Bill Pinkney, who notched a first while sailing the globe, dies at 87

Bill Pinkney, who battled storms, dehydration, sleep deprivation and loneliness while sailing alone around the world, becoming the first Black sailor to do so by way of a treacherous route around Cape Horn, died Aug. 31 at a hospital in Atlanta. He was 87.

His death, during a visit to Georgia from his home in Puerto Rico, was confirmed by Chicago restaurateur Ina Pinkney, his former wife. She said he had suffered “catastrophic” injuries in a recent fall.