Series in Sailing
Books in Sailing
Being with Benny: Inside the World of Ben Lexcen
Being with Benny is the story of how Bob Miller, from a shattered childhood in rural Australia and only four years of schooling, became one of the world’s leading yacht designers. His creation, Australia II, won the America’s Cup in 1983, ending the New York Yacht Club’s 132-year hold on the world’s oldest sporting trophy. Miller, who changed his name to Ben Lexcen before designing Australia II, also designed three-handed lightweight 18-footers that changed the whole course of skiff design, the Contender dinghy, and successful ocean racers such as Mercedes III, Apollo, Ginkgo, Ballyhoo and Sydney-Hobart race winner Ceil III. He was also a champion sailor and represented Australia in the Olympic Games. Being with Benny not only tells his story, some of it in his own words, but how he influenced the lives of the people around him, many of whom have helped re-sail the adventurous course of his life in this book.
Ned Myers
In consenting to lay before the world the experience of a common seaman, and, I may add, of one who has been such a sinner as the calling is only too apt to produce, I trust that no feeling of vanity has had an undue influence.
Sailing in Circles, Goin' Somewhere
Not all dreams have happy endings. Sailing in Circles, Goin' Somewhere is the funny, bittersweet memoir of a Prince Edward Island man who, over seven years, builds a classic 1930s wooden sailboat and, in 2004, attempts to circumnavigate eastern North America. The author leaves a small fishing port on the Island and tracks along the rugged coast, up the St. Lawrence River, and through the Great Lakes. Alone, he encounters heavy fog, near-collisions with freighters, mechanical breakdowns, enormous seas, several brushes with disaster, and even a hostile reception at one French-speaking port. He meets odd and curious people. It all comes to an inglorious and mundane end when the author and his boat, the Arja D. , are stuck in, of all places, Peoria, Illinois. Was it worth it? Maybe. Written by Finley Martin, a respected Island fiction writer, this finely crafted and humorous book will appeal to adventurers, sailors, and lovers of a good yarn.
Steady as She Goes
Veteran seafarers and anyone who has dreamed of running away to sea in their very own boat or simply savored the smell of the salty air on the water’s edge will be inspired by this well-crafted and varied collection. Steady as She Goes is both a testament to women’s enduring relationship with the sea and a gripping and illuminating read. Whether commercial fishing in Alaska’s unforgiving waters, racing tall ships off the coast of Australia, kayaking in the enchanting Sea of Cortez, or learning the antiquated mechanics of a New York City fireboat, these women work and play at sea, spinning harrowing adventure yarns and relaying quiet moments of revelation surrounded by the vastness of the ocean. This unique and long-overdue collection shatters once and for all the myth that the sea is solely the domain of men.
The Sailing Circle
"The sister sailors of Long Island: prelimary list, 1826-1915"--p. 40-41.
Wingnut: Sailing Showman
Gordon Ingate's illustrious sailing career spans international campaigning in Dragons and 5.5 Metres, offshore racing and the America's Cup. His Caprice of Huon won the 1965 Admiral's Cup at Australia's first appearance. In 5.5 Metres, he won the Scandinavian Gold Cup in 1969 and Kiel Week in 2001. Crewed by Rob Thornton, he also represented Australia in the Tempest class at the 1972 Olympics. He campaigned for the America's Cup with Gretel II, and continued sailing her in Australia, a valuable benchmark for the 1983 America's Cup winner, Australia II. He later returned to the Dragon class where, at the age of 91, he won the Prince Philip Cup Australian championship for a fourth time in January 2018. Wingnut: Sailing Showman is the fascinating story of Gordon Ingate's life in and around the sailing world.