Product Categories
- Bookends
- Curiosities
- Fashion
-
Fiction
- 19th Century and Prior Classics
- 20th Century Classics
- Antiquarian
- Australian Rare
- Becke
- Biggles - Captain W.E. Johns
- Carey Peter
- Chandler Raymond
- Childrens
- Christie Agatha
- Classics
- comedy and the like
- Conrad Joseph
- Crime of the Fictional Variety
- Deco Period Collectables
- Defoe Daniel
- Dinesen Isak (Blixen Karen)
- Du Maurier - George
- du Maurier Daphne
- Erotic and exotic
- Fantasy
- Faulkner William
- Fictional Travel and Exploration
- Film and Theatre
- Fine Bindings
- First Edition or First of Type
- Fitzgerald, F Scott
- Fleming, Ian (James Bond 007)
- Forester C. S.
- French Language
- French Language or translation from or about the French
- Gibbs
- Gordon Richard
- Greek etc
- Greene Graham
- Hardy Frank
- Hemingway Ernest
- Herbert Xavier
- Humour
- Idriess
- Illustrated Works
- Ion
- John (Rumpole)
- Louis
- May
- Mortimer
- Spanish Classic or translation from Spanish
- Steinbeck John
- Stevenson Robert Louis
- Stow Randolph
- Swift Jonathan
- Tolkien J.R.R.
- Updike John
- Upfield Arthur
- Ustinov Peter
- Verne Jules
- Villiers Alan
- Wallace Edgar
- West Rebecca
- White Patrick
- Williams Tennessee
- Wodeouse P.G.
- Latin
- Lawrence D.H.
- Charteris, Leslie - (The Saint)
- Lewis Sinclair
- Macleod
- Malouf David
- Maugham Somerset
- Monsarrat Nicholas
- Murdoch Iris
- Nobel Prize winning Authors
- O'Harris Pixie
- Pictorial Covers
- Poetry and Plays and Music Scores
- Private Press
- Rider Haggard H.
- Science Fiction
- Simenon Georges
- Southall Ivan
- Manuscripts
- Maps
- Medals
- Mortimer John (Rumploe)
-
Non-fiction
- Aboriginal
- Africa
- Agriculture
- Ancient History / Classics
- Antarctic, Arctic, Polar
- Anthropology
- Antiquarian
- Archaeology
- Architecture
- Art
- Asia
- Astronomy
- Australian Coastal Exploration and Maritime
- Australian Inland Exploration
- Australiana
- Aviation Including Airships
- Banking and Commerce
- Biography/ autobiography
- Books on books
- Bounty / Pitcairn
- Business
- Cartography
- Chess, Cards, Boards Games etc
- Classical History
- Climate Change
- Convicts, transporation etc
- Cook, James
- Cookery and other delights
- Crime of the True Variety
- Cycling
- Dutch Exploration and other things Dutch
- Economics and Business Affairs
- Egypt
- Engineering
- English History
- Esoteric
- Espionage
- Exploration
- Fine Bindings
- Fishing
- French Language translations or about the French
- Heraldry
- Horology / watch and clock history
- Horses
- Idriess, Ion
- Ilustrated
- India
- Japan
- Law
- Lawrence of Arabia
- Literature (Go to Fiction)
- Maritime
- Medical, Medical History and Medical Science
- Middle East
- Military and Naval - pre 20th Century
- Mining and Geology
- Mountaineering
- Music
- Natural History
- Naval - Military
- Naval - Military - Pre-20th Century
- New South Wales
- New Zealand
- Norfolk Island
- North America
- Northern Territory
- Pacific Islands
- Papua New Guinea
- Politics
- Queensland
- Railways
- Religion
- Royal Geographical Society Journals and Similar Journals
- Science Fiction (See Literature)
- Science including Natural Sciences, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Astronomy, Medical Sciences etc
- Scotland
- Shipwrecks
- South America
- South Australia
- Spiritualism , Mesmerism, Psychical Reseach
- Sport - Including Horse Racing, Cricket , Rugby, Game Sports etc
- Surveying
- Tasmania and Van Diemens Land
- Travel & Voyages
- United States of America
- Victoria
- War & Escape - 20th Century
- Western Australia
- Yachting
- Royal Geographical Society Journals
- Maritime
- Mining/Geology
- Prestige Items
-
Prints and Photographs and Bookplates
- Architecture
- Australian Botanicals
- Australian Views
- Birds including Australian Birds
- Book-Plates
- Botanicals
- Cigarette and Trade Cards
- Cricket
- Egyptian
- Erotic / Classical
- French Fashion
- Great Exploratory Voyages
- Medical
- Military and Military Uniform
- Natural History
- Photographs
- Rare Postage Stamps
- Rugby etc
- Sports - Racing
- Queensland
- Scientific Instruments, Specimens, Books and Collectables
- Tasmania
Unpublished Work – “The Dream and the Reality” – Single Handed Transatlantic Yacht Race 1968 – Brian Cooke.
Short Description
A unique item, the typescript account of Brian Cooke relating to his participation in the 1968 Single-handed Trans-Atlantic Race (STAR) east to west from Plymouth to Newport Rhode Island.
182 pages of foolscap, corrected in manuscript. Having read through it all ... it is an exceptional account ready for the press … we are not sure why he did not follow through with the publication.
Cooke was very much an amateur before this event and he states clearly in his Preface that the book has been written “to indicate the way in which the dream of crossing the Ocean became a reality to me … what is involved for the ordinary person ... to know first hand that it is quite a feasible proposition and a very worthwhile challenge …”.
We like the way the book proper starts … “It was 1949, when I was walking down St James’s Street, London one lunchtime. I looked in a Bookshop window. One of the books on display was by Allcard describing the Atlantic voyage he had made. It was the dust cover that took my eye. On it was a photograph of Allcard, at sea, sailing his yacht single-handed, looking up at his sails, which conveyed to me a most vivid picture of satisfaction and achievement”
The first sixty eight pages are taken up with establishing and preparing for the dream. First the yacht that had been commissioned to be built by an acquaintance with the wherewithal connected to his work at the Westminster Bank. The first trials, the personal training, the qualifying voyages etc all very interesting. At page sixty nine we have the race start proper. What follows is a very detailed account of the events of the race, nothing tedious in our view. Cooke came in sixth, out of 48, many had to turn back. Those ahead were either trimarans or larger boats, on any handicap system he may have won.
The appendices are good for perspective and emphasise his comments in the Preface that preparation is key. We have the “sailing instructions” from the Royal Western, Plymouth. The list of yachts by nation, rig, length, hull, and rating where available. Daily records of sailing achievements and sail changes. Provisions of all sorts ... we are amused to see Mars Bars, Steak and kidney puddings, HP sauce etc.
Yachting treasure unpublished major single-handed yacht race