A Voyage For Madmen: Nine men set out to race each other around the world. Only one made it back ... - Hardcover

Nichols, Peter

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1861972369 ISBN 13: 9781861972361

Publisher: Profile Books, 2001

Synopsis

Nine people comprised of two Frenchmen, an Italian and six Englishmen, began the 1967 Golden Globe around the world yacht race. Only one completed the journey. This is the story of this endeavour. The goal was to sail around the world solo, a feat no one had yet achieved; to make matters just that extra bit tricky some of the sailors were total novices. The book analyses the fate of each sailor in turn. Nichols describes how the nine fought through storms and collisions, through the roaring 40s and the furious 50s, and how each man experienced those moments of solitary despair, lonely disappointment and occasional mystical elation that are unique to long-haul solo sailing. The technical side of yachtsmanship also comes under scrutiny while still aiming to prove accessible to those with little understanding of actual sailing methods.

About this title

Review:

Rich with excitement, accomplished, gripping and authoritative, A Voyage for Madmen is the story of the yachting tournament from hell written by a man who is himself a gifted sailor as well as writer.

Peter Nichols' previous book, Sea Change, was the telling account of his own crossing of the Atlantic in a ridiculously small wooden boat. Now he's taken the skills he employed in that much-praised slice of autobiography to relay another quixotic tale. The subject this time is the infamous Golden Globe yacht race of 1968, when nine men, some French, some English, all bonkers (hence the title), undertook the most challenging adventure of their lives. The goal was to sail around the world solo, a feat no one had yet achieved; to make matters just that extra bit tricky some of the sailors were total novices.

The book analyses the fate of each sailor in turn. Using polished, craftsman-like, clear and sometimes moving prose, Nichols describes how the nine fought through storms and collisions, through the roaring 40s and the furious 50s, and how each man experienced those moments of solitary despair, lonely disappointment and occasional mystical elation that are unique to long-haul solo sailing. One of the most commendable features of the book is the way Nichols discusses the technical side of yachtsmanship with verve and passion without ever turning into an anorak. This is a fine and absorbing true-life tragicomedy, suitable for landlubbers and sea dogs alike. --Sean Thomas

Review:

The voyage in question was one that by 1968 had not been achieved: a single-handed, non-stop circumnavigation of the world. Sir Francis Chichester had made the voyage a year earlier but had stopped once in Australia. Nevertheless, his effort had captured the imagination. Three sailors had been tempted and were well into their preparations before the Sunday Times offered up substantial prize money to the first one home and to the person with the fastest time. We are immediately ensnared by the character and backgrounds of the nine competitors who emerge over a matter of months. Reactions of their loved ones, reasons for entering, sailing experience, choices of boat and even their dietary preferences provide the details that hook us in. Once underway, these men faced incredible danger as the sea threatened to rip their little boats apart. They also faced discomfort and loneliness and, on another level, A Voyage for Madmen is like a whodunit thriller. Nichols cleverly lets us know at the outset that one man will cheat, one will go mad and one will lose his life. Finding out who adds to the appeal of a superb book which deserves to be a huge seller.

About this edition

• Publisher: Profile Books
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 1861972369
• ISBN 13: 9781861972361
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 336