Godforsaken Sea : The True Story of a Race Through the World's Most Dangerous Waters

Rating:
Summary: Force 10 hurricane winds followed by doldrums
Review: The topic of covering the Globe Vendee race, the knockdowns, triumphs,rescues and death at sea is a formidable one and Derek Lundy to a degree succeeds in presenting the reader with a respectable portrayal of solo sail racing around the world's most dangerous ocean waters in the southern Antarctic seas. The book, however, moves from fantastic suspenseful portrayal of danger and rescue to the more mundane trivialities of "who's out in the lead...who's bringing up the rear...who's moving ahead" as if the reader had no idea of the outcome of the 1996-1997 Vendee-Globe race. (Maybe there are a great many readers who do not have any knowledge of the outcome of the event...but it's certainly not necessary to present this book in an anticipatory 'present tense' as if there was to be a surprise outcome). But do not despair as there is much to enjoy and learn in this book. One competitor takes up self-surgery to cut out infected parts of his arm and another competitor lashes himself to his inverted boat to await rescue in the cold Antarctic seas. The author's strongest presentation is when he delves into the minds of these solo around the world sailors. Why do they do this? And the very best story of all might have been missed by the author as the first woman to successfully complete the Globe-Vendee (Chabaud)slowly and steadily succeeds at the end of the pack. Her story needed to be told...at best she is followed by the author as he is obliged to keep the reader informed about all the boats in the race. I say read the book..but borrow it as it isn't a keeper in my library.

Rating:
Summary: an excellent book
Review: This a truly excellent book about sailing. Lundy knows his trade and seems to be able to sail, too. He's candid when he's got to describe his own experiences at sea, and got all my sympathy through his confessions about the old fear of capsizing and the open ocean. He wrote a detailed book about a race, probably the craziest in the world, only for people willing to risk their lives against the icebergs, but plays it all down and doesn't make you feel like you're an inferior idiot wasting your time right now, on your chair. In a very careful crescendo, he tells about the people and the ships, about designs and expectations, some technical and some poetic stuff, and you're suddenly into the South Seas, together with the mad skippers. The book reaches its highest points of drama and emotion in succession, one desaster after another, until it reaches the puzzling disappearance of Gerry Roufs, the only tragedy without redemption. Once there, Lundy doesn't stay away from the worst edges of real stories, as opposed to most novels, and deals with the sour accusations against those who maybe, only maybe could have done a little bit more for finding Roufs, instead of keep racing back to Europe. All in all, it's real good reading.

Rating:
Summary: difficult but worth it
Review: This book is so full of information it is difficult to get into, but all of the narrative is well worth the effort. It covers so many of the important aspects related to sailing in very difficult conditions. It also relates aspects of sailboat design associated with sailing in dangerous seas.

Rating:
Summary: difficult but worth it
Review: This book is so full of information it is difficult to get into, but all of the narrative is well worth the effort. It covers so many of the important aspects related to sailing in very difficult conditions. It also relates aspects of sailboat design associated with sailing in dangerous seas.

Rating:
Summary: Beautifully written
Review: This is the best book I have read about long-distance solo racing. It's the first book on the Vendee Globe in English, and it's incredibly well-done. Lundy does a great job of moving the book along with the race, while addressing some of the larger, equally interesting issues about this sort of sailing: what drives these men and women to risk life and limb, what is the role of the sea in the collective human experience. Its structure is sophisticated, and not for the reader he needs to be held by the hand and spoon fed. The introduction of Gerry Roufs at the beginning, with his fate unresolved, was a masterful touch -- it leaves a pall of dread over the book that kept me reading, mesmerized. Lundy never talks down to the reader or over-simplifies; one of the most audacious and courageous points he makes is that this sort of racing, while mind-bogglingly exciting at times, can also be mind-numbingly boring for long stretches. Readers who can't acknowledge this and who need to be constantly dazzled by fireworks and disasters, are advised to go see Star Wars. This is a classic.