Bernard Moitessier, the Author

Bernard Moitessier, the author, is virtually the only character of the book that is described directly, not from memory. Bernard is a married man of a few years over 40 years old. He decides to undertake a solo voyage around the world. When he starts in Plymouth England, there is a race to make this trip around the world and win a prize from the Sunday Times. At the beginning, Bernard is interested in this prize and also receives free goods from sponsors such as a free movie camera and undersea camera, and Tergal sails. Ultimately, Bernard decides that his love of the sea and of nature is most important and that he does not really want the prize or to return to England.

Bernard is an extremely skilled sailor who has been working on the sea since his youth in Indochina. There he used to...