Libby Purves or Tom Cunliffe?

For me the answer depends on why I would want to have dinner with either of them. My answer to that would be to learn more about sailing and seamanship. So Tom is the clear winner.

I had the great good fortune to spend a week sailing with Tom as my Yachtmaster Examiner many years ago when he was at the National Sailing Centre. The guy is simply a sailing giant. He has tremendous skill, knowledge, and enthusiasm; all of which he passed on throughout the entire week. He is not short of good yarns either.

Looking back on my 35 years or so of sailing I value my week with Tom more than anything else I have done afloat.

Having said all of that, I must say that I do not recognise his writing style as belonging to the same guy that I sailed with. He did not write a column in those days, nor had he written any books as far as I can recall. He is very different in real life, or he was.
 
Libby is a journalist who writes beautifully on almost any subject of interest to her. I find mysely almost always agreeing with everything she has to say, so I am definitely a huge fan. On the other hand Tom Cunliffe is funny, informative and a total master of the sailing yarn. So, for dinner it would be Tom and for a great read over breakfast next day it would be Libby.
 
I’m so glad it seems to be overwhelmingly Libby.

Anyone who manages to write a whole page of trivia each month in YM with humour and intelligence,

without ever mentioning a local hostelry,

without ever mentioning a pint of the venerable landlord’s best ale,

and certainly not talking about a Norwegian fisherman’s beautiful daughter bearing an abundance of delights from the sea (or some other such pompous twaddle), has got to have my vote.

The closest I got to Mr C was one evening when the great man was holding court in the pub at Bucklers Hard. I have to admit I joined in with the group of sycophantic courtiers, but I felt very bad about it the next morning.

The closest I ever got to Libby was one evening at the National Geographic Society when she was interviewing Ellen MacArthur. They both came across as exceptionally nice people.
 
Not a view re the ideal dinner companion, but Tom Cunliffe got a few brickbats, particularly for his literary style, tho' I find it OK, but perhaps that's a generational thing! However, I have just read his column in April's YM and just thought it was a very perceptive piece- to my mind with sailing,the journey's the thing /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
I enjoy both of them very much - they're usually my two favourite bits of the magazine. Libby has the edge, but that's because she is really brilliant, a hard act to follow, TC is also excellent value, IMHO.
 
I almost always agree with Libby which could make life a bit boring so I'll play devil's advocate and vote for Tom. I'd take along a pair of ear defenders as the only time I heard him speak he was a noisy [--word removed--].
 
[ QUOTE ]
....he was a noisy [--word removed--].

[/ QUOTE ]

Something extremely fishy going on here. I spelled that word with a load of asterisks and that's how it came up last night but this morning it had been removed. What's going on?
 
[ QUOTE ]
Libby for me too.
I have learned a lot from Tom's books, but I have had some nagging doubts about Tom since reading 'Island Race' by John McCarthy.

[/ QUOTE ]

Do tell - Is that John McCarthy of Beirut fame?
 
Another vote for Tom.

After reading Libby's "One Summers Grace" where she and hubby fall out because gasp, shock, horror, they have to look after their own kids for a few weeks as the nanny didn't come with them, I can't take anything she says seriously. I've listened to her on Radio 4 and read a couple of her articles and I don't find her any more witty or entertaining than many of the boat owners we've spent time with.

Although some of Tom's articles on boat handling can be a bit pedantic, I'd rather spend time with him discussing the relative merits of springing off a pontoon, than listen to Libby wibbling about anything!
 
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