Are you a part of the Creightons / Challenger Story?
Over 11,000 people have sailed on this maxi over the last 30 years. If you have any additional information we would love to hear from you, or if you have a story to tell we welcome you to add your story and make connections with others who have shared adventures with her.
OCEAN GREYHOUND FIRST SAIL ROUND THE ISLAND RACE 1980
Our intention is to create a book and documentary to celebrate her story and we are looking for information and clues to complete the mystery years. We have heard rumours about smuggling escapades, documentaries that have been made about some of her journeys, incidents in races, tragedy, triumph and a few tales besides.
If you are a part of the Creightons Story we would love to hear from you, please join us in this project and share your ocean story.
Quick Guide to Her Story:
This successful and historic yacht was the first of the prestigious class of Ocean 80 high performance maxi yachts.
1979 Built Southern Ocean Shipyard as Ocean Greyhound, designed by the world famous team Doug Petersen and David Alan-Williams
1981 Whitbread Round- the-World Yacht Race, started as FCF Challenger, skippered by Les Williams
1982 De-masted in last leg of Whitbread; Completed as First Co-Operative
1983 We understand that she was under the ownership of Les Williams, who had her fitted out for Caribbean Cruising
1984 Found in Moody’s Boatyard in Southampton by John Chittenden and rebuilt for next Whitbread in 1989
1989 Whitbread Round the World Race as Creightons Naturally, skippered by John Chittenden to victory in her class (Cruiser)
1990 Finished first in Whitbread Class beating “With Integrity”
1991 Undertook a Global Voyage retravelling the route of the Whitbread; we understand a documentary film was made of this third circumnavigation of the globe
1994 Purchased and put through re-fit in Cape Town, South Africa, by Stuart J Bowen-Davies
1995 Converted to an adventure charter yacht.
2006 ARC to St Lucia
2007 Last ocean voyage from the Caribbean, through the Panama Canal and across the Pacific to Australia
2011 Escaped the Brisbane floods, now in New Zealand being prepared for her 2013 Beautiful Wave Maker Voyage.
If you have a story to tell and are one of the 11,000 who have sailed her or know those who have, please register in the community and share your tales of adventure!
