TO THE ICE AND BEYOND

Graeme Kendall, Mary Egan Publishing

Graeme Kendall’s solo circumnavigation was Auckland to Auckland, 28,000 miles east-west through the North-west Passage with a five-year intermission at Nuuk, Greenland. He didn’t set out to win a race, set a record or prove a point, except to himself – this was the fulfillment of a boyhood dream. Kendall used his own money to plan and build his ideal yacht, spending two years full time researching every item of equipment before buying the best. His Kevlar-coated yacht Astral Express is fast and tough, keeping up her 6.5-knot average cruising speed over 32 seas and oceans. His intimate understanding of her qualities gives his writing – and his sailing – an enviable certainty. He’s pragmatic, reflective yet never smug.