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John Guzzwell is a blah blah cruising sailor, recipients of numerous sailing awards, authors, racing sailor

Biography
John Guzzwell was born in England, in 1930, raised in Jersey, one of the Channel Islands. was educated at Wellington and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. He was commissioned into the Green Howards in 1925 but transferred to the Indian Army in 1936, joining Hodson's Horse. During the Second World War he served with the 3rd Indian Motor Brigade in the Western Desert and commanded Probyn's Horse in action against the Japanese in Burma in 1945. He was awarded the Military Cross for gallantry at Bir Hacheim on 27 May 1942 and the Distinguished Service Order for successful leadership during skirmishes at Shande and Ywadan on 3 and 5 March 1945, respectively. In early 1947 he retired from the Indian Army, having commanded the 63rd Brigade from May 1945 onwards.

Beryl, born in 1905, was raised in a family of British soldiers and travelled widely throughout the world, some of which is described in her 1930s books The Stars My Blanket and Winter Shoes in Springtime, written under the name Beryl Miles. Charles R. Boxer, the distinguished historian and soldier, was one of her brothers.

In 1938 Miles and Beryl married. In 1939, the two attempted to climb 25,263-foot Tirich Mir, in the Himalaya, with Tenzing Norgay. Although they failed, Beryl achieved renown as one of the first women to climb so high. After the war, the couple settled on a farm on Saltspring Island, BC, with their daughter, Clio. Beryl had bought the farm during the war; anticipation of a happy life there when peace came helped sustain both Miles and Beryl during the years of separation while Miles served in North Africa and later the Far East, where he commanded a formation and received the local occupying Japanese surrender.

Trekka Round the World
In ?? John Guzzwelll, wrote a book covering his 4 year circumnavigation. It includes reference to his time as crew aboard ????, Miles and Beryl Smeaton's yacht during their disasterous 1st attempt to sailing around Cape Horn. Further details about John's involvement in these events are contained in the the book "High Endeavours: The Extraordinary Life and Adventures of Miles and Beryl Smeeton".

Sailing years
In 1951, the Smeetons bought the 46' bermudan ketch Tzu Hang on a visit to England. The boat had been designed by HS Rouse and built in Hong Kong in 1939. The name was believed to mean "under the protection of Guanyin", the Daoist goddess of the sea and protector of sailors. They returned on the boat to British Columbia, learning to sail on the way. In 1955 they sold the farm and sailed on Tzu Hang for Australia.

In December 1956 Miles and Beryl departed Melbourne on Tzu Hang to visit Clio at school in England, intending to follow the old clipper route. The journey would take them eastbound around Cape Horn, a voyage that at that time had very rarely been accomplished in small boats. They were accompanied on the boat by a young friend, the Englishman John Guzzwell, who had been circumnavigating the world in his self-made boat on a voyage later recounted in his book Trekka, as well as by their Siamese cat, Pwe.

Approaching Cape Horn, the yacht was pitchpoled by a rogue wave. Beryl, who had been on the helm, was tossed from the boat and injured. Tzu Hang was dismasted, partially submerged, and the topsides were severely damaged, but the three sailors managed to sail the damaged vessel to Chile, where extensive repairs were undertaken. In 1957, a year later, Miles and Beryl departed again to round Cape Horn. However, in approximately the same position, beset by storms, another dismasting took place. Again, they managed to make the coast of Chile, and Tzu Hang was shipped to England for repairs. These adventures were published in their acclaimed cruising book, Once is Enough.

After repairing the vessel, they made a multi-year eastabout circumnavigation. In 1968, they again attempted Cape Horn, westabout, and successfully rounded.

Later years
In 1971 they founded the Cochrane Ecological Institute(CEI), dedicated to breeding endangered wildlife. They accomplished the first successful reintroduction of a North American extirpated carnivore back to its home range, the swift fox. Beryl Smeeton died in Cochrane in 1979, and Miles died in 1988, in Calgary, at the age of 83. Their daughter Clio continues to run the CEI.

Accomplishments, awards and honors
John Guzzwell has authored 2 books and circumnavigated ? times. He competed in the ???? Transat finishing in 8th place. For his lifetime sailing achievements, he was awarded the

Trekka
In ?? John sold Trekka to ??? and moved to Washington State, USA. In ???? she was purchased by the Maritime Museum of British Columbia. She was sailed from Hawaii, back to Victoria, B.C. Canada, by John and ??? and put on static display. In ??? she was restored by Tony Grove and the Sail and Life Training Society for use in Parade of Tall ships, and ?, ?.