The first circumnavigation was around Cape Horn from Sydney to England and back around Africa, during which he communicated with Astronaut Dr. Leroy Chiao, the commander of Expedition 10 on the International Space Station.

The second, via the North West Passage, evolved from Whitworth's contact with the Space Station and a later meeting with Dr. Pascal Lee who runs NASA's Haughton Mars Camp on Devon Island.

Dr. Lee invited Whitworth to rendezvous at the Camp for the total solar eclipse of 1 August 2008.

Corrie McQueen sailed the Pacific leg of the second and was joined by Kimbra Lindus from Dutch Harbour to Falmouth.

Whitworth received several awards for these voyages,[4] including, in 2009, the Ocean Cruising Club Barton Cup[5] and, in 2010, the Cruising Club of America's Blue Water Medal[6] for a circumnavigation of the world via the North West Passage West to East.