Confronting Poseidon: Around the World Against the Odds (English Edition) [Kindle-editie] beoordelingen het boek quotes

It was one of the largest Rigid Inflatable Boats in the world, and yet at only 33 feet long, Spirit of Cardiff looked tiny - far too small to take on the one and only record ever established for circumnavigating the world in a powerboat. But she was unique, built specifically for the job. Alan Priddy, Steve Lloyd and Clive Tully had the utmost confidence in her, and they’d proved it by setting or breaking a number of powerboat endurance records before embarking on their ultimate challenge. Alan Priddy, one of the world’s foremost exponents of long-distance expeditions in RIBs, was convinced he could do it. RIBs are highly favoured by coastguards, police and customs for their rugged ‘do anything, go anywhere’ nature. But no one had ever built a RIB with a 1,200 nautical mile range. No one else imagined it could seriously challenge a world record set down by a multi-million pound superboat that was more than three times the size of Spirit. Confronting Poseidon is a story about the human spirit, and the dogged determination to carry on when giving up would have been so much easier. With funds cut short as a result of September 11th, Priddy and his crew nevertheless resolved to set off anyway, at huge personal expense. Their marathon journey around the world in 2002 was beset by problems - illness, injury, pirates, corrupt officials, threats and intimidation. Their fourth crew man jumped ship in Singapore, guaranteeing the lack of sufficient funds to bring the boat home, and a number of mechanical problems threatened to end the record attempt in its tracks. Worst of all was the bad weather, with monstrous seas which threatened to capsize even a ‘four-wheel drive of the ocean’. The astonishing string of events and bombshell ending to Spirit of Cardiff’s epic voyage is the stuff of true adventure. Media reviews "It's about those great British attributes - endeavour and perseverance, precisely the kind of virtues you need if you want to achieve your dream. Watch out for the big screen version - this story has all the right ingredients for a great movie!" Eastern Daily Press "If it had been a work of fiction, people would probably say it was too far-fetched to be true." South Wales Echo "The absorbing narrative is, by turn, compelling, entertaining and harrowing." Motor Boat & Yachting "Clive's eye for detail and thoroughness leaves little to the imagination. His gut-wrenching story covered every aspect of this gruelling adventure; the horrific weather, the natural concern of the crew in their cramped conditions and the inevitable friction. Their injuries and illnesses, the gallant fight to survive when everything was against them, is all too vivid." RIB International