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Innocent aboard,
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July 25, 2023
In 1968 The Sunday Times sponsored the Golden Globe, a single-handed, non-stop, circumnavigation. There were nine entrants and only one finished.
There are books by other entrants—Robin Knox-Johnston, Bernard Moitessier—and there is an excellent book about the race by Peter Nichols.
Innocent Aboard is Chay Blyth’s account of his experience in the race. I didn’t finish this book. Although Blyth had previously rowed the Atlantic with his friend and fellow Golden Globe competitor John Ridgeway, he had no sailing experience and did not know how to navigate on the open ocean. The boat that he sailed in was totally unsuited in almost every way to the conditions it would experience. Blyth was told this by people with experience of those conditions but he ignored them and sailed anyway.
Blyth is honest about his lack of experience but I found his arrogant vanity a little too much to deal with. He believed that god would look after him; I assume he believed that the same god would look after those who might have to put their lives at risk to rescue him. Fortunately that was not necessary and Blyth came to his senses when his boat began to fail after it’s very first experience of the roaring forties. He made for the Cape of Good Hope and quit the race.
There are better books—those mentioned above—about this race and my suggestion is that you read those rather than this tedious volume.
There are books by other entrants—Robin Knox-Johnston, Bernard Moitessier—and there is an excellent book about the race by Peter Nichols.
Innocent Aboard is Chay Blyth’s account of his experience in the race. I didn’t finish this book. Although Blyth had previously rowed the Atlantic with his friend and fellow Golden Globe competitor John Ridgeway, he had no sailing experience and did not know how to navigate on the open ocean. The boat that he sailed in was totally unsuited in almost every way to the conditions it would experience. Blyth was told this by people with experience of those conditions but he ignored them and sailed anyway.
Blyth is honest about his lack of experience but I found his arrogant vanity a little too much to deal with. He believed that god would look after him; I assume he believed that the same god would look after those who might have to put their lives at risk to rescue him. Fortunately that was not necessary and Blyth came to his senses when his boat began to fail after it’s very first experience of the roaring forties. He made for the Cape of Good Hope and quit the race.
There are better books—those mentioned above—about this race and my suggestion is that you read those rather than this tedious volume.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review