ABSTRACT
Cruising in a yacht involves the discovery of new coasts. This chapter examines British sailors who recorded their cruises to Ireland when it was still a British colony. There is often some nervousness about their reception by local people, which is expressed in different ways, including stereotypes of Irish people. The Irish sailor Conor O’Brien has a more complex relation to society and politics in Ireland. O’Brien is scathing about the Corinthian ideal for amateur sailors. His books are a breath of fresh air. He is sometimes a difficult person and some of his opinions about paid hands and politics in Spain seem questionable for modern readers of his books.
