Racing the Ice to Cape Horn (Spiral-bound)

~ (Author), Cy Zoerner (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Frank Guernsey lived through this tale of his record setting journey, sailing single-handed from Southern California, around Cape Horn to Uruguay, in a twenty-four foot engineless sailboat. Cy Zoerner put this harrowing adventure into words as no other author could.

As Frank revealed the story to Cy he began to wonder, as would we all, what could drive a man to commit to an outrageously dangerous undertaking in such a small craft. After endless hours discussing life and love with Frank, Cy understood and a story, like no other, poured forth.

This will be the best sailing adventure you will ever read and quite possibly the best book you will read for years to come. The greatest fiction can not match the adventures and life of Frank Guernsey.

"Humans!"

The handle of my precious watermaker stopped in my hands. My eyes strained at the black speck on the gray, watery horizon. The misery from the open saltwater sores I sat on, winked out. As I switched on my video recorder, my only companion since I set sail, I repeated, "Humans? After all these months alone..." I glanced at my watch. It was January 2, 1000 hours.

About the Author

FRANK W. GUERNSEY is a world-class solo sailor. His most recent adventure, aboard a 24-foot fiberglass sloop, took him on a 128-day nonstop voyage from Redondo Beach, California, to Punta del Este, Uruguay, via Cape Horn. In 1978, he sailed the 26-foot Boogie down the coast of Baja, California, then voyaged to Maui, Hawaii, in 1980. Five years later, he sailed his wooden sloop Amethyst to Papeete, Tahiti, in 47 days. In 1988, he again set out on Amethyst, this time to Aburatsubo, Japan, in which took 87 days. In all, Frank has voyaged 262 days (almost nine months) alone at sea in small sailboats. His exploits have been highlighted in the Japanese and South American media and in the local, regional, and national media in the United States. Born in 1942 in Los Angeles, he spent his teen years in the rebel-without-a-cause Southern California culture and in the United States Marine Corps. He is a member of the Los Angeles Adventurers' Club and the Redondo Beach Yacht Club, where, in club races, he tunes for his prospective ocean voyagers. When not crossing oceans alone, Frank runs an insurance business. His son Frankie manages the business during his father's voyages. Frank and his wife, Mary, live in Redondo Beach.

CY ZOERNER (pronounced Zerner) sails and writes. Almost daily, he singlehands Tough Ship out of King Harbor, near his home in Manhattan Beach, California. According to his log, he has spent more than 2,000 hours alone at sea. When he's feeling adventurous, he sails his 14-foot sloop to Catalina Island, some 25 miles from his home port. Cy has crewed in the international Newport-Ensenada race and in numerous regional off-shore races. Locally, he races in the Horizon Series sponsored by the Redondo Beach Yacht Club. Aboard Jedna, a competitive Cal 25, he trims the main sail in one-design races at the Long Beach Yacht Club

His articles have appeared in major American newspapers, magazines, and journals for more than 30 years. He wrote Marketing First, a successful college textbook, and has ghost written several nonfiction books. His work has appeared in The Spray, the publication of the Joshua Slocum Society, and in national and regional sailing magazines. Cy is considered an authority on the Igdrasil, a copy of Slocum's circumnavigator. He holds a doctorate from the University of Illinois.

Cy and his wife, Laura, have four children and three grandchildren.

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Product Details

• Spiral-bound: 250 pages
• Publisher: Bristol Fashion Publications, Inc.; 1 edition (June 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1892216205
• ISBN-13: 978-1892216205
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,580,846 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you love cruising, you've got to read this book!, December 5, 2000

By	Vivian Callahan (California) - See all my reviews

Frank Guernsey and Cy Zoerner's book is not only an exciting account of a nearly impossible voyage, but a love story and a psychological portrait as well. Have you ever wondered what drives a person to strike out alone in a tiny boat on a voyage some might call suicidal? "Racing The Ice To Cape Horn" gives a rare glimpse into the psyche of one of those rare adventurers who choose to go it alone against nature. I absolutely couldn't put it down!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enthralling! I couldn't put it down., August 21, 1999

By A Customer

This book held my interest from beginning to end. I am not an expert sailor, but Guernsey and Zoerner made all the technical terminology very clear. My friend, who is an expert sailor, enjoyed both the adventure and the technical accuracy of the book. I can warmly recommend this book to sailors and non-sailors alike--it's exciting!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A thrilling real life sea story., August 7, 1999

By A Customer

A "truth is stranger than fiction" sea story of an adventure of a real life sailor in our own time. Well written and a page turner. The reader gets to know Frank intimately and shares his adventure with him. I felt that I was with him and I could feel the storm raging and felt that my own life was in danger unless Frank could call upon resourcs that perhaps he didn't know he possessed. An unlikely hero, but a hero nontheless. Great read.