Alec Rose

Her original design was by Frederick Shepherd, but this was substantially modified by S. J. P. Cambridge, the previous owner, who built her in Calcutta, with the help of two Indian cabinetmakers.[2][3] In 2015, the charity "Around and Around" undertook a 25-year management of the yacht and restored and extensively refitted her in time to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Rose's circumnavigation.,[4] since she has been awarded to Around and Around.[1] The race started at Plymouth, where Rose was photographed on board by Eileen Ramsay, the chronicler of sailing in post-war Britain.He attempted to start his journey at approximately the same time as Chichester (sailing Gypsy Moth IV) in 1966, but mechanical failures and a collision off Ushant meant he had to postpone the event until the following year.[8] The voyage was closely followed by the British and international press and Rose's landfall at 12.33pm in Southsea, Portsmouth, on 4 July 1968, 354 days after he set off, was met by cheering crowds of hundreds of thousands.[12] He was made a Freeman of the City of Portsmouth in the same year,[13] was guest of honour at the Anglo-American Sporting Club gala evening at the London Hilton,[14] and fêted with Lively Lady outside the Daily Mirror Building at Holborn Circus.[20] At the time of his death he was Admiral of the Ocean Cruising Club, and in an obituary Tim Heywood, a founder member and past Commodore who had known Rose since 1966, described him as "the epitome of the breed of great seamen: quiet, reserved and humble".[21] Sir Alec's sailing club Eastney Cruising Association in Portsmouth has a Cornish Pilot Gig named after him.