The first Whitbread Round the World Race started off from Portsmouth, England on September 8, 1973. Seventeen yachts of various sizes and rigs took part. During the race three sailors were swept over board and died: Paul Waterhouse, Dominique Guillet and Bernie Hosking. Waterhouse and Guillet were never to be seen again.[1]
| Leg | Start | Finish | Leg winner | Skipper |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portsmouth, England | Cape Town, South Africa | Great Britain II | Chay Blyth |
| 2 | Cape Town, South Africa | Sydney, Australia | Pen Duick VI | Éric Tabarly |
| 3 | Sydney, Australia | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | Great Britain II | Chay Blyth |
| 4 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | Portsmouth, England | Great Britain II | Chay Blyth |
The small Mexican yacht Sayula II, a Swan 65 owned and skippered by Ramón Carlin, won the overall race on handicap in 133 days and 13 hours, although she had not won any leg on line honours. Her actual time was 152 days [1].
Great Britain II was the winner on elapsed time.
Full details of finishing positions
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