Cape Horn Birthday documents the extraordinary non-stop round-the-world journey of a lone sailor and his thirty-two-foot sloop. GPS did not exist when Peter Freeman set sail from Victoria, British Columbia, in 1984. Peter navigated the old-fashioned way, with a compass, a sextant, books of tables, and his wits. Along the way, he had to rebuild the self-steering rudder, repair torn sails, and fix broken gear.

Peter encountered a severe lightning storm, snow, and hailstorms as he sailed as close to the Antarctic ice as he dared. Near île Kerguélen in the South Indian Ocean, Laiviņa almost rolled over in a violent storm. While the little sloop was inverted, Peter was underwater, helplessly tied to the pushpit rails holding his breath as he waited for the sturdy little craft to right herself.

Along the New Zealand coastline, Peter joined in a race and took line honors for the Overseas Entry Class before crossing the Pacific back to Victoria, British Columbia. Upon arrival, Peter was greeted with the news that he had broken the existing world record.