Welcome to the SOLO GLOBE CHALLENGE 2000 web site. This site needs a browser capable of viewing frames. Please download the latest versdion of your browser and return. Thank you.
Hi, my name is Tony Mowbray, and the passion and love I have for sailing is only surpassed by the passion and love I have for my wife, Lorraine and our two beautiful children, Holly (8) and Jordan (6). Over the last 7 years or so I have drifted away from the repetition of Saturday afternoon sailing and offshore coastal races and have put together some interesting projects that you can read about on this site. One such project is the topic of this web site, the Solo Globe Challenge 2000.
In October 2000 I am going to sail out of Newcastle harbour (on the East Coast of Australia, 2 hours drive north of Sydney) to attempt to sail solo, non-stop and unassisted around the globe.
This means that when I leave I must have everything on board my Cole 43ft yacht Solo Globe Challenger to sustain me for the approximate 180 days straight I will spend at sea plus additional supplies should it take me longer then expected.
Hunter Life Ausail '94, Sail for Canteen '96 and The Metroll Laser 24 hour marathon were all fun events that have allowed me to use sailing as the vehicle to so far raise in excess of $100,000 for various deserving and needy charities.
You may also read about the tragic 1998 Sydney to Hobart in which we competed and were smashed, big time. I lost my mast and rigging, drifted for 15 hours in 80 plus knot (160 km/h) winds and 60 foot high seas and eventually had 3 crew airlifted off by helicopter and a further 2 guys transferred to the Warship HMAS Newcastle. The 3 of us left on board finally made it to port under tow from a fishing vessel.
I am a man who likes to set challenges for myself in varying ways. In 1986 I gave up cigarettes, started jogging to keep my weight down and before I knew it was competing in fun runs and then, I find myself on the starting line of the 1998 Gold Coast Marathon. I ran two more marathons before having a go at triathlons. Athletically, or otherwise, I will probably never win anything other then a" kind smile" but I absolutely thrive on setting set myself goals and will go to great lengths to achieve those aims and ambitions once I have set my mind to it.
Solo Globe Challenge 2000 will be a series of mountains to climb, goals will be set and met and there will be our fair share drama in one way or another.
I will be posting regular updates to our site leading up to departure and once underway I will be able to share with you the highs and lows of sailing alone in places like Cape Horn, The Doldrums and of course the legend that is the Southern Ocean.
I'm looking forward to sharing our adventure together and hope that you will find our site informative and interesting.
If you have any suggestions (be nice now) or would like to ask a question etc please do not hesitate to send me an e-mail.
Right!! Enough of the chit chat, LET'S GO GET 'EM!