Multihull

Sail the world with me - Jimmy Cornell's invitation to take to the seas

Create a notification for "Multihull"

Recent events make Jimmy Cornell’s extraordinary journey more meaningful than ever. He who fled Romania and the Ceausescu dictatorship could have made a life for himself in England and lived happily alongside Gwenda, his constant companion. But «You never really know what freedom is until you lose it,» he confides. He has fought so hard for it that he has sailed all the seas and oceans of the world for almost forty-five years, as if to make sure he preserves that liberty. His new book (already available in English and soon to be translated into French and German) retraces this extraordinary journey in an original and positive way. Sail The World With Me differs from the usual travel stories, adding another dimension, both technical and humanitarian.

It’s clear that in this book the author of the indispensable World Cruising Routes, World Cruising Destinations and Cornells’ Ocean Atlas is keen to pass on his knowledge. He has accumulated the experience of six great voyages around the world sailing more than 200,000 nautical miles. Not to share this experience would, for Jimmy Cornell, make no sense. Beyond the nautical considerations that are at the heart of this almost 500-page book, three major subjects emerge and lead the reader to question the meaning he or she really wants to give to their life. When they left on their first voyage aboard Aventura 1, Jimmy and Gwenda were not yet 30, and their children, Doina and Ivan, were 5 and 9. «I was with them 24 hours a day for all of their formative years. Today we are the best friends in the world, and we talk every day and see each other regularly.» Reading this book, you will discover an intense and indestructible relationship, built by the shared experience of a great family cruise, that will either be a revelation, or a reassuring confirmation.

On the other hand, his observation of the rapid and, according to him, almost irreversible degradation of our planet is worrying. Referring to the many rallies he has organized or inspired, such as the current Grand Large Yachting World Odyssey 500, he says, almost with some resignation: «The greatest success of these rallies is to have given thousands of sailors the chance to enjoy the wonders of the world and its oceans before the catastrophic changes that threaten our planet start to take hold». One can read through the lines that despite everything (more than ever?) he wants to inspire us with the idea that we have to get sailing right now, and if we can’t do it right away, then ...

Log in

Password forgotten ?

Subscribe

Subscribe to Multihulls World and get exclusive benefits.

Subscribe

Share this article