My year with the real Rudolf Nureyev — a volatile but vulnerable genius

When the world's most famous dancer offered a young sailor a job as his assistant, Blue Robinson thought it was a joke at first. But what followed was the most fascinating and formative year of Blue's life.

Simon 'Blue' Robinson grew up sailing and playing rugby on the idyllic island of Jersey, between England and France.

In his 20s, he went further a field, first to London and then Blue started working on yachts sailing around the Caribbean.

One evening at a restaurant in St Barts, Blue spotted a man whose face he...