Chojnowska-Liskiewicz achieved the feat in the 1970s. Having set sail from the Spanish port of Las Palmas in the Canary Islands on March 28, 1976, she crossed the Atlantic Ocean, sailed through the Caribbean Sea to the Panama Canal, and then across the Pacific.
She then sailed to Australia and across the Indian Ocean. After passing the Cape of Good Horn, she sailed north, arriving back at Las Palmas on March 20, 1978, after 401 days at sea.
She covered 31,166 nautical miles on board the Mazurek, a yacht that was built in Poland to a design by her husband. It was 9.51 metres long, with a sail area of 35 square metres.
Britain’s Naomi James completed her solo round-the-world expedition 39 days after Chojnowska-Liskiewicz, in just 272 days.
Chojnowska-Liskiewicz was a naval engineer by training. She was involved in the promotion of yachting until the end of her life.
She held numerous distinctions including the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Reborn Poland. She was also a member of the elite Explorers Club.
(mk/gs)