When it was first sailed in 1906, the Bermuda Race made the sea a playground by creating a new sport-ocean racing by amateur sailors in normal boats. Sponsored by the Cruising Club of America and the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club, the race is now so glamorous that sailors' ears perk up when it is mentioned, so difficult that participants ask themselves "Why am I out here again?" and so addictive that they keep coming back for this every-other-year event. In this lavish, heavily illustrated book, yachting historian (and Bermuda Racer) John Rousmaniere tells the story of the remarkable sailors, the great boats, the tactics, the Gulf Stream ordeal, and the lure of Bermuda that make this the world's classic ocean race.
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About the Author
John Rousmaniere has sailed in over 35,000 miles of offshore voyaging and racing. He crewed on the 48-foot "Toscana" in the fateful Fastnet Race of 1979.
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After 30 years of professional writing about boats, sailing, New York history, cemeteries, religion, and other topics, it's still a thrill to learn that I've given people pleasure and security. Just this morning I read these words: "If you want your Ph.D. in sailing there's always John Rousmaniere's The Annapolis Book of Seamanship." That advice to a new sailor appeared in the Catalina Association Forum on June 27, 2009.
Though I've sailed some 35,000 miles on most of the oceans, I was born in Kentucky and spent my early years in Ohio. My family moved to the shore of Long Island Sound, where as a boy I fell in love with sailing and boats. Raised by parents who were wonderful story-tellers, I became determined to be a writer, and that's what I've been doing most of my life. I was educated at Columbia University (bachelor's and master's degrees in history) and Union Theological Seminary (M.Div. -- readers say they see religion and spirituality in my books), where my wife, Leah, works. After Army service, I spent several years as an editor at YACHTING magazine, them became a freelance writer while raising my two young sons solo.
I do a lot of lecturing and instruction -- 20-30 talks a year across the country -- in part because it puts me in touch with readers. When not sailing and writing, I enjoy mountain hiking, New York City, movies, reading fiction, poetry, and American history, and spending time with my wonderful sons, their wives, and their children.
Though I've sailed some 35,000 miles on most of the oceans, I was born in Kentucky and spent my early years in Ohio. My family moved to the shore of Long Island Sound, where as a boy I fell in love with sailing and boats. Raised by parents who were wonderful story-tellers, I became determined to be a writer, and that's what I've been doing most of my life. I was educated at Columbia University (bachelor's and master's degrees in history) and Union Theological Seminary (M.Div. -- readers say they see religion and spirituality in my books), where my wife, Leah, works. After Army service, I spent several years as an editor at YACHTING magazine, them became a freelance writer while raising my two young sons solo.
I do a lot of lecturing and instruction -- 20-30 talks a year across the country -- in part because it puts me in touch with readers. When not sailing and writing, I enjoy mountain hiking, New York City, movies, reading fiction, poetry, and American history, and spending time with my wonderful sons, their wives, and their children.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great gift for the sailor in your life!,
By D. Conrad (Mahwah, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: A Berth to Bermuda: One Hundred Years of the World's Classic Ocean Race (Maritime) (Hardcover)
This year, 2006, marked the centennial of the classic Bermuda Race. When it was first sailed in 1906 from New York City, the Bermuda Race made the sea a playground by creating a new sport--ocean racing by amateur sailors in normal boats. Over the past 100 years, some 4,500 boats and 46,000 men and women have raced to Bermuda, most of them with little real hope of winning.We were there at the start of the Centennial Race on race committee duty, with a record number of entries sent off to sea like clockwork in ever more impressive classes. It was a beautiful dance to watch. John Rousmaniere - yachting historian, writer, accomplished sailor, and true gentleman - was also at the starting line this year as in many years past. We could not think of anyone better to be telling the story of this classic race from Newport, a legendary starting line, to Bermuda, a speck of an onion patch on the ocean. Sponsored by the Cruising Club of America and the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club, the race now is so competitive and compelling that all heads turn in the direction of its mere mention, so challenging that sailors ask themselves why they are doing it again, and so addictive that they keep coming back. Held every other year (alternating with the Marion to Bermuda Race which is for `cruising sailboats'), and no longer a contest entirely for 'normal boats' given some of the high end entries, it is the race to take part in. Jim Mertz of American Yacht Club held the record for most number of Bermuda races sailed at 30 - his last being in 2004. In this lavish book replete with historical facts and photos, John Rousmaniere tells the story of the remarkable sailors, the great boats, the tactics, the Gulf Stream ordeal, and the lure of Bermuda that make this the world's classic ocean race. Did you know that the first Bermuda race went from Brooklyn to Bermuda? Do you know what controversies surrounded the first start? What one addition to the Bermuda Race probably made the biggest difference in its success? It's all there in John's beautifully written, elegantly laid out, and smartly chronicaled tale. I cannot think of a better holiday or birthday gift for the sailing enthusiast. Other books by John Rousmaniere include In a Class by Herself (about Bolero) and Fastnet Force 10.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A master of sailing stories,
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This review is from: A Berth to Bermuda: One Hundred Years of the World's Classic Ocean Race (Maritime) (Hardcover)
John Rousmanier has sailed in 14 Bermuda Races, he recently reported. He is also a well-known writer of sailing non-fiction. His account of the 1979 Fastnet disaster, for example, is the best discussion of what happened and why. This is a history of the Bermuda Race, which takes place in even-numbered years, from the inception in 1906. At that time, it was intended to make the point that small boats could go to sea with amateur crews in safety. The point has long since been proven. It is the highlight of the east coast sailing scene every other year and a "berth to Bermuda' is a sought after spot. People boast about having made a Bermuda Race the rest of their lives, no matter how they finished in the race.It has also made the point that handicap rules have finally been perfected to the point that all boats, new or not, custom designed or not, can compete in the same event. In 1966, the Bermuda Race was won by a Cal 40, a new, relatively cheap, production fiberglass sailboat. This caused severe reverberations among the east coast yachting elite. There was even a proposal to buy up all the Cal 40s and burn them. After that, and with the appearance of more fiberglass boats, the race became more of an everyman's event. The last two Bermuda Races have been won by, you guessed it, a 40-year-old Cal 40. The story is well told and I recommend it.
5.0 out of 5 stars
The best way to learn about the race without being on a boat,
By Racer X "Shindig" (Newport, RI USA) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: A Berth to Bermuda: One Hundred Years of the World's Classic Ocean Race (Maritime) (Hardcover)
I've been planning on entering my boat in the Newport to Bermuda race and have been trying to gain information from as many sources as possible. I've been talking to many veterans of the race and they can tell you only what they experienced where this book has compiled the experience of many. It'll definitely help you understand the organizers and what to expect on the water. Many of the past sailors share their experiences and you can see the evolution of the race, the boats, and the people who sail the race. A must read for anyone dreaming or planning on making that voyage regardless if they are racing or cruising, it'll help in the preperation.
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