Brian is the author of six books including the international best seller Risk in Being Alive revised and released again in 2010 as Grabbing Life. His latest book, Grabbing the World, A Memoir of Inspiration, Perspiration and Betrayal is now available. His current project, Grabbing the Dream will be published in 2011.

"I have always loved books and the secrets they hold, secrets and surprises that unfold as you read each chapter. As a writer I get to be the one that hides the surprises and there are many as we travel through this amazing life. The first article I wrote  was in 1980 for a South  African sailing magazine. I had an ancient typewriter which I placed on an  upturned bucket while sitting on the deck of a small yacht sailing  between the Cape Verde Islands  and Gibraltar. The ribbon was so  old that many of the words were  illegibly, but I remember the thrill I  felt as I typed away looking out  over the expanse of undulating  ocean and wishing I was good  enough to make a living out of  writing stories. Since that day  more than two decades ago I have  written over a 1000 stories and  carved a niche for myself as a sailing and adventure writer. With  modern technology I can still write  while I am at sea, but now I can  type the piece on a laptop, take an  image with my digital camera and  upload them both via satellite  directly to and editor for instant  publication. The changes in technology allow me to write from anywhere in the world and it’s a freedom and lifestyle that I cherish more than just about anything.

After colliding with the reef  off Bermuda at the end  of a solo transatlantic  passage I knew that  my days as a professional  sailor were numbered. Over the  years I had written a number of  stories about my travel and  adventures. They were done for  my daughter so that she had some record of what her Dad got  up to when he was away from  home. After fixing the boat in  Bermuda I retreated to  Newfoundland (on another boat)  to lick my wounds and to pull my  collection of stories into a book. It  was meant to be a cathartic experience. I later published the book entitled Spindrift, True Tales  from Scattered Parts of the  Planet which did moderately  well. More importantly it gave me  the confidence to pursue a full  time career as a writer. Spindrift was picked up by  Nomad Press and turned  into The Risk in Being  Alive. Old stories were  revamped and new stories were  added. Nomad than took on a  project I had long wanted to write;  a comprehensive book about sails  and sail technology. Maximum  Sail Power was published in 2003  and also went on to moderate  success. The book that has done the best was one I ghost wrote for  Nick Moloney, a good friend who  sailed around the world non-stop  to set a new circumnavigation  record. Chasing the Dawn was  released in Europe only. A manuscript for a book I wrote for  Canadian sailor Derek Hatfield recounting his solo circumnavigation sits with a publisher in  Canada while my latest book, a stunning coffee table book done  for UK based BG Group about  their successful sponsorship of  the winning boat in the 2004/5  Global Challenge . Winning Spirit was released  with great reviews.

Writing books and  articles is rewarding,  but perhaps the most  enjoyment comes from  covering sailing events. In recent  years I have been the “voice” for  two extraordinary events, the  Around Alone single handed  around the world race, and the  Oryx Quest, a non-stop race  around the world out of the  Middle East. Most recently I co-founded a new circumnavigation race, the Portimão Global Ocean Race and served as Communications Director for the event.

The latest communications technology allows me to  bring these events, which for  years took place in obscurity, to a loyal following of armchair adventurers around the world. I love  these events and it’s good to see  them now being followed by a mass audience.

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