Mr. Solo: The Legendary Ken Charles (h/c) - Clifford Narinesingh

In a sweeping narrative, author Clifford Narinesingh sketches the humble beginnings of the young Ken Charles, his coming

of age in the family business and his unbridled passion and love for the sport of Power Boat Racing which has spanned decades up to the present.

The book is a culmination of research and interviews conducted by Narinesingh over the last year and a half. “Though I know Ken on a personal level, I too became engrossed as I delved into the research. I feel absolutely thrilled to share Ken’s extraordinary story with readers everywhere,” says the author.

In his foreword, Ken Gordon writes “Ken Charles preparation for the life he would live could not have been more thorough:

A driving father took his life savings of $350.00, together with a loan from a friend – Nagib Elias, and purchased a small soft drink operation that had been up for sale. Ken absorbed that lesson of commitment and risk. He learned and lived the business of soft drink manufacturing from the ground up and under his father’s guidance the business succeeded.”

Gordon also echoes some of the challenges the rising entrepreneur faced in the family-owned business and other business ventures like the Accra Beach Hotel in Barbados. Gordon posits that Ken Charles took the passion he had for the sea and created one of the most enduring brands in Power Boat Racing when he commissioned Brian Bowen to build ‘Mr. Solo.’ According to Gordon, “many have speculated about whether that decision was marketing genius or enigmatic chance for in its 52 years of existence ‘Mr. Solo’ has dominated Power Boat racing in the region and has become a household name,” he adds.

Often photographed with his iconic boat ‘Mr. Solo’, Narinesingh’s approach is to give the reader snippets of Ken’s life which he describes as a truly inspiring tale of hard work, tenacity, courage, passion and love. “One of the more difficult tasks for me personally was how to delicately revisit his eye-witness account as a crew member of the horrific boat accident that claimed the lives of two sons Sheldon and Curtis while they were participating in the 1993 South West Coast Powerboat Tournament in Antigua.

I’m still astounded as are many, that Ken remained in the sport and has been one of its most ardent supporters through good times and bad, even warding off challenges to his involvement,” says Narinesingh.