GOSS, Pete 1962(?)-

PERSONAL:

Born c. 1962, in Yealmpton, England; son of a consultant in tropical agriculture; married; children: three.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Torpoint, Cornwall, England. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Carroll and Graf, 345 West 17th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10011-5300.

CAREER:

Adventurer, sailor, and writer. Military service: British Royal Marines.

AWARDS, HONORS:

English Yachtsman of the Year; Medal of the British Empire, British government; Legion d'Honneur, French government.

WRITINGS:

Close to the Wind (memoir), Carroll and Graf (New York, NY), 1999.

SIDELIGHTS:

"A throwback to an era when men were measured solely by their deeds of derring-do," in the words of Sailing World contributor Steve Callahan, Pete Goss has been racing yachts as a professional skipper since leaving the British Royal Marines. Grueling races around the world had already given Goss a reputation for courage and determination, but in 1996, on Christmas, he became an international hero. While competing in the Vendee Globe, a single-handed, round-the-world race, he got a message that a fellow competitor was in serious trouble. Immediately, Goss turned around, and reversed course through 160 miles of gale-force winds to pull French competitor Raphael Dinelli from the freezing water. A grateful France awarded him the Legion d'Honneur and England awarded him the Medal of the British Empire.

In Close to the Wind, Goss recounts his career as a professional sailor and the dramatic events that have made him a yachting legend. His "authenticity is as remarkable to readers as his sailing resourcefulness must be to sailors," according to Booklist reviewer Gilbert Taylor. While the races are the highlight of the book, Goss also gives a window into the sacrifices a man of decidedly modest means undergoes before the launch, including the fact that he sold his television, his car, and his house to build the fifty-foot boat. For Spectator contributor Michael Beaumont, Goss's tale "is about moral courage, perseverance, overcoming pain, and guts. I am not sure readers these days are up to facing this sort of writing, but if they are, this is a wonderful book."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

BOOKS

Goss, Pete, Close to the Wind, Carroll and Graf (New York, NY), 1999.

PERIODICALS

Booklist, May 1, 1999, Gilbert Taylor, review of Close to the Wind, p. 1573.

Library Journal, April 15, 1999, John Kenny, review of Close to the Wind, p. 132.

New York Times, June 6, 1999, Barbara Lloyd, "Swept Away," p. 47.

Publishers Weekly, May 3, 1999, review of Close to the Wind, p. 63.

Sailing World, October, 1999, Steve Callahan, "Britain's Action Hero," p. 32; November, 1999, review of Close to the Wind, p. 38.

Spectator, September 12, 1998, Michael Beaumont, review of Close to the Wind, p. 34.*