The Proving Ground

Knecht relays the decision-making of the competitors, the events and emotions of the race, all very clearly and while we all know what will happen in the end we are in the book, along for the ride on each and every boat whose tale is told.


The Unforgiving Sea   May 1, 2002
 7 out of 7 found this review helpful

The 1998 challenging Sydney to Hobart offshore race turned into the worst sailing disaster in history. Mr. Knecht has written a highly personal yet unbiased account, focusing on four boats, their skippers and crew plus some rescuers and meteorologists. Six sailors were killed, 55 had to be plucked from the raging sea by rescuers, and of the 115 boats that began the race, only 43 finished-many of them barely afloat.

"The Proving Ground" does an excellent job of giving us some detailed answers as to "What Happened?" How could experienced yachtsmen expose themselves, their crew and their boats to a full-fledged hurricane at sea? In this age of technology, were there not forecasts and why were the boats not seaworthy? There is blame enough to go around. The weather forecasts were, to put it kindly, confusing. First "gale" warnings were issued, then "storm" warnings. Which sounds more ominous to you? In forecasting terminology, "storm" is the more dangerous condition. Almost all the crews took the opposite meaning, i.e., that a "gale" was worse than a "storm," as I believe 99% of the general population would. Offshore racers are built for speed, not endurance. After reading this book, I decided these fragile, complex sailboats are accidents waiting to happen. I was in awe of the skill, quick reflexes and cooperation displayed by the crews. There was a high level of seamanship in almost all of the contenders. Only one sailor mentioned, a wealthy domineering man, displayed abject cowardice and only one boat that clearly refused to come to the aid of another desperately crippled contender.

"The Proving Ground" is intensely exciting---I read it in one very late night sitting. Mr. Knecht postponed publishing long enough to get the inquest results and some later reflections from the people he interviewed so well. Though he did a meticulous job on the four boats and crews the book spotlights, the other contestants and two sailors who lost their lives were hardly mentioned. I realize the narrow focus heightened the intensity of the book; however, a little more general information would be welcome. "The Proving Ground" is a highly knowledgeable, readable book.


Stays afloat through tall tales of adventure!   April 20, 2002
 3 out of 3 found this review helpful

This was a great story of how some people can handle great amounts of pressure and stress, and how others, in the same situation, fold like a wet napkin. Knecht's interviews and research of the different crews in the race allowed for me to feel as though I knew the crews, and was a part of each in their dire circumstances.

Knech also portrays an interesting parallel: the roles on a racing yacht are very similar to the roles that are encountered in the business world. Success in either stems from the following rule: you delegate responsibility to those that have the experience and know-how to accomplish specialized tasks. Knecht shows how a less experienced skipper, by breaking this rule, can cause a ship to get into trouble. Overly involved in decisions that were not his realm of expertise, a skipper, "Kooky", guides his ship into trouble and insurmountable dangers.

But the most important reason why I liked this book was that it was entertaining, light, and a quick read. Quite the compliment to my recent vacation of sitting on the beach with a good book!


Good - but not the best version I have read   April 8, 2002
 8 out of 9 found this review helpful

This is a tough review to write for several reasons.

I love the sea, I love stories about the sea. I also competed in the 98' Hobart race on a 34 foot yacht. All of the books about this event do their best to describe the extent of what happened. If you read any of the books about this race and find yourself thinking that 'no way could it have been that bad - they must have been halucinating'... then I promise you that you are wrong. It was that bad. It was the most horrendous thing I have ever gone though in my entire life.

All of the three books about the race which I have bought have photos of some of the waves - and the damage done to some of the yachts. Bear in mind that these photos were almost entirely taken the day AFTER the night of the 27th. The worst part of the storm came over our yacht from about 8 pm until 3 am the next morning. I promise you it was a very very long 7 hours. By the time the photos were taken, I reckon the seas would have died down by at least 35 - 40%. I can remember holding on to the side-rails at one point during the peak of the storm, looking up and seeing waves above the top of the mast... on both sides of the yacht. Our wind guage read to 80 knots. The needle was off the end of the gauge for a hell of a long time.

Having said that, it took almost a full year before I would race offshore again. I am going back for this year's race. There is some unfinished business that I have with the Bass Strait - and I want to get to Hobart for the infamous "Quiet little drink". Hobart races are hard, that's quite frankly is the whole point. Without the challenge, nobody would go.This literary version of the race is good - don't get me wrong, but I firmly believe that Rob Mundle's "Fatal Storm" will in years to come be regarded as the definative text of the tragedy which played out in front of us. Knecht's book is good, however the Mundle book sent shivers down my spine as the memories it generated replayed themselves.