Wilfried Erdmann
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Wilfried Erdmann (born April 15, 1940) is one of the most famous german sailors. He is known for his single-handed, non-stop circumnavigations. He also is a successful author, some of his books (describing his sailing trips) are bestsellers in Germany.
[edit] Biography
- 1958 to 1959: Erdman traveled alone to India by bicycle
- 1967 to 1968: first circumnavigation. Erdmann sailed with Kathena, a sailing boat with length of 7 meters, and arrived on May 7, 1968 after 421 days in Helgoland. He was the first German sailor who did it. At first, nobody in Germany believed him, but he was able to prove his journey (just one year before Sir Francis Chichester sailed single-handed around the world and was knighted in U.K.).
- 1969 to 1972: honeymoon and circumnavigation with his wife Astrid with Kathena 2.
- 1976 to 1979: journey to the South Pacific with his wife and his 3-year old son Kym.
- 1984 to 1985: non-stop, solo circumnavigation from west to east with the prevailing winds with Kathena Nui in 271 days.
- 1989: Atlantic crossing with winners of a contest of a German journal.
- 2001 to 2001: non-stop, solo circumnavigation from east to west (contrary to the prevailing winds) with Kathena Nui in 343 days. He was the fifth sailor worldwide doing such a journey.
