Sunrise to Windward

From the author of the sailing classic, "Because the Horn is There" and "Once is Enough", comes another extraordinary and captivating memoir. "Sunrise to Windward" describes Miles and Beryl Smeeton's journey in Tzu Hang from France to Japan. Amongst the many exotic and fascinating countries visited en route were Malta, The Seychelles, Mozambique and Ceylon. From their safari in East Africa to their encounter with a Bedouin Tribe (who were entranced not by the Smeetons' gift of a packet of tea, but by the page from Life magazine in which it was wrapped), Miles Smeeton presents a delightful array of characters and experiences in his customary vivacious and humorous style. Miles Smeeton was born in Yorkshire, England, in 1906. In 1939, he and his wife Beryl attempted to climb 25,263-foot Tirich Mir, in the Himalaya, with Tenzing Norgay. Although they failed, Beryl achieved renown as one of the first women to climb so high. A career army officer, Miles served with distinction in World War II. In 1951, the Smeetons bought "Tzu Hang" in England and, though they had just learned to sail, sailed her to Canada. They next voyaged to the South Pacific, and Miles later wrote about that adventure in "The Sea Was Our Village". In 1956, Miles and Beryl Smeeton embarked on the voyage described in "Once Is Enough". In 1967, they made a third - and successful - Cape Horn attempt, sailing east to west. The Smeetons later founded the Cochrane Ecological Institute in Alberta, Canada, still run by their daughter.