Bernard Cornwell photographed by Kelly Campbell
I doubt I'll ever circle the globe in a racing boat, and I'm not sure I even want to, but Mark Chisnell has made the experience real. This is a marvellous book about a great adventure ...
Thursday 03 December 2009 09:30 GMT
Bernard Cornwell is a world-renowned author with more than a passing interest in sailing. His epic list of titles includes a series of contemporary thrillers set against a background of the sport, but he became famous for his historical novels about the life and adventures of Richard Sharpe during the Napoleonic Wars, which were adapted for the Sharpe television films.
Other well-known books include the Warlord Trilogy, a trio of books about the British King Arthur; the Grail Quest, set during the Hundred Years' War; a novel of Neolithic and Bronze Age Britain titled Stonehenge, and the Starbuck Chronicles, set during the American Civil War.
Born in England, he has lived in the United States for over 25 years.
We sent him a copy of Spanish Castle to White Night, the official Volvo Ocean Book, written by Mark Chisnell. Here is his review ...
"This is a book which left me lost in admiration. It isn't just an account of the Volvo Ocean Race of 2008-09, but a tribute to the crews who achieved something extraordinary.
"It is impressive enough for anyone to sail around the world, but to do it in a racing boat at the edge of the safety envelope, is nail-biting stuff and Mark Chisnell does the race justice.
"His superbly written account is beautifully complemented by photographs that capture the danger and excitement of the contest.
"The book reflects the sheer exhilaration of ocean racing. I learned to sail in dinghies and remember my delight at graduating to a Cornish Crabber because it meant I could sit in a cockpit with a coffee in one hand while all about me the dinghy sailors were being soaked to the skin.
"When I eventually crossed an ocean it was in a Shannon 38 and we had dodgers and a sprayhood and a bimini. I won't say it was always comfortable, but it was almost always dry, and my first reaction on looking through Spanish Castle to White Knight was that these guys were going round the world in dinghies!
"Okay, very large and very fast dinghies, but bat-out-of-hell-fast flush-decked boats which, like a racing dinghy, sacrifice comfort to speed. I thought we were doing well if we clocked up 110 nautical miles a day across the Atlantic, but the Volvo racers? Some were approaching 600 nautical miles each day which is fast enough to tow a water-skier!
"I doubt I'll ever circle the globe in a racing boat, and I'm not sure I even want to, but Mark Chisnell has made the experience real. This is a marvellous book about a great adventure, and anyone fascinated by sailing should have it on their shelf."
Competition winners
Today we announce the winners of our competition to win one of six copies of Spanish Castle to White Night.
They are: Urban Ahlstrom (Sweden), Luciano Guerra (Brazil), Antonio Gadea Boronat (Spain), Hans Baarregaard (Denmark), Keith Lamprecht (USA), David Caballero Barquero (Spain).
For the record the answers were:
1. What was the name of Mark Chisnell's daily race report on the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09 website?
Answer: The TEN ZULU Report.
2. What's the title of Mark Chisnell's book about Team EF in the 1997-98 Whitbread Race?
Answer: Risk to Gain.
3. Which boat scored the most points in the in-port racing in the 2008-09 Volvo Ocean Race?
Answer: Telefonica Blue.