“Ten nautical miles outside Durban, a humpback whale suddenly surfaced one boat-length ahead of the prow. I threw myself over the wheel but didn’t know if I should steer to port or starboard. The whale dived and its tail fin reached high over the coc ...
“Ten nautical miles outside Durban, a humpback whale suddenly surfaced one boat-length ahead of the prow. I threw myself over the wheel but didn’t know if I should steer to port or starboard. The whale dived and its tail fin reached high over the cockpit in the prow and I thought I had crashed into it, but I didn’t hear
anything…”
There is no lack of excitement and drama when Arne Mårtensson, the legendary CEO and chairman of Handelsbanken, and his wife Heléne sail round the world. If there are no approaching storms, perhaps there are currents to be mastered.
But they take most things calmly because they know they can rely on Yaghan – a 62-foot Hallberg-Rassy, equipped with everything one could possibly need.
In Cook’s Wake is the free-standing sequel to Vid nytt roder in which we could follow Arne and Heléne on the first stage of their three-year-long voyage. When they now go aboard again in New Zealand it is to sail the boat all the way home to Sweden. They more or less follow the same route that James Cook followed during his first round-the-world voyage.
Although the Mårtenssons are extremely serious sailors, this is not just about sailing. They are just as fond of diving, doing the tourist thing, talking politics or simply enjoying a well made meal. And for anyone seriously thinking of undertaking a long-distance voyage, here is advice on how you best equip your boat.