LIFE ON THE WING

One of the happier surprises in a world of ever-increasing hyperbole is to discover an unassuming book written by a man who has no plans to be Yachtsman of the Year. His boat is unlikely to make headlines, yet his clarity of mind and joie de vivre bring one up with a round turn.

A few years ago Richard Lindsay, artist, writer, peatland specialist and conservationist, was asked by his daughter to tell her what he did when he was young. As it turned out, back in the 1990s he’d written most of a book about his adventures in Brittany with his 16ft double-ended cruiser Merlin. The text had languished in a drawer for two decades but the young girl’s request saw it resurrected and self-published. A copy came my way and I’m glad it did. It’s the sort of book that makes you re-evaluate your own aspirations, reminding the reader that it’s often the lesser boat that has the bigger fun. Merlin is described as being the size of a small wardrobe.

We join Richard and his mate Dave as they put out into the Bay of Douarnenez in a rising gale for a sort of impromptu picnic. To learn more about