Save Our Seas Australia releases Dare to Dream Book

by Ian Thomson on 14 Sep 2010 Having broken the world record for sailing solo around Australia earlier this year, Ian Thomson has just released his new book Dare to Dream.

This is what another Author said about Ian's new book.

BOOK REVIEW – Dare to Dream by Ian Thomson

By Robert Matthews

I was unsure what to expect when I heard Ian Thomson was writing a book. Was it going to be like Ken Gourlay's book that was virtually a blow by blow description of his round the world trip straight from his logbook? Was it going to be like Jessica Watson's trip, carefully stage managed to the ‘enth' degree? (not a criticism of Ken's or Jessica's outstanding voyages and achievements).

What I was expecting was another yachting story with all the highs and lows associated with ocean yacht racing, and this is a story of ocean racing against the clock. What I've read is all that, plus the added inside story of what motivates Ian, and how he wants to motivate and encourage others.

Many of Ian's offshore experiences mirror mine, even down to facing the weather whilst sailing and telling it what he thought of it. Ian's 'tell it like it was' part of the journey when he was forced to anchor in WA, and he was thinking of getting off the boat into a liferaft, may just sound like the thoughts of a man at the end of his endurance, but from my personal experience it was most likely more difficult for Ian to write and tell the world how far down he felt.

It's very hard for a man to 'spill his guts' about the emotional side. But it gives an insight as to how difficult lack of sleep, physical exhaustion and loneliness is to deal with. Foremost, the simple message to me is that this is, as well as being a book about a great achievement, it is a motivational book, but it's for the average person, not just for yachties.

There are many so called motivational books on the market that are mostly aimed at how to become a mover and shaker dealing with making as much money as possible in the shortest possible time. At the other end of the scale is the head clearing/yoga/meditation type book that tells us how to achieve sublime happiness.

This book sits somewhere in the middle, basically telling us that if we want to achieve things that satisfy us emotionally, then we simply have to get off our backsides and MAKE it happen, and if you have enough desire to do that, then almost anything is possible, whether it be making it in the big world of high finance, making your dreams of sporting achievements come true, or just DOING something that is truly satisfying.

He shows how this can be done by making a person feel that an achievement can be something relatively simple, as long as your are content within yourself, but if you are prepared to think outside the square, push yourself and get outside the comfort zone, satisfaction and contentment is just out there waiting to be found.

The second great thing that impresses me about Ian's recent around Australia journey was the speed with which he pulled the campaign together. Ian was obviously so motivated that he turned a long held dream into reality and pulled off a full blown record out of a few short months of very hard work. I've spent more time preparing to sail across Bass Strait. To go from only having the desire in January of 2010, not even having a boat at that stage, to getting the boat and the equipment together, then completing the whole trip by mid June is testament to his determination and seamanship.

The third thing that Ian is so passionate about, the banning of plastic bags, has also been one of my bugbears for many years. Ridding the sea and beaches of all forms of plastic, from bottles to plastic bags, and my particular favourite, cigarette butts, has always been something that has been 'out there' and 'somebody ought to do something about it', and now somebody is.

The enthusiasm with which he talks of the bag banning campaign is contagious.

With the motivational storyline, the underlying theme of saving our seas, all set in a sailing adventure background, I enjoyed the read immensely.

I think we'll hear more of Ian MAKING things happen.

Robert Matthews is author of Cruel Wind: Business Post Naiad and the 1998 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Disaster.

The book is only available online at the Save Our Seas Australia Website www.saveourseasaustralia.com/book.htm

It is available in eBook format for immediate delivery or pre-purchase your copy of the paperback due out in Mid October.

The eBook format has allowed Ian to include many additional photos and with no printing costs he has been able to keep the cost down to just $9.95. It will arrive within 24 hours in a PDF document on your e-mail.

All funds raised by the book go directly to Save Our Seas Australia to continue their work in raising awareness of the damage plastic bags and plastics are doing to our environment.

You can also order the book by contact Ian direct on 0412 932 808 or at info(at)saveourseasaustralia.com