Circumnavigator

IN QUEST OF THE SUN--Alain Gerbault --Donbleday, Dor an ($2.50).

When Sportsman Alain Gerbault (swimmer, poloist, tennis player, footballer, war ace) thought of going around the world,* he wanted to go alone, bought an English decked cutter, the Firecrest (39 feet, built in 1892), and put out of Havre across the Atlantic. That was in June, 1924. In The Fight of the Firecrest Sailor Gerbault gave the log of his 101-day voyage to Manhattan. In Quest of the Sun takes up the tale from there, tells how he completed his voyage round the earth.

The cruise almost ended soon after it began. One night, about 120 miles out of Manhattan, he noticed the red port light was out, took it below to refill it. While he was down in the cabin a steamer passed so close to the Firecrest it sheared away the bowsprit, left a gaping hole. By the time Gerbault reached Bermuda (16 days out of Manhattan), the Firecrest had to be completely overhauled. From Bermuda, Gerbault headed through the Caribbean and the Panama Canal to the Galapagos Islands. One day after he left Galapagos, a bonito, 35 lbs., tried to jump over the boat, stunned itself against the mainsail, made Gerbault many a good meal. In the tropics Gerbault wore few clothes, never a hat; the sun tanned him but never struck him down.

He sailed day & night; in bad weather sat up, in good weather set his course, lashed the wheel, turned in. At whatever islands he touched he would make repairs, revictual, play tennis or football if he could. He kept fit. The Firecrest had no auxiliary engine, but Gerbault almost never accepted a tow in or out of harbor, liking the excitement of closely calculated navigation under sail. From the South Seas he went through Torres Strait across the Indian Ocean, around the Cape of Good Hope, north to St. Helena, to the Cape Verde Islands (where he stayed ten months to write this book), to the Azores, and home again. He had been gone five years, had sailed almost 40,000 miles. Says he: "As the end of my voyage drew nearer a great sadness took possession of me; the cruise was soon to end, and with it the happiest period of my life. . . ." At Havre Circumnavigator Gerbault was given a warm reception, a gold medal, was made officer of the Legion of Honor.

Gerbault plans another trip. His new boat, also to be called Firecrest, is now abuilding, should be ready in September. In October, Gerbault plans to hoist sail, head for the South Seas.

*Rumored reason: he had been jilted by one-time Tennis Champion Suzanne Lenglen.

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