Left for Dead

May 21, 2007
Raised in the 1960s in the village of Hamble on England's south coast, Ward was given sailing lessons by his father by the age of four and quickly grew to love the water. Given that Hamble was near the launching point for a 600-mile race called Fastnet, it's little surprise that come August of 1979 Ward leaped at the opportunity to take part. He describes the race, which killed 15 racers and sank five boats. He tells of what happened when his craft, the Grimalkin
, got caught in a vicious storm that blew in across the Atlantic and caught the racing boats in the Irish Sea. The 50-foot waves and 80-knot winds capsized many boats, including his own, which was abandoned by most of its crew. Remaining on board was a dead shipmate and Ward, who tried to maintain his sanity as the storm raged on. That Ward, who had suffered a brain hemorrhage as a teenager and was taking antiseizure medication, survived such a devastating storm at all is something near miraculous. Unfortunately, with the exception of some exuberantly rhapsodic passages near the start on his love for the art of sailing, Ward's book (written with documentary filmmaker O'Brien) is a stiff affair.

July 1, 2007
In this gripping account, Ward finally breaks his multiyear silence and shares his story of what happened to him on his boat "Grimalkin" during the storms that beset England's Fastnet sailing race in 1979. The race started off in near-perfect conditions on August 11 for the 303 yachts participating. The yachts left Cowes, England, to round Fastnet Rock off Ireland's southwest coast and sail back to Plymouth. Two days later, a storm of near-hurricane force left 15 dead, caused 24 crews to abandon ship, sank five yachts, and required the rescue of 136 sailors in the largest peacetime sea-and-air operation ever. Ward was on the 30-foot "Grimalkin" with five other men. After being repeatedly battered by blow-downs (waves that knock over a boat 90 to 180 degrees), most of the crew decided to abandon shipa controversial decision because Ward and another sailor, Gerry Winks, were left on the "Grimalkin", presumed dead. Both, in fact, were alive. Ward survived another 14 hours, resuscitating Winks (who eventually died) before being rescued. Documentary filmmaker and author O'Brien persuaded Ward to work with her on this book. Recommended for all public libraries, especially those where Sebastian Junger's "The Perfect Storm", Pete Goss's "Close to the Wind", and John Rousmaniere's "Fastnet, Force 10" are popular. (16-page color insert/photos not seen.)Margaret Atwater-Singer, Univ. of Evansville Libs., IN

Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2007
With journalist OBriens assistance, Ward offers all maritime buffs, especially yachtsmen, quite a treat: a survivors account of the most famous disaster in yacht racing, the decimation of the Fastnet Race of 1979. Three hundred boats were caught in an unexpected Force 10 gale blowing in off the Atlantic. Ward was aboard Grimalkin, and the skipper and three other crew members abandoned him for dead (he was epileptic). One friend stayed aboard, sacrificing his life to keep Ward alive until rescue arrived via helicopter. The larger picture is already available from many other books, John Rousmanieres Fastnet, Force 10 (1980) perhaps foremost among them; but Wards personal perspective provides some exceptionally vivid images of men losing it aboard a small boat in a large storm. It also allows him the closure that readers well may agree he richly deserves. Deep-dyed maritime buffs will recall the classic sailors prayer, Oh Lord, thy sea is so great, and my boat is so smalland turn the pages unstintingly from beginning to end.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)