Latitude’s Salute to John Guzzwell

Whether you are a singlehander, a circumnavigator or an ‘armchair voyager’, we’d like to invite you to attend a special gathering next Thursday evening, April 16, at the Oakland YC, honoring the 50th anniversary of British Columbia sailor John Guzzwell’s historic homecoming.

Why ‘historic’? Because the singlehanded circumnavigation he completed in 1959 was aboard his self-built 21-ft woodie named Trekka. At the time it was the smallest boat to have gone around, and the book he penned about his travels, Trekka Round the World, became a cult classic among would-be voyagers.

In a sport often dominated by massive egos, John Guzzwell is a refreshingly humble hero who normally shuns the spotlight. So we are thrilled that he has graciously offered to share insights from his lifetime of voyaging and custom boatbuilding. He’ll show vintage Southern Ocean film footage shot while accompanying Miles and Beryl Smeeton on their ill-fated Cape Horn attempt aboard Tzu Hang in 1957 — chronicled in another sailors’ classic, Once is Enough.

The event will also serve as a gathering of members of Latitude‘s ‘official’ West Coast Circumnavigator’s List. So there will be no shortage of tall tales being spun. We hope to see you there: No host bar at 6:30 p.m., presentation at 7:00 p.m., followed by a Q & A session and book-signing opportunity. The event is free, although donations toward expenses will be happily accepted. Click here for directions to the club. Click here for more on John Guzzwell and other West Coast Circumnavigators.