A Voyage for Madmen
by Peter Nichols · first published 2001
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4HN commenters
2016–2026first – last mentioned
100% recommend
In 1968, nine sailors set off on the most daring race ever held: to single-handedly circumnavigate the globe nonstop. It was a feat that had never been accomplished and one that would forever change the face of sailing. Ten months later, only one of the nine men would cross the finish line and earn fame, wealth, and glory. For the others, the reward was madness, failure, and death.In this extraordinary book, Peter Nichols chronicles a contest of the individual against the sea, waged at a time before cell phones, satellite dishes, and electronic positioning systems. A Voyage for Madmen is a tal
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If you want more detail on this story, I found Peter Nichol's book A Voyage for Madmen on the race as a whole quite engaging.
on ““They Went to Sea in a Sieve, They Did”” ↗"A Voyage for Madmen" by Peter Nichols is a great book about the race and what happened, including the Donald Crowhurst story.
on “The 1968 Sunday Times Golden Globe Race” ↗A different but equally interesting book about extreme sailing (solo race around the world in the 1960's): https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6055.A_Voyage_for_Madmen
on “Confessions of a Long-Distance Sailor” ↗…despite having an old and slow boat which should have had no chance, and the man who had little real competition and should have won but decided to just keep sailing instead of finishing the race. A Voyage for Madmen is a great read about the race, as are Bernard Moitessier's and Robin Knox-Johnston's books about their experiences in the race (The Long Way and A World of my Own). There are some interesting books…
on “"They Went to Sea in a Sieve, They Did"” ↗