Close to the Wind

By Pete Goss

Book Overview

On November 3, 1996, former Royal Marine Pete Goss embarked on the most grueling competition in his sailing career: the Vendee Globe, a nonstop, single-handed round-the-world yacht race. For the next seven weeks he met every challenge in his stormy path, from combating waves the height of six-story buildings to grappling with his spinnaker in high winds. Then everything began going wrong: His sails were destroyed, his navigation equipment proved useless. And on Christmas Day his radio picked up a Mayday that a French competitor was sinking 160 miles away. Turning into the hurricane-force winds, Goss set out to rescue a near-dead man on a life raft somewhere in the vast wilderness of the merciless southern ocean. How he did it makes his gripping tale as heroic as it is thrilling. Book jacket.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0786707410
• ISBN13: 9780786707416
• Release Date: May 2000
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

A Sailor's Sailor

Having ridden Destroyers for the US Navy for twenty years and cruising the Caribbean for the last three, I can say this is the definitive sailor's story. Truly inspirational. This book belongs in any boats library with Fastnet Force 10, Fatal Storm and A Hungry Ocean.

Ideal for any sailor

Any sailor, novice or expert will love this tale of an extremely brave hero. Take it on the boat with you and read it aloud!

Want to hear from a hero.....

...... then read this book. Want to become a literary pedant then read 100 pages and sign on here to complain. True Pete Goss is not one of the greatest writers in history but that is not why I wanted to read the book!This a moving description of what it felt like to be part of lifes great adventures, written with true feeling and humility.

Great Frigging Story!

Goss is the real deal. A real-life hero. ...Both for what he has done for others and what he has accomplished for himself. Through Goss you'll get a glimpse of the kind of real-life tenacity and spirit it takes just to get to the starting line (let alone finish) of a challenge larger than most of us will ever choose to face. If you're looking to experience an exciting story about a yacht race you've missed the boat...they left in '96. Read this book, maybe you'll do something worth writing about yourself! A GREAT INSPIRATION.

I couldn't put it down

This is an excellent, riveting book. Hats off to Pete Goss for not only sailing in this horrific race, but also for writing so sensitively and evocatively about it. The story of Pete Goss puts the lie to the idea that there are no heroes anymore. I highly recommend this book.