Wild Seas To Greenland : A sailing adventure with ocean racer Ross Field

Author(s): Rebecca Hayter

NZ - Biography | Nautical

A sailing adventure with ocean racer Ross Field, written by well-known New Zealand yachting journalist Rebecca Hayter.


When New Zealand ocean racing skipper Ross Field retired from professional sailing, he was already looking for his next, unusual adventure. In a dusty boatyard in France, he bought a 20-year-old aluminium yacht. She was a mess, but he knew the yacht was immensely strong. Ross named her Rosemary, refitted her for the high latitudes and set his sights on the Northwest Passage.


Yachting journalist Rebecca Hayter followed his refit in detail; DIY pundits will love these chapters. Then she signed on as crew. Sometimes in awe of her strong-willed skipper, she takes her readers along for the ride: observing Ross’s handling of the boat in the storms of the North Atlantic, sharing his war stories from famous yacht races and laughing at his jokes. The central part of the story is set in the chilling vastness of Greenland fjords: ice bergs, whales and ‘fishing boats that munch growlers for breakfast’.


Rebecca is a skilled and candid writer; she shares life on board, highs and lows of ocean cruising, and her own personal challenges. She also shares excerpts from Sheila in the Wind, written by her father Adrian Hayter, who sailed around the world single-handed in the 1950s and 60s. He set sail out of desperation with virtually no sailing knowledge, navigating by sextant, communicating ship-to-ship by Morse code. It’s a poignant juxtaposition to Rebecca’s experience, sailing with one of New Zealand’s most experienced ocean skippers, with instant navigation, communication and highly skilled in weather routing technology to avoid North Atlantic storms.


Wild Seas to Greenland is a blend of Kiwi DIY, technical sailing and life on board. It will appeal to sailors and adventurers everywhere, whether they are on the water or safely at home, but sharing the journey nonetheless.


Product Information

Rebecca Hayter is well known as a yachting journalist within New Zealand and as a contributor to high-profile overseas yachting magazines, including Boat International, SuperSailWorld and YachtingWorld, Cruising HelmsmanYachts International and Sail. Rebecca bought a 26ft yacht before crewing on a 50ft Beneteau from Florida, USA to Auckland, New Zealand. In 1998 she joined Boating New Zealand and as editior in 2006 they won Magazine of the Year. In 2015, Rebecca resigned to buy a lifestyle property she named Oceanspirit in her home town, Golden Bay but she continues to crew on sailing trips around the world. Her column, High Heels and Gumboots in North & South magazine and won Best Columnist/Blogger in the Magazine Media Awards 2020.

General Fields

  • : 9780473544683
  • : oceanspirit publishing
  • : UNKNOWN
  • : April 2021
  • : books

Special Fields

  • : Rebecca Hayter
  • : Paperback