cover image The Quest of Simon Richardson: A Biography

The Quest of Simon Richardson: A Biography

Dorothy Richardson. Victor Gollancz, $24.95 (172pp) ISBN 978-0-575-03853-0

On November 1, 1977, the En Avant sailed from Rio de Janeiro for Port Stanley in the Falklands; the ultimate destination was Smith Island in the Antarctic. The craft was skippered by 24-year-old Simon Richardson, and among the crew of six was H. W. Tilman, noted yachtsman and mountain climber, aged 79. En Avant and crew disappeared without a trace, remaining a mystery to this day. Richardson, in writing a fairly dispassionate account of her son's adventurous life, includes a diary he kept when he sailed with Tilman in 1973, which gives a rare and sympathetic portrait of the illustrious elder yachtsman. Simon's letters written from Rio tell of an easy passage from England and give no indication of problems with the En Avant. In appendixes, sailing experts and officials offer conjecture as to what may have happened to the boat. Sailors, adventurers and Tilman fans will find this an intriguing story. Photos. (May)