Sea gipsy’s story

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32679, 7 August 1971, Page 10

Sea gipsy’s story

Sailing to the Reef*. By Bernard Moitessier. Hollis and Canter. 288 pp. and index. Mr Moitessier has written a lively and entertaining account of his ocean wanderings in his yacht Marie-Therese 11. Those who are not familiar with boats and the sea may think that he has devoted too many words to his expositions of how to build and rig a yacht for deep-sea passages, and how to handle her in heavy weather. Little ship men will read and argue, and many will disagree with his theories; but that is the nature of sailing men. However, even if these slightly technical bits are skipped there remains an interesting and well-told story that is not without touches of humour. The story begins with the wreck of Marie-Therese. Because at that stage Mr Moitessier was finding his longitude by the old fashionea method of guessing, such a disaster was always on the cards. But he is not a man to be deterred by setbacks. After the wreck on Chagos Atoll in the Indian Ocean he worked in Mauritius where he built Marie-Therese 11. In this he showed tenacity and ingenuity, both in the building and in acquiring the materials. From Mauritius his course was to Cape Town, where he spent nearly a year, and then to the West Indies by way of St Helena, Ascension Island, and Fernando Norona. The loss of Marie-Thesese II seems to have been sheer bad luck. Lest any reader should think Mr Moitessier an incompetent sailor it should be added that he is acknowledged as one of the greatest small-boat sailors. Since the voyages described in this book he entered for the “Sunday Times” round-the-world contest, in which he sailed non-stop one and a half times round the world, a distance of 37,455 miles. The book was written in Mr Moitessieris native French, and in places the Gallic syntax and idiom appear through the translation. It is odd, but not altogether unpleasant; rather like finding garlic in a steak-and-kidney pudding.