Into the Wind

by Tony Bartelme and Brian Hicks

Book Overview

Into the Wind is the gripping story of the 1998-99 Around Alone singlehanded sailing race, one of the most difficult and dangerous sporting endeavors ever conceived. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0934870942
• ISBN13: 9780934870948
• Release Date: May 1999
• Publisher: Evening Post Books
• Length: 126 Pages
• Weight: 2.35 lbs.

Customer Reviews

A tale of human spirit, courage and discovery. "A must read"

Have you ever wondered how fast flying fish fly? How about being given a black eye by one of these fish! Answer to the first statement, at least 28kts., Clocked by a GPS as one sailed the same course and kept pace with one of the 60' carbon hulled racers asit scooted south on the edge of hurricane force winds. The black eye is a true story, simply being in the wrong spot on deck whenthe fish took flight,this occured on a different boat. Can you even begin to imagine being bumped by a whale while in mid-ocean?One of my favorite stories is told by one of the captains who for five days had the pleasure of a small sea bird paying him a daily visit dropping a small fish on deck, the captain surmised that the bird must have felt as if he was hungry and was bringing him a fresh seafood meal.These are not your everyday tales, but those of solitary sailors crossing open seas. Anyone who ventures forth on the water,from a rowboat to the cruise ship worshiper who understands the freedom that the being on the water brings, will be unable to put this book down. I had a colleague once tell me that she never understood why I enjoyed being on my boat so much,that was of course,until she took her first cruise ship ride and experienced the calm and freedom which comes from being at sea.Anyone interested in personal discovery,and the limits of mental and physical endurance will find this a must read! Yes, there was modern technology onboard to help guide these sailors, but reading through some of their accounts, sealed in spartan cabins, while 80-100kt. winds blow, seas outside passing by that are the size of small mountains or rolling hills 50'and taller.The first hand accounts from several of these captains, describing the unmitigated fear they felt for days and nights on end,some seemingly having surpassed their limits, but through the uncanny fellowship of their fellow sailors, who kept a vigil via radio contact,these explorers were able to endure.You needen't be a sailor to enjoy this book, not by any means. The book is about the love of life, and the challenge of living it to it's fullest,in this case, on the edge the very edge to say the least. Of course it's about boats and racing,but even more so,it's about courage,conditioning,determination, achievement, endurance and ones personal quest for realizing that their dreams can and will come true.

Great book!

I liked this book a lot and would recommend it whether you enjoy sailing or not.

Loved it - Better than Perfect Storm and Godforsaken Sea

Really good book about a pretty wild race. One of the best combinations of text and photos I've seen. The story is compelling and you get to see what the authors are writing about as you go along. Just terrific.

Remarkably well written!

It takes special people to write about these outstanding sailors. Tony Bartelme and Brian Hicks have put together a gem of a book, providing a fantastic, 'drivers seat' insight into what it is like to solo circumnavigate our planet. I feel that people from all walks of life will enjoy this fine book, as it makes one appreciate the levels of courage, endurance and creativity needed to compete in such an event. Well done!