Rose, fruit shop owner and round the world sailor. Rose writes with humour and modesty and seems much more of an 'everyman' than some of his sailing colleagues. Rose ultimately sailed with no sponsorship and paid for his boat out of his well earned. This was a good read and included chapters towards the end from others that help place his achievements in perspective. ( )

I used to go drinking in The Lively Lady at the Point, Portsmouth. I remember all the commotion around Rose's arrival at Portsmouth after the long voyage. Just had a closer look and am overwhelmed by nautical technology, for instance, on page 17 where simple words bamboozle me: 'it was bar taut' the rope, 'just aft the beam', the yacht lay, 'round the shrouds' 'wire strop', 'sea-anchor warp', large cleat aft', strain on the chain', dragged over the coaming,' the chain, no wonder Dorothy fainted. Rigging my tackle, I hitch off.