United States – William ‘Bill’ Pinkney, First African American To Solo-Circumnavigate The Globe By Boat

Sailing a 47-foot boat called The Commitment, William “Bill” Pinkney became the first African American and only the fourth person in the world to solo-circumnavigate the globe by boat.

Pinkney’s journey took 22 months to complete and covered 27,000 miles. It began on August 5, 1990 and was completed on June 9, 1992.

Pinkney’s route took him around the dangerous tip of South America, considered to be some of the most treacherous waters in the world. Upon successfully realizing his dream, he was honored as the Chicago Yacht Club’s Yachtsman of the Year in 1992, and Chicago Magazine named him Chicagoan of the Year in 1999.

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