He returned after 292 days at sea in August 1971 to a hero's welcome. The Duke of Edinburgh , Prince Charles , Princess Anne and Harold Wilson , the then Prime Minister welcomed him, as did an ecstatic public. This daring and determined British sailor had become the first person to sail non-stop around the world in the western direction. He had also proved that his working class, non-sailing background was no hindrance to a life on the high seas. People gave him the affectionate nickname, 'Wrong Way Chay'. But let's go back to the beginning.

The Novice

Charles "Chay" Blyth was a Scottish lad, the youngest of seven siblings. His father worked in a factory and his mother was a cook. There was nothing in his childhood related to sailing, apart from trips to River Teviot to poach salmon. At around the age of 10-12, he was thrown into the deep end of a pool. The person who came to his rescue was a swimming champion who volunteered to train him. Everyday thereafter, he spent almost three hours and money to practice his strokes at the swimming baths near his house. This unwavering self-determination to see things through to the end would be a useful trait in his later efforts. He left school at 15 and apprenticed as a frame worker in a knitwear company, a job highly unsuitable for his free-spirited nature. The unhappy relationship ended when Chay punched the foreman and was shown the door. A week later, the unrepentant 18-year-old lad signed up for the British Army's Parachute Regiment. He loved it here and spent many happy years completing overseas survival-training programmes in the arctic regions of Canada and desert regions of the Middle East. He also got married to a girl named Maureen. In 1966, Captain John Ridgeway called for volunteers for a trip across the Atlantic, the first of its kind in the 20 th century. The instructor of Eskdale Outward Bound School and the youngest sergeant at that time, Chay Blyth, came forward. The fact that Chay's sailing experience was zero did not faze him or John Ridgeway. He was fit, brave and compatible. The pessimistic Coast Guard predicted a 95% chance of a sea burial. They set out in a tiny open boat named English Rose III from Cape Cod. After 92 days at sea, the two daredevils reached Aran Islands off the Irish coast braving huge waves, whales bigger than their boat and storms. They received an unforeseen euphoric chaotic welcome. One journalist died when he fell off a fishing boat and another when his small plane crashed. They were awarded the British Empire Medal. Good companions at sea, the two fell out over sharing the financial windfall.

Going Solo

Chay firmly believes that ordinary people can do extraordinary things - given the chance. And this guiding philosophy saw him undertaking challenges with gusto. After the daring Atlantic trip, the army no longer held him in its thrall. Chay left. A year later, he was again out in the sea this time alone as a participant in the Golden Globe Race Around The World. While rounding the Cape of Good Hope, his boat capsized and he had to head for the shore. His wife Maureen was there to meet him and the two sailed back to England. At that time, one of the few sea records yet to be broken was that of sailing in the reverse direction around the world. Maureen suggested that Chay should give it a try.

Back home, Chay joined the beverage company, Para and Schweppes as its salesman. He did a good job and achieved the fourth best salesman position in a year. All the tricks of selling he learnt became an experience that would help him later in his life. However, like the knitting job earlier, it was not interesting enough.

In search of fresh thrills, he first thought of travelling down the Amazon in a canoe. Then came the plan to circumnavigate the globe in the opposite direction. With the help of Terry Bond, a public relations consultant, Chay was able to convince British Steel Corporation (now Corus) to sponsor the trip. While they built his vehicle, he joined a three-week crash course in sailing!