- Paperback: 280 pages
- Publisher: McClelland & Stewart; Reprint edition (May 6 2008)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0771057032
- ISBN-13: 978-0771057038
- Product Dimensions: 15.2 x 1.3 x 22.9 cm
- Shipping Weight: 340 g
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #369,358 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
Review
Praise for Sea of Dreams:
“[A] dramatic tale of grit and stamina.”
— Hamilton Spectator
“Readers — sailors and non-sailors alike — will shiver with fear and cold as the yachts sail on the edge of control.”
— Halifax Chronicle Herald
“A gripping page-turner. . . . Mayers also offers a glimpse into the soul of human endurance.”
— Toronto Star
From the Hardcover edition.
“[A] dramatic tale of grit and stamina.”
— Hamilton Spectator
“Readers — sailors and non-sailors alike — will shiver with fear and cold as the yachts sail on the edge of control.”
— Halifax Chronicle Herald
“A gripping page-turner. . . . Mayers also offers a glimpse into the soul of human endurance.”
— Toronto Star
From the Hardcover edition.
Product Description
The August 1979 Fastnet race, from Cowes on the Isle of Wight in the English Channel to the Fastnet lighthouse off the south coast of Ireland, started calmly enough for the 303 boats taking part. The previous two races had been uneventful and none of the sailors, among them former British prime minister Ted Heath and American cable TV millionaire Ted Turner, anticipated anything out of the ordinary this time. They expected a challenge, an exhilarating ride, and three days of top-flight competition. But once the yachts left the shelter of the Cornish coast, they were hit by a storm that gained ferocity minute by minute until it was blowing Force 10 and raising mountainous waves. At Force 10, the wind speed at sea is fifty-five knots, just shy of a hurricane. Winds that strength on land uproot trees and demolish poorly constructed buildings.
Beyond Endurance is the story of that race, which culminated in a night of terror, courage, and split-second reactions, of ferocious seas that forced each sailor either to give up and face almost certain death or to find within himself the extraordinary strength and skill that might, just might, keep him alive. Not all of them made it. Among the survivors were twenty-six men from Canada, Britain, and the United States, whom Mayers has interviewed about what they still call “that night.”
Beyond Endurance is Mayers’s dramatic story of the Fastnet race: its hopeful start, the camaraderie of its crews, the challenges of the earlier cross-Channel races — and the deadly storm that caused the worst tragedy ever to befall an ocean-sailing race.
From the Hardcover edition.
Beyond Endurance is the story of that race, which culminated in a night of terror, courage, and split-second reactions, of ferocious seas that forced each sailor either to give up and face almost certain death or to find within himself the extraordinary strength and skill that might, just might, keep him alive. Not all of them made it. Among the survivors were twenty-six men from Canada, Britain, and the United States, whom Mayers has interviewed about what they still call “that night.”
Beyond Endurance is Mayers’s dramatic story of the Fastnet race: its hopeful start, the camaraderie of its crews, the challenges of the earlier cross-Channel races — and the deadly storm that caused the worst tragedy ever to befall an ocean-sailing race.
From the Hardcover edition.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.0 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews)
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
A non-sailor's account of the Fastnet disaster, July 11 2007
By Michael T Kennedy - Published on Amazon.com
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Beyond Endurance: 300 Boats, 600 Miles, and One Deadly Storm (Hardcover)
The 1979 Fastnet Race was disaster for yacht racing. A severe storm struck the fleet half way to the turning mark at Fastnet Rock. The smaller boats were the worst affected as they still had miles to go before being able to turn and run for home. The wiser skippers dropped out early and sought shelter. The boats themselves were often poorly designed for the conditions as the rating rule had changed in 1973 and many were designed with rating in mind more than seaworthiness. A major problem was the motion of some of these smaller boats that was so violent that crews chose to abandon ship and go into life rafts when the safer course would have been to stay with the yacht. This is a good account from interviews of surviving crew members. The author is not as knowledgeable about sailing and racing as others who have written accounts of the event but this is a worthwhile addition to the literature about that incident. John Rousmaniere's "Fastnet Force 10" and Adlard Coles' "Heavy Weather Sailing" have more sophisticated accounts but this is worthwhile.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Some of the comments that I've received., April 1 2008
By C. F. Bentley "Magistri skipper" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Beyond Endurance: 300 Boats, 600 Miles, and One Deadly Storm (Hardcover)
(1) John Brandt - I haven't read a book non-stop, cover to cover since The Perfect Storm. What a yarn! The fearsome ocean images Mayers painted were palpable. The fear and the superhuman effort to manage it were gut wrenching.(2) Marilynn Milligan - For me, it was "I can't put this book down until I'm finished reading it." The survival and drama of the race I found very gripping. The ability to swim (or not) probably would barely have helped anyone during that race. My guess is that that kind of challenge would be life-changing, if not immediately, then certainly over the next part of a person's life. It is an amazing book. Now I am thinking about who I know that I can recommend it to who will really enjoy it in the same way that I did. It is truly quite a story!
(3) Bob Hampton - What a great book!...I'm about half way through it and it's difficult to put the book down.... My flight is taxiing down the runway!...I hate it when flights are on time!
(4) Elizabeth Hayes - I had many friends on those boats and heard their stories and private thoughts at the time. Reading this book created a more complete picture of their experiences for me.
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