Overview

Pete Goss became a national and international hero when he rescued French yachtsman Raphael Dinelli as his boat sank beneath him in the round-the-world single-handed sailing race, the Vendee Globe, on Christmas Day 1996. In doing so Pete scuppered his own chances in the race but was awarded the Legion d'Honneur by France's president and made a friend for life in Dinelli. Close to the Wind is his own story of the race and its dramas, his revolutionary boat, Aqua Quorum, his thoughts and emotions during four months of solitude at sea, the extraordinary surgery that he had to perform on his own elbow and the aftermath of the rescue in the Southern Ocean.

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9780747259381

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Reviews

CLOSE TO THE WIND - Quotes 'Nothing Ian Fleming wrote has you wondering so anxiously how the hero is going to get out of this pickle' Independent 'Parents, wives and sisters who buy this book for the family daredevil must read it first. It celebrates an ancient, beautiful way of being human.' Libby Purves in The Times 'This is a wonderful book, a book to make the reader realise that he or she could never be a hero. I recommend it.' Michael Beaumont, Spectator 'More impressive than fiction could ever be ... compelling' Independent on Sunday 'Goss takes you so vividly on board with him ... he has a genuine talent for writing tense narrative.' Independent 'The story of a brave man; a man who turned into the teeth of a hurricane to save the life of a fellow competitor in a single-handed round-the-world yacht race. A wonderful book. I recommend it.' Spectator 'Just buy it, you'll love it, a real life adventure story' Royal Yachting Association 'It is far from just a book about the Vendee events, but a soul-bearing autobiography' Western Morning News 'His down-to-earth storytelling is gripping. His modesty is endearing. His dedication to a cause and the manner of achieving it are humbling and inspiring' Cambridge Evening News 'A lot of people will be sending out for a copy of Close to the Wind to see if they can find out a little more about [Goss]. They will be richly rewarded.' Independent 'A truly inspirational, incredible story... ' South Wales Argus 'The story is a compelling one. Goss's prose is honest and unexaggerated.' Independent on Sunday 'In my book, he will always be Pete Goss, BFBH: bona fide British hero' Tim Jeffrey in Daily Telegraph 'Prose as trim as his vessel ... incredible' Kirkus Reviews 'Tense, fast-moving and illustrated with colour photographs that put you in the middle of the action' New York Times 'His heroism and modesty redeem the gun-ho bits of this mesmerising memoir. Buy it' The Times 'Goss writes about his experiences in a conversational and direct style that brings alive the terrors of the open sea' The Sunday Times

CLOSE TO THE WIND - Quotes 'Nothing Ian Fleming wrote has you wondering so anxiously how the hero is going to get out of this pickle' Independent 'Parents, wives and sisters who buy this book for the family daredevil must read it first. It celebrates an ancient, beautiful way of being human.' Libby Purves in The Times 'This is a wonderful book, a book to make the reader realise that he or she could never be a hero. I recommend it.' Michael Beaumont, Spectator 'More impressive than fiction could ever be ... compelling' Independent on Sunday 'Goss takes you so vividly on board with him ... he has a genuine talent for writing tense narrative.' Independent 'The story of a brave man; a man who turned into the teeth of a hurricane to save the life of a fellow competitor in a single-handed round-the-world yacht race. A wonderful book. I recommend it.' Spectator 'Just buy it, you'll love it, a real life adventure story' Royal Yachting Association 'It is far from just a book about the Vendee events, but a soul-bearing autobiography' Western Morning News 'His down-to-earth storytelling is gripping. His modesty is endearing. His dedication to a cause and the manner of achieving it are humbling and inspiring' Cambridge Evening News 'A lot of people will be sending out for a copy of Close to the Wind to see if they can find out a little more about [Goss]. They will be richly rewarded.' Independent 'A truly inspirational, incredible story... ' South Wales Argus 'The story is a compelling one. Goss's prose is honest and unexaggerated.' Independent on Sunday 'In my book, he will always be Pete Goss, BFBH: bona fide British hero' Tim Jeffrey in Daily Telegraph 'Prose as trim as his vessel ... incredible' Kirkus Reviews 'Tense, fast-moving and illustrated with colour photographs that put you in the middle of the action' New York Times 'His heroism and modesty redeem the gun-ho bits of this mesmerising memoir. Buy it' The Times 'Goss writes about his experiences in a conversational and direct style that brings alive the terrors of the open sea' The Sunday Times

CLOSE TO THE WIND - Quotes 'Nothing Ian Fleming wrote has you wondering so anxiously how the hero is going to get out of this pickle' Independent 'Parents, wives and sisters who buy this book for the family daredevil must read it first. It celebrates an ancient, beautiful way of being human.' Libby Purves in The Times 'This is a wonderful book, a book to make the reader realise that he or she could never be a hero. I recommend it.' Michael Beaumont, Spectator 'More impressive than fiction could ever be . . . compelling' Independent on Sunday 'Goss takes you so vividly on board with him . . . he has a genuine talent for writing tense narrative.' Independent 'The story of a brave man; a man who turned into the teeth of a hurricane to save the life of a fellow competitor in a single-handed round-the-world yacht race. A wonderful book. I recommend it.' Spectator 'Just buy it, you'll love it, a real life adventure story' Royal Yachting Association

A prepossessing account of all it takes to enter the hellacious solo race around the Southern Ocean called the Vendee Globe and how to become a hero. Goss is a can-do guy. He wants to sail around the world, through the roughest seas. Without bluster, he gets on with it. He drums up money and a training boat. He delays his gratification without grumbling when his responsibilities on the home front so necessitate (mouths to feed, a family to love - that comes first), but he keeps his eyes on the prize. Here, in prose as trim as his vessel, he details what it took to finally get a crack at the Vendee Globe - all the funding proposals, the design testing on shake-out runs - The trick was not to take life too seriously, always see the funny side and never let something brew up until it got out of proportion. Then, during the race, a hurricane overtakes him; readers, sensing Goss's reluctance to exaggerate, will appreciate how bad it is when he observes: No time to tidy the reefing lines. I flaked out the staysail halyard and freed the clutch; couldn't afford niceties. The storm is threatening to eat him alive when he gets an SOS: 160 miles away, to windward no less, a fellow sailor is in peril. The decision had been made for me a long time ago by a tradition of the sea. When someone is in trouble you help. He miraculously saves his fellow sailor, performs unanesthetized surgery on his own elbow while his boat rolls about in heavy seas, and goes on to finish the race. Goss then turned his up-to-it spirit to writing this book, doing his best to tell the story well, professionally, and honestly and with verve. He pulls that off, too, just like finishing the Vendee Globe, just like saving a life. Incredible. (Kirkus Reviews)

In December 1996, Pete Goss risked his life and lost his place in a round-the-world sailing race in order to rescue French yachtsman Raphail Dinelli when his boat sank. He describes the experience and the aftermath in this thrilling account. (Kirkus UK)

Author Information

Pete Goss is a professional yachtsman and a former member of the Royal Marines. After nine years in the Marines he left to embark on a full-time sailing career which led to success in the single-handed transatlantic race and the Vend e Globe, during which he rescued fellow-yachtsman Raphael Dinelli. He continues to sail all over the world and lives in Cornwall with his family.

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