"In all, beautifully written and wonderfully inspiring."--The Wall
Street Journal "Crossing the Atlantic under sail, alone, is a nexus
of sorts for all sailors, a dream and an adventure that seems
obtainable within the framework of life and work, and it's in this
context that Sea Trials provides inspiration to all of us. Bourke's
route across the ocean, as a participant in the 2009 OSTAR, is
circuitous at best as he battles headwinds and mechanical snafus,
but he keeps it in perspective and never loses his sense of humor
and awe. Sure he wants to do well in the race, but getting to the
starting line is already a victory, and finishing, when others
would have retired, seems in character. Bourke deftly weaves his
life story into the narrative, from the tragic death of his wife
that leaves him an angry single parent, to postponing his dreams
until his kids are settled, to his rather bumbling attempts to
become a sailor. It takes a good writer to make this work within
the framework of a voyage, and Bourke is a very good writer. . . .
I was in the cockpit with him as he spent long hours at the helm,
attuned to the sea and alone withhis thoughts. He doesn't whine but
he's not a hero either, just a sailor dealing with his boat, the
Atlantic, and life, and he relishes it all. This is a brilliant
book." -- John Kretschmer, author, Sailing a SeriousOcean and At
the Mercy of the SeaPeter Bourke first heard the siren call of the
sea as a young boy when he crossed the Atlantic from England with
his family. Decades later, three years after his wife's sudden
death, he bought a boat--even though he did not yetknow how to
sail. His friends thought he was crazy; but for Bourke, buying his
fi rst sailboat was a lifeline, a glimmer of hope in a world turned
upside down. Learning to juggle single parenting, a career in
finance, and a growingurge to set sail was akin to walking a
tightrope of sanity. Small voyage by small voyage he gained his sea
legs, balancing the risks of singlehanding while raising children,
holding his sailing dream lightly until his children had safely
transited out of high school. Bourke entered the Oldest
Singlehanded Trans-Atlantic Race (OSTAR) at age 57. Sea Trials is
the humble account of those 40 days of racing on his 44-foot
sailboat Rubicon. As he shares his highs and lows at sea, he
alsoweaves his intimate story of grief and rediscovery into the
narrative: pain and joy, seasickness, fear, and his boundless
gratitude. You are along for Bourke's racing adventure--the good,
the bad, and the very unpredictable.Gear failure and reefi ng sails
on a pitching deck in the double dark of the mid-Atlantic night
intermix with wet twilights of Da Nang, Vietnam, where artillery
shells pierce the sky; we also travel with Bourke down the pastoral
streets of his suburban hometown toward a neighbor's house,
wondering how he will find the words and courage to tell his
daughter and son they have lost their mother. Bourke's offshore
passage is a passage home, to the core of his humanity and
humility--and as Bourke and Rubicon cross the fi nish line in
Newport, Rhode Island, the world had been simultaneously opened
wide and brought closer. To dream and to sail the dream is to
journey offand come home again, changed. And undoubtedly you will
be inspired to take a big--but satisfying--risk of your own to
fulfill your lifelong dream, whether it's on the big blue or dry
land. "Life and circumstance had left me working flat out trying to
maintain my professional position, be a good father, and keep
everything together. At the late-night end of many days, I found
myself mumbling: 'I can't keep doing this, this is killing me, I'm
dying.' It wasn't a question of wanting out of the parenting role,
or the business role, but I needed a third ball for balance . . ."
"To be at sea is to be in a different world, and to live alone for
a time in this alien place can yield a spiritual calm. . . . In
such a calm, order and perspective can enter your thoughts. Life
can be harsh at sea, but it is never sordid. The simple necessities
of food, drink, and sleep are received with gratitude, and always
there is the sea's reminder that you are a speck of dust in the
cosmos. The rush of thoughts slows, and order replaces the chaos as
you consider your journey." -- From the book SEA TRIALS is a
poignant account of one man's pursuit of a dream that will inspire
you to tackle challenging endeavors as well as squarely face life's
emotional challenges, fi nding the courage to live a fullyengaged,
authentic life.
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