An Ocean Away... by Dave Clarke with John Holloway

Small boat: Big dream...
'A passionate story to inspire us all to follow our dreams' Sir Ranulph Fiennes

David Clarke hails from the land-locked Peak district but harboured an extraordinary ambition. He dreamed not only of learning to sail, he aspired to sail across the Atlantic. Solo

From early age, an unsettled upbringing, a fractured family life and a disrupted education shaped character traits of independence, self-reliance and a determination to meet challenges head on.

In his twenties, as he struggled to make a living, his thoughts again turned to sailing and the mad germ of an idea to sail the Atlantic alone in a boat no bigger than a small car. drawing inspiration from maverick sailor Shane Acton he balanced the exacting demands of a full-time job and low income whilst renovating his beloved eighteen-foot yacht Sharky and teaching himself to sail.

With minimum finance, limited experience but total confidence, he set out on a personal odyssey that brought exhilaration, depression, near-death experiences and marriage!

As Dave points out " 76,000,000 square Kilometres of Atlantic Ocean is not a place for the foolhardy or reckless. it has a turbulent menace that is vengeful and forgiving in turn"

Dave Clarke, with no seafaring tradition, lacking finance, entirely self-taught, turned his dream into reality. An Ocean Away is quite simply an unforgettable account; poignant, modest, full of longing, but above all hugely inspiring - required reading for all those with a sense of adventure lurking in their soul..

'Ocassionally someone undertakes an especially daring and possibly mad enterprise according to the conventional view and comes back with the most valuable treasures: a hero's tale to tell - this hero's tale is told so humbly and honestly, so authentically yet humorously, without gratuitous, it takes you right there, as if it's you bobbing up and down on that boat: affording you the rare privilage of enjoying a real life adventure on the high seas, one in which you can actually taste the salt on your lips without getting a single drop of water on you - read it - it's brilliant!'
Barefoot Doctor, author/healer

'A passionate story to inspire us all to follow our dreams. This is an exciting account of an unsupported journey that overcame adversity, setbacks and moments of real doubt to turn a dream into a life-changing reality; an inspirational read with a wild touch!'
Sir Ranulph Fiennes

'An ocean away' available 25th October 2007

Hardback, illustrated with charts and full colour photographs only £16.99 delivery and packaging FREE of charge pre-launch date to all visitors of the Solo Sprint Project Website!

Order & Reserve your copy now - Delivered direct to your door

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