1979 Fastnet Race

The 1979 Fastnet Race was the 28th Royal Ocean Racing Club's Fastnet Race, a yachting race held generally every two years since 1925 on a 605-mile course from Cowes direct to the Fastnet Rock and then to Plymouth via south of the Isles of Scilly. In 1979, it was the climax of the five-race Admiral's Cup competition, as it had been since 1957.

A worse-than-expected storm on the third day of the race wreaked havoc on over 303 yachts that started the biennial race, resulting in 19 fatalities (15 yachtsmen and four spectators). Emergency services, naval forces, and civilian vessels from around the west side of the English Channel were summoned to aid what became the largest ever rescue operation in peace-time. This involved some 4,000 people, including the entire Irish Naval Service's fleet, lifeboats, commercial boats, and helicopters.

Build-up

The 1979 race started on 11 August. BBC Radio shipping forecast, broadcast at 13:55 that day predicted "south-westerly winds, force four to five increasing to force six to seven for a time." By 13 August, winds were reported at Force 6, with gusts of Force 7. Forecasters were predicting winds of Force 8. The leading boat, ''Kialoa'', trailed closely by ''Condor of Bermuda'', was on course to break the Fastnet record set eight years earlier.

Meteorological history

A large depression, known as "low Y", formed over the Atlantic Ocean during the weekend of 11–12 August. On 13 August it began to intensify rapidly and turn northeastwards, reaching about 200 nautical miles southwest of Ireland. By the 14th, the low was centred over Wexford. Land-based weather stations reported gale-force winds, with the strongest winds out to sea over the race area. The Meteorological Office assessed the maximum winds as Force 10 on the Beaufort scale; many race competitors believed the winds to have reached Force 11. The lowest pressure was 979 hPa.

Disaster and rescue mission

Over 13–14 August, of the 303 yachts that started, 24 were abandoned, of which five were lost and believed to be sunk, due to high winds and severe sea conditions. ''The Daily Telegraph'' (15 August 1979, p. 1) described the situation, where "Royal Navy ships, RAF Nimrod jets, helicopters, lifeboats, a Dutch warship Hr MS. ''Overijssel'' and other craft picked up 125 yachtsmen whose boats had been caught in Force 11 violent storm strength gusts midway between Land's End and Fastnet". The effort also included tugs, trawlers, and tankers. Rescue efforts began after 6:30 am on 14 August, once the winds had dropped to severe gale Force 9.

Fifteen sailors died, at least 75 boats capsized and five sank. Adopting heaving to as a storm tactic proved to be a good preventive of capsize and turtling during the race. Lin Pardey wrote that none of the yachts which hove to were capsized or suffered any serious damage, but the official inquiry makes no such conclusion. One Fastnet participant, John Rousmaniere, wrote that

The disaster resulted in a major rethink of racing, risks and prevention.

The coastguard requested support resulting in a Nimrod aircraft from RAF Kinloss being ordered to the scene to act as the Scene of Search Coordinator. As the scale of the disaster became apparent other rescue assets were requested and was ordered to the scene taking over as the Scene of Search Coordinator on arrival 17:30 on 14 August.

Finishing yachts

The handicap winner was the yacht ''Tenacious'', designed by Sparkman & Stephens, owned and skippered by Ted Turner. The winner on elapsed time in the race was the 77-foot SV ''Condor of Bermuda'', skippered by Peter Blake, which gained around 90 minutes on the leader after rounding the Fastnet rock, the SV ''Kialoa'', by the calculated risk of setting a spinnaker sail in the high wind conditions. Jim Kilroy of the ''Kialoa'' had broken his ribs and there was damage to the yacht's runners. SV ''Condor of Bermuda'' broke the Fastnet record by nearly eight hours (71h 37m 23s).

Handicap results all classes (first three in each class)

Notes

Vessels that did not finish

Of the 303 starters, only 86 finished. There were 194 retirements and 24 abandonments (five of which were "lost believed sunk").

Early press reports were often confused. ''The Daily Telegraph'' (16 August 1979, p. 3) reported that 69 yachts did not finish.

