The Proving Ground
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.21 (799 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 1612181430 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 320 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2017-11-27 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
Just 19 when he sailed in the race, he too endured a harrowing experience on a life raft. When I met him a few years after the race, he told me he was still haunted by the memory. The suit unfairly criticized a man that I knew to be a hero. However, from talking to him and others, it was clear that the youngest survivors were having more difficulty dealing with the aftermath than their elders.Well before Larry Ellison made it to safety, he promised himself that he would never sail in another Hobart--or in any other race that takes place in open ocean. Some of them became friends. For the man who was named for Ellis Island, the idea of returning the Cup to the United States was irresistible. Having visited Gibbo at his home and sailed
M. A Michaud said The Proving Ground, by G. Bruce Knecht. Journalist G. Bruce Knecht here tells the story of the disastrous 1998 Sydney to Hobart yacht race, in which several yachts were sunk and six men died at sea. His very readable account focuses on only a few of the yachts and individual members of their crews, plus individual weathermen and rescue services personnel. This technique adds a personal dimension to the story, but also has its drawbacks. Two of the dead are mentioned as an afterthought, and many yachts that suffered severely from the violent weather are not mentioned at all. Readers interested in sailing and navigation may find the book too focused on personalities,. "Great Subject; Bad Writing" according to A Customer. I read this book immediately after finishing another account of the 1998 Sydney-Hobart race by Rob Mundle (an Australian), titled: Fatal Storm. I thought both versions were worth reading because they focused their attention differently (Knecht spent much more ink on Larry Ellison; Mundle focused on the yachts and people most relevant to this particular race). Knecht was much more blunt in revealing difficult personalities, interpersonal tension and controversy -- particularly with regard to the Sword of Orion. Mundle was more polite -- or perhaps more prudent. It's risky to portray someone negatively who endured such an ordea. A Proven Book! MAPjr The Proving Ground is not just a page-turner, or a sailing story, or a gripping tale of man against nature -- it is all of those things and more. This is a well-written account of the tragic 1998 Sydney to Hobart Race. While Bruce Knecht's skills and experience as a journalist are evident in the crisp, detailed writing, the story flows with the ease of a good novel, and is infused with a passionate insight into blue-water sailing. If you love sailing, or the ocean, or just great writing, this is a must-read book.
In this 10th Anniversary edition, with a new afterword from the author, G.Bruce Knecht tells the harrowing story of a world-renowned sailing race gone fatally bad. Most importantly, he offers a glimpse into how people with very different backgrounds responded to something bigger than they were—and how it changed them forever. Bruce Knecht focuses on three yachts and their crews, weaving together an extraordinary story with vivid detail, outsized personalities, and high drama. On December 26, 1998, 115 sailboats crossed the starting line of the famous Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. But no one could have foreseen the tragedy that would befall the competitors, who sailed into a massive storm that tore apart the fleet with hurricane-force winds and eighty-foot waves. Hailed as “harrowing” by the New York Times, “pulse-pounding” by People magazine, and “the Perfect Storm of blue-water sailboat racing” by Walter Cronkite, The Proving Ground is a true-to-life adventure tale as thrilling as any work of fiction.. In this gripping insider’s account, award-winning writer G. The 630-nautical-mile contest is among the most difficult races in the world, a test of strength and endurance like few others. What began as a race for glory ra