Confessions of a Grinder: My first-person account of competing in the America’s Cup as a grinder on board the 12-meter USA from the St. Francis Yacht ... really cool, 1986-87, Fremantle, Australia - Softcover

Lewis, Brad Alan

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1469944006 ISBN 13: 9781469944005

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2012

Synopsis

Back in February, 1986, I signed on to sail in the America's Cup. I was a lowly 'grinder,' the guy who does most of the work while being yelled at by the other crewmen. FUN! Actually it was a fun for the most part. And hard work. And miserable at times. And scary quite a few times, when the wind was raging off the Golden Gate Bridge. I was a part of the St. Francis Yacht Club syndicate - our 12-meter was called the USA. We had a wildman for a skipper, Tom Blackaller - 'Blacky' we called him. He was a kooky character to say the least. The America's Cup back then was contested in Fremantle, Australia, where the wind would come screaming across the Indian Ocean, right into our faces. Exciting times off the coast of Western Australia. 'Confessions' is a first-person, truthful account of what it was like to be a part of a crazy endeavor, as a worker ant, 'before the mast' as the saying goes. Hope you like it, Brad Alan Lewis

About this title

From the Publisher:

8 1-hour cassettes

From Publishers Weekly:

Dennis Connor, John Bertrand and Thomas Blackaller are familiar names to those who follow the America's Cup competition; their crews, the muscle-power that handles sail, are largely anonymous. Here is a lively account of the crew on one challenger in the 1986-87 race. Olympic gold medalist (rowing) Lewis was one of five midship crewmen on the USA under Blackaller; as grinder, he manned the winches that hoist and trim sails. He recounts eight months of training and racing from San Francisco to Fremantle, Australia, with few days off; it was a life that combined luxury and near-slavery. Crewmen for the USA were paid $1000 a month with room and board plus "enough clothing to open our own store." Lewis conveys the suspense and anticipation in Fremantle as the elimination trials got under way (USA was eliminated in the semifinals by Stars and Stripes). This is a highly entertaining, different story of the America's Cup sure to attract readers interested in sailing. Photos.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 1469944006
• ISBN 13: 9781469944005
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 226