, and the isolation of solo sailing—it proved seaworthy and resilient. After the voyage, the boat was preserved in dry dock beside the Cutty Sark in Greenwich, but over time it deteriorated.

In the early 2000s, Gipsy Moth IV was restored and returned to active sailing. Today, it serves both as a monument to British endurance and exploration and as a working vessel, used for educational and youth sailing programs.