SVETLYO DIMITROV AND YACHT “SUNNY QUEEN”
Svetlyo Dimitrov built the yacht himself with help from friends and his family. It began in 1991 and on 29 July 1995 it was launched and christened.
In 1998-1999 he sailed to North America, and the return voyage across the Atlantic Ocean was his first major solo passage. For this he received the 1999 Golden Globe Award “Cor Carolli”.
The round-the-world voyage of the “Sunny queen” began on 15 October 2002, when five people set sail from Varna. After a stop in the USA S. Dimitrov headed alone to the Panama Canal, and so for two-thirds of the circumnavigation time, the “Sunny queen” was with one-person crew.
In many places he had to stay and work in order to ensure the continuation of his voyage. More than once he came across countrymen.
He and the “Sunny queen” travelled more than 35 000 miles and docked at more than 150 ports. Main points along the way were Malta – Spain – Gibraltar – Florida – Panama – Australia
– Maldives – Suez Canal and back in the Mediterranean and Black Seas.
For the successful round-the-world voyage ended on 1 April 2005, S. Dimitrov received the Golden Globe Award “Cor Carolli” for 2005.
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Key Details of the yacht “Sunny Queen”:
type – “Norman”, steel hull
length – 12 m.
displacement – 9 t.
mast length – 15,3 m.
sail areas – 92 sq. m.
sail rigging – Bermuda sloop
engine – “Perkins”, 45 hp
She has two cabins and is designed to sail with up to 5 people on board
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“There isn’t lonely sailing. You can be lonely in an apartment, a villa, a house, even in company. At sea I am with two almost spirited beings – the yacht and the autopilot, first and incorruptible friends, with the fauna and flora, surrounding me visibly and invisibly with living nature…”
Svetlyo Dimitrov
