First Whitbread champion Ramon Carlin dies aged 92

'Weekend Sailor', Ramon Carlin, who shocked the sailing world by skippering the Mexican crew to victory in the first Whitbread Round the World Race, has died.

Ramón Carlín,

Ramon Carlin has sadly passed away at the age of 92 in Mexico City.

Carlin became Mexico’s most famous yachtsman when he skippered his Swan 65, Sayula II, to victory in the first Whitbread Round the World Race in 1973-74.

Carlin didn’t even have a captain’s licence when he entered the first crewed sailing race around the world.

Despite this, the washing machine manufacturer and his crew went on to beat some of offshore sailings greatest names, like Frenchman Eric Tabarly and Sir Chay Blyth.

Their incredible feat has recently been turning into a new feature documentary, The Weekend Sailor, directed by Bernardo Arsuaga.

See the promo video of The Weekend Sailor below

Carlin later recalled how he and his team were mocked by the English media prior to the start of the race in Portsmouth in September 1973. Around 3,000 spectator boats were out on the water to witness the 17 yachts start the race.

His crew, which included his son, nephew and wife, didn’t even know that he hadn’t insured the boat for the race. Instead, the money was used to pay for repairs to the Sparkman & Stephens yacht.

Two years ago, Arsuaga and Carlin, staged a 40th anniversary reunion of the crew, many of whom were meeting for the first time since their inaugural Whitbread victory.

The Whitbread later went on to become the Volvo Ocean Race.

Ian Walker, who in June 2015 won the Volvo Ocean Race with Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, paid tribute to Carlin.

“Sorry to hear of the passing of Ramon Carlin. The winning skipper of the first ever Whitbread (@volvooceanrace) Race on Sayula II,” wrote Walker on Twitter.

Volvo Ocean Race posed a short clip of Carlin receiving his trophy and the words:”We’re sad to hear that Ramón Carlín, winner of the first Whitbread Race 1973-74, has died”