At sixteen, Chris Sayer dreamed of competing in one of the world's greatest ocean races - alone. He started out with little more than an unshakeable determination and a will to dedicate his life to the task. Since then this unpretentious and self-effacing New Zealander has gone on to achieve phenomenal international success. He was the first non-Frenchman in fifteen years to stand on the winners' podium at the Mini Transat race, a 4000 nautical mile race across the Atlantic Ocean. Living on little more than muesli bars, and battling seasickness, his yachting life is never luxurious and often dangerous. In 2002, he suffered a catastrophic setback when his boat hit a submerged object in the Tasman Sea and sank, with his dramatic rescue soon becoming headline news. Discouraged but unwilling to quit, Chris managed to build another boat in time for the 2003 Mini Transat from France to Brazil. He then learnt that the rules had changed and he no longer qualified. Ignoring this final blow, he joined the race as a 'pirate' entry, soon gaining more media interest than many official entries. In Oceans Alone, Rebecca Hayter brings Chris Sayer's world alive with remarkable accuracy and depth. Editor of Boating New Zealand and daughter of this country's first solo around-the-world yachtsman, she has known Chris Sayer since early in his career. She is also the author of Endless Summer: The Penny Whiting Story.