Piddy
Active member
A recollection of the '79 Fastnet race - what a good read!
Left for Dead by Nick Ward
- Thread starter Piddy
- Start date
neilmcc
New member
My sixteen year old is reading this for his English course at school (his choice). He thoroughly enjoyed reading the book as did I.
[2574]
...
Yes it's not bad - but did you not think that it all became a little bogged down in the middle of the book. to my eyes it verged upon becoming a novel at one point rather than an account of real happenings. A worthy read nonetheless.
rob
rob
Piddy
Active member
Yes I agree it did. But I found I couldn't stop reading it!
Cheers
Cheers
damo
New member
There is a huge hole in the story though, without firsthand accounts from the rest of the crew. The book didn't make it clear, to me anyway, if the other members had been contacted, and how hard the authors tried to get their thoughts.
It is a similar situation in Touching the Void - the film would never have been so good if Simon Yates hadn't at last felt he could contribute to the story. The psychological stress of leaving someone, even if you thought they were dead, must be enormous.
It is a similar situation in Touching the Void - the film would never have been so good if Simon Yates hadn't at last felt he could contribute to the story. The psychological stress of leaving someone, even if you thought they were dead, must be enormous.
jhr
Well-known member
[ QUOTE ]
There is a huge hole in the story though, without firsthand accounts from the rest of the crew.
[/ QUOTE ]
Worth having a look at this, which is a brief account by Matthew Sheahan, son of Grimalkin's owner and, of course, now a Journalist on Yachting World. I don't think anyone can predict how they'd react to a situation like this.
I've put "Left for Dead" on my Christmas list, so here's hoping.....
There is a huge hole in the story though, without firsthand accounts from the rest of the crew.
[/ QUOTE ]
Worth having a look at this, which is a brief account by Matthew Sheahan, son of Grimalkin's owner and, of course, now a Journalist on Yachting World. I don't think anyone can predict how they'd react to a situation like this.
I've put "Left for Dead" on my Christmas list, so here's hoping.....
BobPrell
Well-known member
Thanks everybody for bringing this book to my attention
I wrote a review I intended to publish on amazon.com but I find they no longer want reviews unless you buy buy something off them first! Grrrrr!
Here's what I wrote.
--------------------
Nick Ward tells an intensely personal story of the 1979 Fastnet Yacht Race, in the yacht Grimalkin. It was his first Fastnet and his last - so far at any rate, he says. The fleet was hit by a severe storm that lasted over 24 hours.
Like other crews, that of Grimalkin found their situation intolerable. Four men out of the six wanted to leave the yacht and get into the liferaft. Nick was in the minority who wanted to "stay with the yacht until it sank" which is an oft-quoted maxim of heavy weather sailing. The yacht capsized a number of times, and eventually a severe one left Nick and another crew-member, Gerry, unconscious and the skipper swept out of reach. The remaining crew took to the liferaft.
Nick eventually came to. Gerry soon died. The Booklist review misunderstands Gerry's situation, in my opinion.The book tells how Nick fought for his own survival, drawing on every reserve of character, experience, and amazingly, companionship with his dead shipmate. He vividly recreates the confusing process he followed. They were both finally taken off by a helicopter.
The remainder of the book is about how Nick came to terms with his traumatic experience. In an ideal world, survivors would be bonded by what they have gone through. Sadly this is not so. Nick was embittered by what happened, as the title implies. He gave no interviews for many years, until a TV documentary and this book.
He says little about any sailing he may have done since 1979, only that he watched out, over the years, for another yacht that came close by at the height of the storm. He did not find it. I soon found a few details using a little work with a search engine on the internet.
Along with "The Spirit of Rose-Noelle" by John Glennie , this is one of the best sea survival books. They both depict honestly the negative relationship that can arise between survivors. Nick's story of his survival and recovery is inspiring.
--------------------------
To elaborate on the yacht he looked out for - he did not realize that the owner was not a person, but the famous Glenans Sailing Organization, of France.
I wrote a review I intended to publish on amazon.com but I find they no longer want reviews unless you buy buy something off them first! Grrrrr!
