One of the world's most dangerous sporting events, the Vendée Globe is a solo sailing race that binds its competitors to just a few, cruelly simple rules: around the world from France by way of Antarctica, no help, no stopping, one boat, one sailor. Most of the race takes place in the Southern Ocean, where icebergs and gale-force winds are a constant threat, and the waves can be 50 feet high. In this account of the 1996-97 race, Derek Lundy tells the tales of the gallant Brit who beats miles back through the worst seas to save a fellow racer, the sailing veteran who calmly smokes cigarette after cigarette as his boat capsizes, and the Canadian who left a haunting message before disappearing.