Tom Cunliffe
British sailor, author, and broadcaster whose life has been shaped by the sea. From teaching himself to sail on the Norfolk Broads at 14 to crossing oceans on traditional gaff-rigged craft, Tom has spent more than five decades under sail. A former merchant seaman, yacht skipper, and Yachtmaster Examiner, he has cruised everywhere from Brazil to the Arctic and the Caribbean to Russia. Tom is a regular contributor to leading yachting magazines, a BBC presenter, and the author of over a dozen acclaimed books, including seamanship manuals and the much-loved Shell Channel Pilot. His latest work, Hurricane Force, is his first novel — a gripping 1970s Caribbean sailing thriller praised by Alexander McCall Smith as “the Dick Francis of yachting fiction.” Through writing, teaching, and storytelling, Tom continues to inspire sailors to embrace self-reliance, adventure, and the timeless art of seamanship.