By the end of the book, between the vivid writing and gorgeous photographs, you really feel as if you have sailed the world with Jimmy Cornell as a wise, experienced, interesting guide, says Marsali Taylor.
Sail the World with Me
Jimmy Cornell
Published by Cornell Sailing (2022) (Amazon)
RRP: £29.95
This beautifully-produced book condenses the lifetime experiences of writer, broadcaster and sailing legend Jimmy Cornell into one volume.
It begins with an introduction to his newest boat, Aventura Zero, designed to be completely self-sufficient, and explains his thinking on zero emissions, then returns to his childhood in Romania, the loss of his father after a regime change, his first jobs, including working with Orson Welles on a film set, meeting his wife, fatherhood, coming to London and his first boat, Aventura.
Each voyage is illustrated with a map at the start of the chapter, and the frontpapers combine these maps to show all his voyages.
The descriptions of the places he went and the people he met are vivid and lyrical, and they’re accompanied in the text by beautiful black and white and colour photographs – the book is printed throughout on quality photographic paper.
However this isn’t just a travelogue – between adventures Cornell gives chapters on:
- sailing to the Antarctic
- passage-planning for long distance voyagers
- navigation
- weather and weather-forecasts
- self-steering gear
- cruising in stages
- sailing in the tropics
- crew and watches
- engines
- maintenance and spares
- practical aspects of cruising
- dealing with emergencies
- offshore utilities
- anchors and anchoring
- sails and sailing routines
- family sailing,
- safety afloat and ashore
- and finally, life afloat.
All these chapters are illustrated with his learning from his own or others’ experience, and each one ends with a red summary box of tips.
He also reflects on the changes he’s seen in his time sailing round the world, and Aventura III was built for the 2012 Blue Planet Odyssey, whose message was ‘The oceans – our future’.
This is the boat that took him to the Arctic Circle and his first shot at navigating the North-West Passage – a voyage he completed in Aventura IV.
The book ends with Cornell recalling the rallies he’s been involved in, including the first ARC and the Millennium Odessey, both of which he created.
By the end of the book, between the vivid writing and gorgeous photographs, you really feel as if you have sailed the world with Cornell as a wise, experienced, interesting guide.
The book is especially aimed at sailors planning long voyages, but creek potterers and armchair dreamers will enjoy it just as much.