Jock Wishart

Jock Wishart is best known for setting a new world record for circumnavigation of the globe in a powered vessel and for organising and leading the Polar Race.

Early years

Jock Wishart was educated in Dumfries in south west Scotland at the academy there.

Americas cup

Jock Wishart sailed as a grinder on Lionheart, the 1980 British challenger for the America's Cup.

North pole expeditions

Jock Wishart has twice trekked to the North Pole in record-setting expeditions.

Transatlantic row boating

In 1997 Wishart and team mate Duncan Nicoll placed 10th in a trans-Atlantic rowboat race from the Canary Islands to Barbados.

Record breaking circumnavigation of the globe in a powered vessel

Wishart and his crew on the Cable & Wireless Adventurer, left Gibraltar on 19 April 1998 on their 26,000-mile worldwide journey. The journey encompassed 15 ports in 10 countries, and the intention was to complete the journey inside 80 days. The team ultimately broke the powered world record, previously held by the nuclear submarine USS Triton, by completing the circumnavigation in 74 days, 20 hours and 58 minutes. This beat the previous record by more than seven days.

The U.S. Navy nuclear-powered submarine USS Triton completed the first submerged circumnavigation of the world in 60 days 21 minutes, between February 24 and April 25, 1960, covering 26,723 nautical miles (49,491 km; 30,752 mi) at the average speed of 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph) non-stop.

The Polar Race

Main article: Polar Race

In 1996, Wishart and David Hempleman-Adams organised The Ultimate Challenge, in which they chose 10 arctic novices from over 500 applicants and successfully led them to the Magnetic North Pole.

Following the success of this expedition, which proved that novices could be trained and equipped for a Polar expedition, the two men established The Polar Race. As of May 2007, three races have been run with 40 out of 41 competitors successfully reaching the Pole.