Close to the Wind: An Extraordinary Story of Triumph Over Adversity

by Pete Goss

On November 3, 1996, former Royal Marine Pete Goss embarked on the most grueling competition in his sailing career: the Vendée 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 this extraordinary tale as amazing as it is thrilling.

Genres: Nonfiction, Adventure, Biography, Nautical, Memoir, Travel

288 pages, Paperback

First published September 3, 1998

Reviews

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somewhere, sometime I noted this book down from a goodreads recommendation. I sat down at the library today and read it. Published in 1997, a paperback that includes some good photos, this book is the story of a sailor who was up for any challenge from a young age.
Born in Devon, his family had the benefit of living abroad in a number of locations due to his father's job where he had the chance to learn how to sail. His love for the sea and sailing started young and kept growing. His first ocean yacht race was 1986 when he was 24. That only determined his path, stoking his desire to do a solo round-the-world race.
There is a great deal of detail about sacrifice, help from his family and friends and supporters and eventually sponsors to get him to where he wanted to be. The road was full of challenges. There is a harrowing incident where he rescues a sailor in very rough seas.
He is obviously older now, but maintains a website with his latest adventures. www.petegoss.com

[Pete · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pete Goss may not be William Shakespeare, but his life is so fascinating, and the story of his solo round-the-world yacht race so gripping, that you never notice the occasionally clunky prose. Forgot other so-called 'extreme sports' - sailing a 50-foot long yacht around the bottom of the world through hurricanes where the waves get to be 60 feet high puts all other sporting endeavors to shame. This book is as good a window into the mind and experiences of one of the world's best sailors as you'll probably ever get.

[Stephen Kiernan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Among the great library of ocean adventure stories, this one has a lot to recommend it: A sailor's obsession with a solo circumnavigation, the pressures of costs against safety, the wild sea in the Southern Ocean, even sacrificing a global race in order to make an incredible rescue of another sailor.

But there are two problems.

One is proportion. We read twice as much about preparation (or maybe three times) as we do about the actual sailing. I kept telling the book to get on with it.

The other problem is what I can only call log-rolling. It's as if the sponsors of his boat were also sponsors of this book. There's even a list at the back of the book of companies that donated money or equipment -- totally cringe-worthy.

[Andi · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great read! That I read this book in three days (while also reading another one,) is a testament to what a pleasure it was to read this true story of an adventurous dream of a lifetime come true for Pete Goss. He writes as he is - unpretentious, realistic, hardworking - and consequently in awe of the hordes of people who helped him, and the family that supported him in his dream to sail around the world, alone, in the race of a lifetime. I, who know nothing, of sails and masts and winches and such, reveled in reading how he handled them all in some of the most horrific conditions an ocean can muster. He reveals slip-ups with humility and credits others for his successes and enjoys a few good pints at the end of it. Read it - you won't be disappointed!

[Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn't put this down, better than fiction.

[Gry · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's hard to rate this book because it's a phenomenal story, but it just takes way too long for the author to get around to telling it. It seems to me that Goss spent way too much time recounting in detail how he funded his sailing adventures. He could have glossed over much of the first part of this book, and readers would not have minded one bit; in fact, I imagine most would have preferred that. He seemed to want to use this book to document his whole sailing career instead of the adventure the book was supposedly about.

Interestingly, he does gloss over one event, an around the world sail he did with a group of laypersons from a sailing class he was teaching. I almost felt like that event could have been a book in itself!

Finally, the end of this book has the adventure readers had been craving, and it is spectacular. He turns his yacht around in the treacherous Southern Ocean to attempt a rescue of one of his competitors, in spite of all the risks. His sense of duty and loyalty to his fellow sailors is very admirable. I agree with other reviewers that the prose at times is a little clunky--the author has a habit of inserting strange exclamations in the middle of action scenes, but that's just his style, quirky though it may be.

The technical financial talk at the beginning of this book, in all its painstaking detail was two stars in my opinion, but the second half and the ending were five stars all the way. It will make you want to cheer along with the spectators as Goss and his grateful companion cross the finish line.

[Saam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This non-fictional biography written by the person himself, Pete Goss, is about this sailor who's dream was to participate in the ultimate sailing challenge: the Vendee. When in the Vendee, a sailor had to sail across the world without assistance and make it to the finish line. After some financial difficulties, Pete finally got his shot at the Vendee and he started off pretty well, knowing that he had the smallest boat in the fleet. He came across a couple of storms and a few injuries but he was doing fine until they call every sailor on the radio saying a sailor's boat was sinking and the sailor, Raphael Donelli, needed assistance and he was in the middle of the Southern Ocean. Pete was the closest to him and he had t decide whether he was going to sacrifice his life to save that man or will he let him die in the ocean. I really liked this book because I too am a sailor. I also liked it because of the action happening and the way Pete made it to the Vendee. My only problem was that the pictures were put before the scene in the picture which spoiled the story. I would recommend this book to people who are instersted in sailing, who are sailors or people who want to know what courage really is.

[Ohenrypacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pete Goss is a larger than life heroic personality. Alone in the southern ocean, tossed by a monster storm, he gives up on his personal ambition in the Vendee Globe race to turn back in to the storm to come to the aid of a fellow racer. It turns out he saves the guy from certain death and as a bonus the race organizers allow him to continue to the finish.
Every bit of the sailing in this book is edge of the seat exciting, and for the most part Goss is very modest about his heroics. The only downside is that the reality of raising the capital to undertake these kinds of adventures has turned him into a self-promotion machine, and the trials and tribulations of the struggle to float his boats bleeds into the story just enough to make the book seem as much a sales pitch as the tale it really is.

[Elvis2 · Rating 1 out of 5]

I finally got to page 190 after slogging through some of the most boring information I have ever read. The writing itself is awful. Goss should have hired a ghostwriter to handle the telling of what I'm sure was an exciting story, the one which began around page 190. I can swear with the best of them but found myself turned off by "dickhead," "fuck," "bugger it," and the interminable use of the word "shit."

I have read some wonderful adventure books, books I happily read more than once. I love reading about the extraordinary courage that some people possess. When I got to the main event, the Vendée, I was so tired of the amateurish writing and offended by how the author wasted so many pages on extraneous nonsense that I stopped reading. I didn't care anymore about what happened.

[Mark · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the story of Peter Goss’s attempt to sail around the world in a boat race.

This is probably a bit of an unfair review as it is quite subjective – but I have to stay true to myself.
I don’t like autobiographies or sailing or sports but I thought I would try to get out of my comfort zone. Someone suggested this as they found it gripping.

The good points first.
This is easy to read and Peter seems a genuinely likeable and capable chap who has had quite a life.
Things do happen in the book and if you are into your sailing I think you could enjoy this.
It is also quite short.

First off, I don’t understand sailboat racing – not even the concept.
The amount of money involved is staggering and this book didn’t help me consolidate that in anyway.
Why pay tens of thousands of pounds to have your logo on a sail?
Who will even see it?
Is there a TV channel were nautical types watch little boats bob around the ocean?

This book is definitely not aimed at casual readers who will wonder as Peter, reefs down, bores away, has head, tramps, tracks and Chinese gybes his way across the world – hopefully those are all good things – I wouldn’t know.
These little boats seem to have about a million sails on them, the properties and uses of these sails means nothing to me.

A lot of the sailing drama was just gibberish to me:
The bingo-bango had fallen behind the wubly-woo so, even though you shouldn’t in a storm, I hoisted the burly-putang and performed a hockey-cokey.
Great! I guess?

I got no real mental picture of the boat which is where a lot of the action happens.
Sometimes the cabin sounds like a squalid little hole other times it sounds like the Bat Cave with Peter taking on engineering projects.
Having your cabin filled with a mixture of sea water and diesel oil sounds like a disaster to me – but apparently that is manageable.

There are some photos in the centre of the book but they are of bad quality and don’t really add anything.

The real problem with this book is how back-loaded it is.
The first two thirds of the book are all about admin and fund raising -which is seriously boring.
Even when something mildly interesting does happen in the world of finance it is glossed over – probably for legal reasons.

I personally don’t resonate with this kind of adventure.
If your plane crashes or you are in a war and you have to go on some crazy odyssey then I am with you.
All of Peter’s hardships were totally self-inflicted and anytime he could just call it a day and sail home.
The only stakes here is his own determination and the crippling debt he had burdened his family with – so I never actually cared if he finished the race or not.

I have learnt that (when it comes to reading anyway) the comfort zone is aptly named and I intend to stay well insied it from now on.

[Tim Corke · Rating 4 out of 5]

A frank and honest account from Pete Goss as he realised his dream of competing in the Vendee Globe and single handedly sailing around the world. The financial difficulties, the impact on friends and family, the wonderful generosity and kindness and of course the personal determination and endeavour. At times it was very specific, and at others not so much. It feels like a true and honest account as it's not glossy and polished, and clearly some memories stood out more than others, and others weren't pursued as much.

[Mel Luna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even having some sailing experience, much of the nautical jargon was lost on me. However, it did not diminish my enjoyment of this harrowing account. Being British, he has a good sense of humor about things, yet it is clear this man is cut from an uncommonly tenacious cloth. I would often find myself whipping along at a frantic pace with him and have to stop, catch my breath, and shake my head in awe.

[Declan Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

The blurb on the back of this book seems to imply that it's about some amazing sailing capped off with a daring rescue, but it takes an awfully long time to get there. The start of the book covers his life in an appropriate level of detail, but we get bogged down in boatbuilding and finance for too long. The good stuff is in there, but you'd be as well to skip a fair whack of this book.

