Sail to Bermuda with a book

1st September 2019

TripFiction were privileged to be invited recently to the naming ceremony of the GoToBermuda boat, about to set sail from London on the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race.

This amazing race is the brainchild of legendary sailor Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first person to sail solo non-stop around the world. The Clipper RTW Race invites amateur mariners to join professional skippers for the journey of 40,000 nautical miles, whether for one of eight legs or for the entire circumnavigation.

Normally the domain of seasoned pros, this supreme challenge is taken on by ordinary, everyday people. Having completed a rigorous training course, participants are suited and booted in the latest extreme protection gear to commence the race of their lives – an unparalleled challenge where taxi drivers rub shoulders with chief executives, vicars mix with housewives, students work alongside bankers, and engineers team up with rugby players.

The sea does not distinguish between Olympians or novices. There is nowhere to hide – if Mother Nature throws down the gauntlet, you must be ready to face the same challenges as the pro racer. Navigate the Doldrums en route to South America, endure epic Southern Ocean storms, experience South African sunsets, face the mountainous seas of the North Pacific – and bond with an international crew creating lifelong memories before returning victorious.

Bermuda is a natural partner for this event, and is sponsoring a boat in the Clipper RTW Race for the first time:

An island where people, cultures and intrigue swirl together, connecting visitors to a place far from everyday life, Bermuda offers a year-round subtropical sanctuary that is made for adventure-seekers, explorers and romantics.

Add in Bermuda’s rich maritime legacy and world-famous natural amphitheatre of the Great Sound, that lends itself as the perfect event space for the premier sailing destination, and it’s easy to see it’s a perfect fit for the Clipper Race platform.

“Aligning with the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race as a Team and Host Port partner makes perfect sense. The partnership will generate brand awareness and economic impact for Bermuda—both are core to our mission,” said Bermuda Tourism Authority (BTA) Chief Executive Officer Kevin Dallas.

“Bermuda has long been a top destination for sailing and luxury. Bermuda was discovered by mariners, we revolutionised sailing with the invention of the Bermuda sloop and we were most recently the home of the 35th America’s Cup. Ideal weather conditions, gorgeous turquoise waters, deep connections with the global sailing community are all part of our island life out here. Being a team partner enables us to share the Bermuda brand around the world, while at the same time supporting some of the most challenging sailing in the world.”

TripFiction’s Andrew counts his blessings for having been able to spend a large chunk of the 1980s on this magical island. Read his personal JustRetiring blog post here for his memories, and for why Bermuda has played such a disproportionately important part in his life.

Rum. The triangle. Coral reefs. Golf courses. Sailing. Shorts. Fish chowder. Bermuda is known for a lot of things, but probably not for its literature. Nevertheless, here are five books set firmly on this tiny Atlantic island that will help transport you there, from the comfort of your fireside chair deep in a harsh British winter, or perhaps even while you’re in Bermuda, sipping a dark & stormy on one of the island’s pink sandy beaches.

Andrew chatted with some of the crew of the GoToBermuda boat, ahead of their great adventure. There won’t be much time for reading – or comfort in the narrow bunks, during their rest-breaks – and they’ll probably read on digital devices when they can. But they love the concept of TripFiction and will hopefully use the TripFiction database to source books for the destinations of any future adventures.

And here are FIVE GREAT BOOKS  with a sailing theme:

Casting Off by Emma Bamford – a sailing travel memoir around the world.

We Were the Salt of the Sea by Roxanne Bouchard – both a dark and consuming crime thriller and a lyrical, poetic ode to the sea

After the Storm by Jane Lythell – Rob and Anna have only just met Owen and Kim. Now they’ve boarded their handsome old boat to travel to a far off island in the Caribbean….

The Cartographer of No-Man’s Land by P S Duffy – ‘Trust me. I know where I’m going.’ Angus MacGrath, artist, sailor and navigator, is lost, caught in Nova Scotia between a remote wife, a disapproving father and a son seeking guidance

Woman at Sea by Catherine Poulain, shortlisted for the Edward Stanford Travel Writing Awards – Fiction with a Sense of Place – 2019

The Clipper Round The World fleet sets sail from London on 1st September, 2019. Here is the route and you can follow their progress here. The race is scheduled to arrive in Bermuda by June/July 2020 and reach the London finishing line in August 2020.

Phew!

Or you can stay at home, and let TripFiction find you books to transport you around the world!

Andrew for the TripFiction team

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