This Is Your Life: Chay Blyth

Chay BLYTH CBE (1940-)

THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Chay Blyth, yachtsman and rower, was surprised by Eamonn Andrews on board his boat, which was moored at Westminster Pier in London.

Chay, who was born in Hawick, Scotland, joined the British Army's Parachute Regiment at the age of 18 and was promoted to Sergeant at 21. While in the army, he rowed across the North Atlantic in 1966 with John Ridgway in a 20-foot open boat in 92 days. In 1968, with no sailing experience, he completed in the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race.

In 1971, he became the first person to sail non-stop westwards around the world aboard the yacht British Steel, taking 292 days. Two years later he skippered a crew of paratroopers in the yacht Great Britain II, which took line honours in the 3rd stage of the Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race.

programme details...

Edition No: 391
Subject No: 391
Broadcast date: Wed 27 Nov 1974
Broadcast time: 7.00-7.30pm
Recorded: Wed 23 Oct 1974
Venue: unknown
Series: 15
Edition: 4
Code name: Loner

on the guest list...

Alec Rose

production team...

Researcher: unknown
Writer: unknown
Director: unknown
Producer: Jack Crawshaw

names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life

related page...

Life on the Ocean Wave

adventurers of the high seas

Eamonn Andrews surprises Chay Blyth for This Is Your Life

Scriptwriter Roy Bottomley recalls this edition of This Is Your Life in his book, This Is Your Life: The Story of Television's Famous Big Red Book...

Chay Blyth CBE, the former paratroop sergeant who found fame battling with the sea, was moored at Westminster Pier on 23 October 1974 when Eamonn Andrews popped aboard.

The Scot, from Hawick, was by then one of the world's most daring adventurers, having sailed the oceans of the world through gale and hurricane. With Captain John Ridgway he had rowed three thousand miles across the Atlantic, then made maritime history by sailing single-handed around the world against the oncoming winds in a boat less than sixty feet long.

Sir Alec Rose sailed single-handed around the world from the opposite direction. He told viewers that what Chay did was 'like riding a bike up Snowdon'. What he achieved in sailing terms was simply incredible.

Series 15 subjects