After 86 hours straight sitting on the hard, flat, and unforgiving deck of a Laser sailboat, Robert Suhay has set a new record for the longest single-handed distance sailed in a dinghy by a male (283.5 nautical miles). He first attempted to break the record in 2013, but weather and exhaustion got in the way. This year, by the time he was forced by the Coast Guard to retire after sailing into the teeth of a hurricane, he had sailed far enough.

Suhay, the father of four and two days past his 51st birthday when he set out, sailed from Norfolk, Virginia, to an island north of Baltimore, Maryland. And his determination has inspired all four of his boys to spend more time with him, which his wife claims is directly due to this record attempt.

Congratulations!

Read the full story

Written by: Carol Cronin
Carol Cronin has published several novels about the Olympics, sailing, hurricanes, time travel, and old schooners. She spends as much time on the water as possible, in a variety of boats, though most have sails.