Chasing the Long Rainbow: The Drama of a Singlehanded Sailing Race Around the World [Paperback]

Hal Roth (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1997

In August 1986, Hal Roth set out to race around the world: 27,550 miles from Newport to Newport. This book is his intensely personal account of failure and triumph in his struggle against gales, flat calms, mountainous seas, gear failure, injury and illness.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In the second single-handed, round-the-world race (1986) sponsored by the international BOC corporation, 25 boats sailed across the starting line at Newport, R.I. Nine months later (there were layovers at Capetown, Sydney and Rio de Janeiro) 15 had completed the race with one more still gamely struggling to finish. Roth ( The Longest Race ), who placed fourth in his class in American Flag , here gives a thrilling account of his experience and of the race overall. One sailor was swept overboard; one boat sank, one ran aground, others had equipment failures. A Canadian whose boat was dismasted sailed under jury rig 4400 miles around Cape Horn to the Falklands. Most of the competitors kept in touch by radio, developing an extraordinary sense of camaraderie. Adventure-lovers will find the book hard to put down. Dolphin Book Club main selection. Photos.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Roth sailed a yacht in a 27,500 mile race that was divided into four legs: Newport, Cape Town, Sydney, Rio, and back to Newport, in 171 days. This book chronicles various aspects of that race. Frustrations mount as masts fall, sails tangle and rip, and equipment malfunctions. Roth thrills at the sightings of whales, albatrosses with 12-feet wing spans, and flying fish that flew on board, startling the sailor more than the fish. And overpowering all else is the majesty of the seas. Alternating between straight narrative and log entries, Roth gives opinions about his fellow captains; the sport of amateur racing; the quality, good and bad, of some equipment; and commentaries about life in the ports he visits. These entries are occasionally wordy, but they describe Roth the man as well as the sailor. Maps make an excellent accompaniment to the text, as do the illustrations. A book for dreamers and darers, as readers live on board with Roth, ride the storms, share the thrills, and are relieved but sorry when the race is over. --Judy Sokoll, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 334 pages
• Publisher: Seaworthy Publications Inc. (September 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0963956663
• ISBN-13: 978-0963956668
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,578,935 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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