Having Faced Ferocious Gales And Hurricane Force Winds, It Was A Flat Calm Off New Zealand That Nearly Did For Paul Rodgers And Spirit Of Pentax.
Despite the title of the book from which this extract is lifted, Paul Rodgers is not a natural single-hander. Loner describes, in prose worthy of the best, an honest try at circumnavigating twice without assistance in the early 1980s. It was not to be, yet his trip – free of electronics and engine – turns into a resounding success. His boat is an unlikely 56ft stay sail schooner with a beam of a mere 9ft 6in. Her official name is Spirit of Pentax, but as he wrestles round the Southern Ocean towards New Zealand and his respect for her balloons, he privately renames her Captain Fantastic. In this passage, Rodgers and The Captain are stranded on Stewart Island south of New Zealand after drifting ashore in a fog with no wind to drive the yacht. The humanity of the man is spelled out in a final sentence which we all would do well to consider.
Paul Rodgers’ new book, Sailing to Purgatory, is now available. If it’s anything like as good as Loner, it’ll be a read to remember.
It was a very dark night and Captain Fantastic was a few hundred yards from a reef and closing quickly. She should have struck, but some guiding hand seemed to push her to one side and she whispered past. The sea was still, so there were no tell-tale breakers. Nothing to be seen, blackness and the mist. I might as well turn in. Beneath the keel, where a few hours ago lay massive depths, was now scarcely 20ft. But I still was aware of nothing, except a growing unease.
The first of a new air stream, north-easterly winds, was catspawing itself down the coast towards us. They breathed gently on the large area of canvas I had set and joined the tide in sealing our fate. I turned in my sleeping bag, excited by the prospect of seeing old friends again, of being with my family.
この記事は Yachting World の August 2017 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
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この記事は Yachting World の August 2017 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
wallywind 110 launches
The first example of Wally Yacht's new wallywind performance cruising range launched this summer, during the iconic Italian brand's 30th anniversary year - and in time for its debut at the Monaco Yacht Show in September.
Irish skipper wins Figaro
Irish solo skipper Tom Dolan took a historic victory in this year's La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec, winning the solo multistage offshore race overall only the third non-French competitor ever to do so.
Youth AC puts on a show
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli's team won the UniCredit Youth America's Cup after a highly absorbing series comprising 12 international teams racing the one-design AC40s off Barcelona.
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