[Peter Staadecker · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sailing classic - one of the most extraordinary and heroic sailing rescues imaginable.
Wonderful stuff.

The related book covering the same Vendee Globe race, Derek Lundy's "Godforsaken Sea" is a great companion read to this book.

[Mr Michael Sean Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Raw and captivating

An enjoyable read written by the author with a nice simplicity of emotions and first hand experiences. Ideal for those of us who enjoy sailing and adventure.

[Daniel Hornery · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent book. Easy read. Interesting story for those in the marine industry. It did take a long time to build from preparation and funding woes into the race. Overall, I enjoyed and would recommend to others.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 Not a bad book. Kept me entertained, but not as good as a voyage for madmen, or other sailing books I've read.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book would easily have been a 5 star if he had professional help. Just because it is non fiction doesn't mean it has to read like a text book. Still a good read.

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fairly interesting true story on a man who enjoys single handed boat races around the world.

[Lisa Swanepoel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating story about determination and true grit. People who have so much bravery to go after their dreams no matter what and refusing to live a conventional life amaze me. An inspiring book

[Dave Talaga · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent account of the cost and hazards of a single unassisted global circumnavigation.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hold on to your hat...
Could the sailor have used a bit more of an editor, yes, but so real the way it is.

[Wendy Leo-Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

One remarkable person, had the privilege of meeting this unassuming man twice. Out of the world courage and an incredible insight into the real dangers of ocean racing.

[Roy Ashcroft · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story well written a real page turner at the end

[Jeffblacker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This would make a great movie. I wish it were, so more people knew the story.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable story of a sailing nut who went around the world. Pete’s attitude to life and sailing was relentlessly positive and fascinating

[Romane Benoit · Rating 5 out of 5]

I randomly picked up but really enjoyed this book! I don't usually (actually have never) read a book like this (somewhat autobiographical, the author describes his run up to and experience during his first Vendée Globe race).

I was surprised at how much it captivated me all throughout and kept me reading until the end. You can sense the author is very down to earth and pragmatic, and you feel like you really lived the whole experience with him by the end, or at least have a good understanding of the implications of such an undertaking!

It also contains nuggets of wisdom, particularly through quotes at the beginning of chapters, that I thoroughly enjoyed discovering!

I surprisingly wasn't put off by the amount of precise sailing terms used to describe the multiple technical elements of the boat, although I still don't know what most were referring to..! This is prevalent mostly in the second half of the book and clearly isn't too fundamental to the enjoyment of the book.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is attracted to it for some reason or other, adventurers, sailing enthusiasts, and anyone looking to read something a bit different. I'm just thinking, it might be a good lockdown read as well as you could identify with Pete as he sailed around the world 129 days by himself..! But there is also this aspect of travel and newness which is refreshing to look into.

Once again, very much enjoyed this!

[Mrs.Lady · Rating 3 out of 5]

So much suffering, sure makes you wonder why these people do it. I have read other longdistant sailing accounts though from before when things were not high tech. Back years ago once they left port they were completely out of touch. With the tech comes the need for generators to keep up the battery power to run all the electronic instruments and communication and it seems a great deal of the time was spent fixing these things. And this book was written 20 years ago, now I can imagine. But the sea does not change, no matter the gizmos the challenge to sail in those horrific cold conditions does not change. I guess you have to have a certain insanity to sail the Southern Ocean. This account was certainly full of thrills and a lot of "sure am glad to not be aboard" thoughts. Good going Pete!

[Brad Brain · Rating 3 out of 5]

From what I remember the book is split into 2 sections. Everything that leads up to his sailing the Vendee Globe round the world race and him sailing the race. i found the first part tedious. Not so much because of the background he gives about himself but because of his focus on how he raised the funds to do the race. It is a poor mechanism for suspense since the reader knows that the race is going to be sailed. That being said I found the second half of the book to be totally fascinating. Beating against the "wind" in the southern ocean on a fragile racing yacht is most probably the definition of madness. In my mind Pete Goss is a sailors sailor. And so I didn't think the book was that great the second half totally redeems it for me.

[Colin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ma Mami always said that if you want to own a boat just stand in the shower tearing up hundred dollar bills, this book sheds a little truth on that. Super wet, super expensive and never without it's problems yet full of adventure and brushes with death, especially in the violent storms of the southern ocean. This fella Pete Goss lives for the thrill of the sea and the wind that whips it. On the other hand his writing style is a bit dry and he often uses nautical terms that most people wouldn't understand. It's almost like he wrote this book for a sailing buddy to read and "sod" the rest of us. That's right, anywhere you would usually expect a classic cuss word, ol' Pete uses "sod", It's just not as satisfying as saying fuck or shit... I've tested all three in succession.