Wilson, Rich. Racing a Ghost Ship: The Incredible Journey of Great American II. 50p. diag. maps. photos. reprods. glossary. index. CIP. Walker. 1996. Tr $16.95. ISBN 0-8027-8417-8. LC 96-1914.

Gr4-7 -- A sailing adventure around Cape Horn with a different twist. In 1993, Rich Wilson and one crew member sailed the 54-foot trimaran Great American II from San Francisco to Boston with a dual purpose. First, they were racing against the 76-day record of the clipper ship Northern Light, which made the same journey in 1853. Secondly, the race had an educational mission; it was interactively linked via a weekly newspaper column to 10,000 classrooms, and students could come “on board” while Rich wrote a log and answered their questions on the Prodigy computer network.

These questions and Rich’s answers are inserted throughout the book, extending the text and giving a voice to the on-line participants. The lively, well written account balances technological information with the thrill of adventure and is illustrated with dramatic full-color photographs. Though the journey is relatively uneventful (and yes, they do beat the old record by six days), the chapters describing a 1990 attempt when they lost their boat and almost their lives is positively hair-raising. Books describing similar escapades tend to be shelf-sitters, but this one makes a real attempt at kid appeal and succeeds.--Caroline Ward, Nassau Library System. Uniondale NY.