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British adventurer James Ketchell has embarked on his third circumnavigation of the world, having already cycled around in 2013 and completed an airborne circuit via small aircraft in 2019. The British adventurer is sailing around the world in his Class 40 yacht named “Mindset”. If he is successful, Ketchell will be the first person ever to circumnavigate the globe by air, land and sea.
Ketchell embarked on his 30,000 nautical mile journey from Gosport, UK on July 27th aiming to complete the voyage in approximately nine months. During the sail his main mission is to take young people on a virtual journey around the world, inspiring them to discover more about the ocean, try new things, believe in themselves and develop the right mindset. Ketchell is using Starlink Internet on the boat and is streaming live videos to classrooms around the world, making content available to schools via ocean worksheets on his website as well as delivering talks in local schools in the ports he is visiting.
The voyage is split into eight legs, stopping in Lanzarote, Cape Town, Melbourne, Punta Del Este in Uruguay, Antigua and New York, before arriving back at Gosport, UK.
As a passionate ocean advocate, Ketchell became an ambassador for the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) in 2023 and is keen to use his expedition to highlight the vital role of ocean science.
After his port of call in South Africa, Ketchell plans to deploy two Argo floats for NOC, a world-class international marine research institute. The Argo monitoring floats will add to an existing network of floats worldwide that provide live data to ocean researchers, a vital resource today and for years to come.
Ketchell will also collect microplastic samples from under-sampled waters in the Indian and Pacific Ocean, a project in collaboration with NOC that is supported by The International SeaKeepers Society (SeaKeepers), a global non-profit dedicated to advancing oceanographic research, which has philanthropic partnership with Beyondly.
"For centuries, daring sailing expeditions have been central to ocean exploration, so it's inspiring that James has that same spirit of adventure now and is so dedicated to using his journey to collect vital ocean data and help young people deepen their understanding of the oceans. It is only through collaboration and partnerships that we can hope to understand and address the ocean and climate challenges that we all face" - Holly Evans, NOC Head of Philanthropy.
James Ketchell's achievements extend beyond his global circumnavigations. He has scaled Mount Everest, rowed solo across the Atlantic Ocean, skied across Greenland, and most recently cycled across America raising funds for Great Ormond Street Hospital.
His unwavering spirit and determination, especially in the face of adversity following a serious motorcycle accident in 2008, have made him an inspiration to many and a proud ambassador for the Scouts.
"While I'm looking forward to the challenge of undertaking my third circumnavigation," Ketchell stated, "I know that this will be a significant physical and mental challenge as there are many things that are out of my control and it is also very technical as I will need to be able to diagnose and fix problems on the boat as needed. Having struggled with low self-confidence and lack of ambition as a young person, I am extremely excited to share this journey with young people and in particular give children some inspiration for what they can achieve in life if they challenge themselves.
I am extremely grateful to all my partners that have supported me over so many years and continue to do so for this challenge."
The challenge is generously sponsored by principal partners Barratt Developments and Rentokil Initial.