Webb Chiles (born 1941), born Webb Tedford, is an American sailor and author noted for his offshore sailing. He has completed six circumnavigations, several of them single-handed, and is the author of seven books.^[1]

Early life

Webb Chiles was born in 1941 in St. Louis, Missouri and moved to California in 1963.^[2]

Sailing

First Circumnavigation

Leaving in October 1975 from San Diego, he set the record for the fastest solo circumnavigation in his Ericson 37 Egregious, with an eastwards passage around the three capes in 203 days. In this journey he also became the first American to round Cape Horn solo.^[3]

Subsequent circumnavigations

• 1978–1984
• 1984–1990
• 1991–2003
• 2008–2009
• 2014–2019 in Gannet, a Moore 24^[4]

Published works

• Chiles, Webb. A Single Wave: Stories of Storms and Survival. Sheridan House, 1999.
• Chiles, Webb. Return to the Sea. Sheridan House, 2004.
• Chiles, Webb. Shadows. Amazon, 2011.
• Chiles, Webb. Storm Passage: Alone around Cape Horn. Times Books, 1977.
• Chiles, Webb. THE FIFTH CIRCLE: the Passage Log. Amazon, 2011.
• Chiles, Webb. The Ocean Waits. Norton, 1984.
• Chiles, Webb. The Open Boat: Across the Pacific. Norton, 1982.

Recognition

Cruising Club of America, Bluewater Medal 2017 ^[1]

Ocean Cruising Club Jester Medal 2014 ^[5]

Photos