Ocean Sailing

Paul Heiney

Adlard Coles

£35

Heiney says ‘If this book has one mission it’s to persuade you that there’s nothing particularly difficult or threatening about ocean sailing. It requires thought and preparation but doesn’t ask you to be superhuman.’ Ok, so they’re not superhuman but the level of dedication evidenced by this group of ocean sailors remains impressive. They are adventurous, clear-thinking and articulate and I suspect Jane Russell is right when she suggests that the experience of crossing oceans ‘tempers the soul’. Sadly many of these returning sailors have the impression that their achievement is of little interest to those of us who remain closer to shore. That isn’t true – there’s plenty to be learned from this book even by the most inveterate land-huggers.