This is the story of the men and women who took part in the longest and loneliest round-the-world yacht race - the 1994-95 BOC Challenge, considered the ultimate endurance test of man and machine. The competitors were a motley group of amateurs on shoestring budgets who all dreamed of racing against the top professionals of the sailing world, able to command multi-million dollar budgets. Only 20 competitors crossed the starting line of an initial 26, and by the half-way mark only 14 were left in the race. One yacht sank in the Atlantic and two were dismasted in the Southern Ocean. Others suffered leaks, hull damage, broken booms and smashed rudders. One ran aground, but still continued in the race. This book tells of the unique sacrifices made by each of the sailors, describing the courage, determination and endurance shown by a remarkable group of individuals, in a race where simply to finish is to be a winner.