Twenty-one years of corporate life had looked after Ian Dickens pretty well. So why on earth did he give it all up and head off around the world on an ocean racing yacht for 11 months? The tale he has to tell is one of adventure as he battled against everything the sea could throw at him; of a struggle to maintain fragile relationships worn thin by the stresses of the wild ocean; and of how the hearbreak of being separated from a precious family was offset by the vigorous joy of following one's dreams to their conclusion. This is a story that shows the beauty of the planet we share and Ian Dickens' faith in human nature.