The Race : The First Nonstop, Round-the-World, No-Holds-Barred Sailing Competition

**A contributing editor for __Outside__ magazine provides a behind-the-scenes look at the fast-paced, around-the-world sailing race.**An invigorating behind-the-scenes look at the world of extreme sailing, is also a taut, engrossing account of the first running of the competition called "The Race," which began on December 31, 2000, in Barcelona and ended sixty-two days later in Marseilles. The most intense event of its kind—a nonstop circumnavigation of the globe in the fastest boats ever built—The Race attracts some of the world's best sailors and arguably its most eccentric personalities.Tim Zimmermann, an experienced blue-water sailor, relates in knuckle-whitening detail how and why sailors risk millions of dollars and their lives to dash around the world in record time. He garnishes this story with a chronicle of the tumultuous history of extreme sailing from the nineteenth century to today. Zimmermann "puts the reader right on board with the tough, colorful crews as they take a crash course (sometimes literally) in how to handle these astonishing machines" (Derek Lundy, author of ).**Praise for __The Race__****"Zimmerman turns a daring race of unthinkably fast, high-tech sailing machines into a page-turner." —Bruce Knecht, author of __The Proving Ground__****"This is probably the finest account of the history of the circumnavigator's quest yet written, refreshingly free of hyperbole and false expectation. Zimmerman's pace matches that of The Race itself, though he never puts his bow under." —Lincoln P. Paine, author of __Ships of the World__** **"Zimmerman's behind-the-scenes look at the characters, boats, and technology in The Race—as well as the rich sailing history that preceded it—captures the nuances of adventure only a masochist could love. The Race was a wild ride, and __The Race__ is a fine read." —Herb McCormick, sailing correspondent of the __New York Times__, editor of __Cruising World__** "A contributing editor for Outside magazine provides a behind-the-scenes look at the fast-paced, around-the-world sailing race. An invigorating behind-the-scenes look at the world of extreme sailing, The Race is also a taut, engrossing account of the first running of the competition called "The Race," which began on December 31, 2000, in Barcelona and ended sixty-two days later in Marseilles. The most intense event of its kind -- a nonstop circumnavigation of the globe in the fastest boats ever built -- The Race attracts some of the world's best sailors and arguably its most eccentric personalities. Tim Zimmermann, an experienced blue-water sailor, relates in knuckle-whitening detail how and why sailors risk millions of dollars and their lives to dash around the world in record time. He garnishes this story with a chronicle of the tumultuous history of extreme sailing from the nineteenth century to today. Zimmermann "puts the reader right on board with the tough, colorful crews as they take a crash course (sometimes literally) in how to handle these astonishing machines" (Derek Lundy, author of Godforsaken Sea ). Praise for The Race "Zimmerman turns a daring race of unthinkably fast, high-tech sailing machines into a page-turner." -- Bruce Knecht, author of The Proving Ground "This is probably the finest account of the history of the circumnavigator's quest yet written, refreshingly free of hyperbole and false expectation. Zimmerman's pace matches that of The Race itself, though he never puts his bow under." -- Lincoln P. Paine, author of Ships of the World "Zimmerman's behind-the-scenes look at the characters, boats, and technology in The Race -- as well as the rich sailing history that preceded it -- captures the nuances of adventure only a masochist could love. The Race was a wild ride, and The Race is a fine read." -- Herb McCormick, sailing correspondent of the New York Times , editor of Cruising World"-- Provided by Freading

Why saw the handle off your toothbrush? Why tackle the world's stormiest waters in a fragile craft that has never weathered such seas before?
The answer to both these questions is the same: to sail faster than anyone ever has before. In engrossing, suspenseful detail, THE RACE relates how and why participants in the first running of The Race risked millions of dollars and their lives to dash around the world in record time.
Other contests have pushed people and boats past their limits, but no race has ever left so little margin for error. For this very reason, The Race attracted the world's best sailors, among them a Chicago multimillionaire who has set more than twenty records in competitions ranging from ballooning to flying to sailing, a young Briton best known for risking his life to fish a competitor out of the Southern Ocean during a solo round-the-world race, and a hard-nosed New Zealander with virtually no experience skippering multihulls—the huge, fast, notoriously unstable boats that ran The Race.
Zimmermann also chronicles the tumultuous history of extreme sailing, in craft from nineteenth-century clipper ships to today's dangerous, high-tech marvels with masts fifteen stories tall, which are capable of making up to fifty miles per hour. He spotlights the protean personalities that have driven the sport: Joshua Slocum, who completed the first solo voyage around the world, aided by hallucinations of an old salt beside him at the helm; "Blondie" Hasler, an iconoclastic World War II hero who outraged the risk-averse sailing establishment by organizing the first single-handed transatlantic race; and Francis Chichester, the sailor who won it, despite weighing his small craft down with such luxuries as bottles of claret and a smoking jacket.
Tim Zimmermann, an experienced blue-water sailor, graces this high-tension saga with rich atmosphere, historical depth, and singular emotional intensity.

Why saw the handle off your toothbrush? Why tackle the world's stormiest waters in a fragile craft that has never weathered such seas before? The answer to both these questions is the same: to sail faster than anyone ever has before. In engrossing, suspenseful detail, THE RACE relates how and why participants in the first running of The Race risked millions of dollars and their lives to dash around the world in record time. Other contests have pushed people and boats past their limits, but no race has ever left so little margin for error. For this very reason, The Race attracted the world's best sailors, among them a Chicago multimillionaire who has set more than twenty records in competitions ranging from ballooning to flying to sailing, a young Briton best known for risking his life to fish a competitor out of the Southern Ocean during a solo round-the-world race, and a hard-nosed New Zealander with virtually no experience skippering multihulls -- the huge, fast, notoriously unstable boats that ran The Race. Zimmermann also chronicles the tumultuous history of extreme sailing, in craft from nineteenth-century clipper ships to today's dangerous, high-tech marvels with masts fifteen stories tall, which are capable of making up to fifty miles per hour. He spotlights the protean personalities that have driven the sport: Joshua Slocum, who completed the first solo voyage around the world, aided by hallucinations of an old salt beside him at the helm; "Blondie" Hasler, an iconoclastic World War II hero who outraged the risk-averse sailing establishment by organizing the first single-handed transatlantic race; and Francis Chichester, the sailor who won it, despite weighing his small craft down with such luxuries as bottles of claret and a smoking jacket. Tim Zimmermann, an experienced blue-water sailor, graces this high-tension saga with rich atmosphere, historical depth, and singular emotional intensity. Clippers, toffs, and an American original Cockleshell heroes The golden globe Modern mayhem A new breed of cat Speed and carnage The trials of team Philips To the Atlantic To the equator To the southern ocean Southern ocean derby Southern ocean express Cape Horn and home. Provides an account of an extreme non-stop sailing race around the world, a competition that attracted competitors willing to risk millions of dollars and their lives to voyage around the world in fragile sailing vessels in record time. THE INSPIRATION for what would become The Race can be traced to the cramped navigation station of a boat heaving itself through the same waters Team Adventure and Club Med now faced.