How one man went over the top

Updated 6.10am Thursday 27th November 2008

He had wanted to sail around the world in the wake of the great lone sailors Sir Francis Chichester and Sir Robin Knox-Johnston. In fact, Adrian Flanagan’s bold intention was to follow these heroic yachtsmen into the history books, rather than simply repeat their remarkable solo feats. And somehow you sense that with Mr Flanagan there lurks a desire to achieve things the hard way — the title of his new book Over the Top is well chosen.