On 25 December 1996, Pete Goss turned his 50-ft yacht Aqua Quorum back into a hurricane-force headwind to rescue French sailor Raphael Dinelli. He risked his life and any chance of winning one of the world"s great yachting challenges--the Vendee Globe non-stop, single- handed, round-the-world race. Instead, he was awarded France"s highest honour--the Legion d"Honneur--and an MBE in the 1998 New Year"s Honour List. Close to the Wind is Goss"s story. He starts with the years of preparation as a merchant seaman and skipper on one of the 10 yachts in Chay Blyth"s British Steel Challenge. He describes how he attempted to get sponsorship but was constantly rebuffed and he discusses the hardships he faced--nights spent sleeping on platforms before business meetings because there was no money to spare for a room. The drama of the Vendee is recounted in detail, down to Goss"s having to operate on his elbow without anaesthetic and with the assistance only of faxed instructions. And will he race again? He plans to set off on in a 115-ft catamaran in The Race, December 2000.