Alone against the wind

Sailing non-stop around the world - it takes more than a good dose of self-confidence and mental strength. What's more, only a handful of sailors have dared to tackle such an undertaking against the prevailing winds and currents. Wilfried Erdmann, who is as modest as he is combative, took the risk: Alone against the wind, non-stop around the world. In the summer of 2000, he set off from Cuxhaven with his yacht KATHENA NUI. 343 days later he was back again, having braved all the storms, fought every calm and dealt with the psychological problems with his own strength. There were more than enough imponderables of all kinds: storms so severe that he feared for his ship, loneliness, painfully brought home to him again and again in rare phone calls with his wife, and finally the seemingly endless duration, which forced him to ration food even more strictly, save water and practise frugality. Only five sailors have managed this voyage so far. The German is not only the oldest, he is also sailing by far the smallest boat that has ever sailed this toughest route around the world. The aluminum yacht, which is only 10.60 m long, had already proven itself once around the world. Back then, 16 years ago, Erdmann managed his first non-stop trip around the globe in 271 days with wind and storms. Now everything was against him. With disarming honesty, the extreme sailor reports on his plan and its execution, including all the problems, highs and lows of single-handed sailing. His unique voyage was widely publicized in the German and international media. 272 pages, 76 photos, format 13.5 x 21.5 cm, paperback, Wilfried Erdmann