A fifth-generation native of Newport, Rhode Island, Herb McCormick has been racing and cruising from above the Arctic Circle to Antarctica and chronicling his adventures and travels in magazines, newspapers and on the Internet for over three decades. An anthology of his best profiles and articles, including first person accounts of sailing in such classic events as the Sydney-Hobart Race and rounding Cape Horn, Gone to the Sea is an eclectic collection of stories that range from a prophetic cruise with his daughter; to an in-depth post mortem of solo sailor Mike Plant s final, mysterious voyage; to what it s really like to spend a hectic day with Americas Cup legend Dennis Conner. The former editor-in-chief of Cruising World magazine and yachting correspondent for The New York Times, McCormick has notched over 75,000 offshore miles in his sailing career, including the historic 2009-2010 Around the Americas expedition that circumnavigated North and South America via the Northwest Passage and Cape Horn. As an award-winning journalist, he s been honored with the National Marine Manufacturer Association s prestigious Director s Award and the BoatUS Monk Farnham Award for Excellence in Editorial Commentary, and his stories and articles have earned numerous First Place prizes in Boating Writers International s annual writing contest. With his daughter, Maggie, he still lives in the heart of downtown Newport. An anthology of the best profiles and articles from the former editor-in-chief of Cruising World magazine and current yachting correspondent for The New York Times, this is an exciting book for all sailors. Thematically separated into Faces, Places, and Races, the character profiles would at first seem like the most engaging element of the book. However, the book's real excitement lies in the racing stories: the 83-year-old sailor who experienced his first collision; a race for the in-the-know crowd that included a brief encounter with Ted Kennedy; and a harrowing account of Oracle CEO Larry Ellison confronting a storm. Exotic locations, such as glaciers along Tierra del Fuego's southern coast, add drama. Snappy comments abound, such as this description of sailors from Steve Black, founder and director of the Caribbean 1500: "They're just these warped guys who've never seen a day of bad weather. They could be out there on the worst day imaginable and they'd describe it as a 'fresh breeze.'" Sail on! (Aug.) Copyright 2011 Reed Business Information. Congrats! --(Aug.) Copyright 2011 Reed Business Information. McCormick s new book, Gone to the Sea, is an anthology of the best profiles and articles compiled from his three decades of sailing. McCormick s stories, organized into Faces, Places, and Races, tack between profiles of Mr. America s Cup Dennis Connor, author and entrepreneur Jimmy Cornell, and solo sailor Mike Plant. His Places take the reader from the Caribbean to California, down to Mexico on the Baja Ha-Ha, hard over under bracing sail from Australia to Antarctica, and ultimately bashing around Cape Horn, flying a Chilean flag. His Races recapture the miles he spent in the Sydney-Hobart, the 100th TransPac, the Pacific Cup, the America s Cup, and include one last tack across the bow of Ted Kennedy s schooner off the waters of Hyannis Port, Mass. McCormick the former editor-in-chief of Cruising World magazine and yachting correspondent for The New York Times who has sailed over 75,000 offshore miles never fails to impress and entertain. Even after the boats cross the finish line in the book s final chapter, we know we haven t heard the last of Herb. --Practical Sailor 2012 Reviewed in SAILING December 2011: McCormick's interesting and entertaining collection of stories is divided into three sections - Faces; Places; Races - in which you'll meet some wonderful people, travel to far-off lands and seas, and take part in a few of the world's best known yachting events. You'll see another side to 'Mr america's Cup', Dennis Connor, and among other you'll meet are Reid Stowe, who sailed the seas for a record 1 152 consecutive days. Charlie Cary, founder of The Moorings, and Jimmy cornell, whoe "World Cruising Routes" is something of a bible to many a sailor. The saddest episode in the 'Faces' section is the tragic story of solor sailor Mike Plant. His yacht, Coyote, was found capsized in mid-ocean, but the mystery of his disappearance was never solved. The 'Places' - and the tales therefrom - include the BVIs, Thailand, Mexico, with a poignant piece on Manhattan, and an absolutely rivetting account of a trip to Antartica. In the 'Race' section, the 1998 Sydney-Hobart stands out. It is a story of incredible hardship and endurance in a tragic event in which six sailors died and 55 had to be rescued. It is also the story of billionaire Larry Ellison, whose yacht Sayonara, was first across the line in Hobart. McCormick writes: 'The mood was sombre when Sayonara coasted up to the dock in Hobart, the first boat ho