Here's what I wrote.
--------------------
Nick Ward tells an intensely personal story of the 1979 Fastnet Yacht Race, in the yacht Grimalkin. It was his first Fastnet and his last - so far at any rate, he says. The fleet was hit by a severe storm that lasted over 24 hours.
Like other crews, that of Grimalkin found their situation intolerable. Four men out of the six wanted to leave the yacht and get into the liferaft. Nick was in the minority who wanted to "stay with the yacht until it sank" which is an oft-quoted maxim of heavy weather sailing. The yacht capsized a number of times, and eventually a severe one left Nick and another crew-member, Gerry, unconscious and the skipper swept out of reach. The remaining crew took to the liferaft.
Nick eventually came to. Gerry soon died. The Booklist review misunderstands Gerry's situation, in my opinion.The book tells how Nick fought for his own survival, drawing on every reserve of character, experience, and amazingly, companionship with his dead shipmate. He vividly recreates the confusing process he followed. They were both finally taken off by a helicopter.
The remainder of the book is about how Nick came to terms with his traumatic experience. In an ideal world, survivors would be bonded by what they have gone through. Sadly this is not so. Nick was embittered by what happened, as the title implies. He gave no interviews for many years, until a TV documentary and this book.
He says little about any sailing he may have done since 1979, only that he watched out, over the years, for another yacht that came close by at the height of the storm. He did not find it. I soon found a few details using a little work with a search engine on the internet.
Along with "The Spirit of Rose-Noelle" by John Glennie , this is one of the best sea survival books. They both depict honestly the negative relationship that can arise between survivors. Nick's story of his survival and recovery is inspiring.
--------------------------
To elaborate on the yacht he looked out for - he did not realize that the owner was not a person, but the famous Glenans Sailing Organization, of France.
Parsonsheath
Active member
Having found out about this book from this source I had purchased, and read it.
While I note some of the comments made it has to be said this is a very personal account by one young man, and it is that brutally honest account that makes this book so good.
There are those that survive, and those who do not, and so often survival seems predicted from early experiences, but this book is not depressing, it is an honest account, with weakness and anger thrown in, and a reader will take away lessons which they trust they will never need call on.
I have read and re read "Heavy weather sailing" and the one thing they do not seem to emphasise is the value of "the will to survive."
For me a fantastic and a very positive book.
While I note some of the comments made it has to be said this is a very personal account by one young man, and it is that brutally honest account that makes this book so good.
There are those that survive, and those who do not, and so often survival seems predicted from early experiences, but this book is not depressing, it is an honest account, with weakness and anger thrown in, and a reader will take away lessons which they trust they will never need call on.
I have read and re read "Heavy weather sailing" and the one thing they do not seem to emphasise is the value of "the will to survive."
For me a fantastic and a very positive book.
Jeremy_W
New member
Left for Dead
There's a far more lengthy account of Matt Sheahan's views in this month's Yachting World.
There's a far more lengthy account of Matt Sheahan's views in this month's Yachting World.
ChristianSch
New member
25 years after the tragic event Nick Ward speaks out that his crewmates have not approached him in earnest to clear the air and become friends again. In the last (Aug09) issue of YW it is elaborated by the 3 crewmembers of GRIMALKIN why they left Nick Ward behind. All that is well understood and under same circumstances would probably happen again. However there was no explanation why he still should feel left behind by the other 3 crewmembers. After 25 years Nick Ward writes his harrowing account without badmouthing the 3 crewmembers for leaving him and Gerry Winks for dead. Nick Ward survived and all the explanations why Matt Sheahan, David Wheeler and Mike Doyle made the decision to abandon him does not explain why they rather not stay in contact with Nick afterwards. That seems to be the bigger story and it shouldn’t be a story at all. I was there and experienced the same seas with “only” one pitch-pole. Hopefully they can sort this out and not rehash this in the media.
Last edited:
Seajet
...
The latest edition has more on the follow-up, including revisiting 'Grimalkin' and what Nick Ward has been up to since.