Matt Rutherford (sailor)

Matthew Rutherford (born 1980) is a sailor, best known for his 2011 solo circumnavigation of the Americas in a 27-foot Albin Vega designed sloop called the St. Brendan.

Circumnavigating the Americas
Rutherford set off from Annapolis, Maryland on 13 June 2011, sailing north from the Chesapeake Bay.

The voyage took Rutherford up the east coast of the USA and Canada. It then took him up the west coast of Greenland into Baffin Bay, to a northerly most point of 75° 21' north before undertaking the Northwest Passage, becoming the smallest boat ever to successfully undertake the passage. The voyage continued south across the Pacific and around Cape Horn before sailing north in the Atlantic back to Annapolis.

On 28 August 2011, Rutherford passed Point Barrow, Alaska.

Sailing south, Rutherford reached the equator on 13 November 2011, having been at sea for 152 days and covering 13,334 nautical miles.

He rounded Cape Horn on 5 January 2012, the 208th day of the voyage.

Rutherford returned to Annapolis on 21 April 2012 after 309 days at sea, raising a total of US$120,000 for CRAB.

Film and podcast
Rutherford's circumnavigation of the Americas was the subject of a documentary film by Amy Flannery, titled "Red Dot on the Ocean: The Matt Rutherford Story" made in 2014. Rutherford's voyage has also been the subject of a series of episodes on The Explorers Podcast, which focuses on voyages of exploration through history, and is hosted by Matt Breen. The first of the three Rutherford episodes was released on 7 Feb 2023.

Awards
Matt Rutherford was named the 2021 Young Voyager Award winner by the Cruising Club of America.