* ''Accanito'' of France, broken rudder. Towed.
* ''Allamader''. Abandoned.
* ''Alpha II''
* ''Amanda Kulu''
* ''Andiano Robin''
* ''Angustura''
* ''Animal''
* ''Ariadne''. Abandoned. *
* ''Arkadina''
* ''Asteries''
* ''Autonomy''. Towed to Dunmore East.
* ''Ballydonna''
* ''Battle Cry''
* ''Billy Bones''. Abandoned.
* ''Blue Dolphin''
* ''Bonaventure'' of Britain. Abandoned.
* ''Cabadah Ocean Wave Option''
* ''Callirhaex 3''. Abandoned.
* ''Camargue'' of Britain. Abandoned.
* ''Casse Tete''
* ''Charioteer'' of Britain. Sunk.
* ''Combat II''. Retired to Cork.
* ''Corker''
* ''Crazy Horse''
* ''Détente''
* ''Double O Two''
* ''Enia''
* ''Evergreen''thespec.com: "Reliving the ill-fated Fastnet"
, 12 May 2007
* ''Farthing''
* ''Fiestina Tertia''. Abandoned. *
* ''Finndabar''. Abandoned.
* ''Gan''. Abandoned.
* ''Gekko''
* ''Golden Apple'' of Ireland, disabled. Abandoned. Crew rescued by RAF Lynx helicopter.
* ''Golden Leigh''
* ''Good in Tension'' A High Tension 36. Two Knockdowns. Retired from race. Sailed to Crosshaven, Cork. Towed within the harbour by Fishing vessel ''Mona Lisa''
* ''Griffin'' Abandoned - crew rescued from liferaft by ''Lorelei''
* ''Grimalkin''. Abandoned and subsequently recovered. Read John Rousmaniere's ''Fastnet, Force 10'' and Nick Ward's ''Left for Dead''.
* ''Gringo''. Reported as 'believed sunk'.
* ''Gunslinger'' Broken rudder stock
* ''Hestral''. Abandoned. Crew of 6 rescued by Royal Navy helicopter.
* ''Hoodlum''
* ''Impetuous''
* ''Innovation''
* ''Jan Pott'' of Germany, Flensburg. Broken mast.
* ''Juggernaut''
* ''Kamisado'' a UFO 34, apart from two knockdowns ''Kamisado'' coped effectively with the storm and retired to Plymouth.
* ''Kestel''. Abandoned.
* ''Korsar''
* ''La Barbarelle''
* ''Little Ella''
* ''Magic'' of Britain. Sunk.
* ''Maligawa III''. Abandoned.
* ''Marionette VII''
* ''Mexxanini''
Mordicus Belgique won 1981
* ''Morning Cloud'' of Britain, broken rudder.
* ''Morning Glory''
* ''Mulligatawny''
* ''Mutine''
* ''Pachena''
* ''Pegasus''
* ''Ocean Wave''
* ''Option2'' of France, Granville
* ''Pepsi'' of Scotland. Broken rudder stock. Retired no steerage. Several knockdowns. No communications. After 24 hrs towed by a French Trawler into Kinsale.
* ''Pepsi'' of Holland
* ''Pinball Wizard''
* ''Polar Bear'' of Britain. Sunk. Crew rescued.
* ''Polyhymnia''. Retired and made own way back to Plymouth.
* ''Regardless'' of Cork, broken rudder. Assisted by . Towed by
* ''Samurai II''
* ''Sandettie'', a UFO 34 which was rolled, dismasted and swamped. However Sandettie's crew were able to jury rig emergency rigging and sail to Lands End, where they were towed to Penzance
* ''Scaldis''
* ''Scaramouche''. Retired and made own way back to Plymouth. Steve Cross remarked: "Although we hadn't the satisfaction of being one of the 88 which rounded 'the rock' we were content in knowing that we had brought the boat and ourselves back in one piece."
* ''Schuttevaer'' of Holland
* ''Silver Apple'' of Howth: lost steering, assisted by , made a jury steering rig, retired to Courtmacsherry under own power.
* ''Sinndkabar''
* ''Skat''
* ''Sophia''
* ''Sophie B''
* ''Tam O'Shanter''
* ''Tarantula'' of France
* ''Thunderer RAOC''
* ''Trophy''. Abandoned.
* ''Tiderace IV''. Abandoned.
* ''Wild Goose'' of Singapore
* ''Yachtman'' of Spain
* ''Zap''
Also
* ''Mulligatawny'' (not competing)

''Polar Bear'' was abandoned but remained afloat and raced again. She is berthed in Plymouth.

Craft that assisted the rescue mission

Over 4000 people aided in the rescue efforts. The Royal Navy coordinated efforts to find around 80 vessels and rescue 136 crew members.

Key contributors to the rescue

=Coastguard

=
*Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre, HMCG Lands End, UK
* MRCC Falmouth, UK
* MRCC Shannon, Ireland
* MRSC Brixham, UK
* Cross A, France

=Royal Navy

=
* HMS ''Anglesey'', Island class patrol vessel
* , frigate (Scene of Search Coordinator)
* , yacht
* HMS ''Scylla'' (''Leander'' class frigate)
* RMAS ''Rollicker'' A502, ocean-going salvage tug
* RFA ''Tidespring'', fast fleet tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary
* 15 Royal Navy helicopters from RNAS Culdrose and RNAS Prestwick, including
* Westland Sea Kings, 25 sorties for 110 hrs 45 mins,
* Westland Lynxes 10 sorties for 20 hrs 55 mins and
* Westland Wessexes, 27 sorties for 62 hrs 35 mins

=Royal Netherlands Navy

=
* , destroyer (race guardship)

=Irish Naval Service

=
*, Deirdre class offshore patrol vessel

=United States Navy

=
* , submarine tender, Holy Loch, Scotland

=Lifeboats

=
These RNLI lifeboats spent 75 hours at sea in winds:
* ''RNLB Guy and Claire Hunter'', St Mary's Lifeboat, Isles of Scilly
* Baltimore Lifeboat, County Cork
* ''RNLB Ethel Mary'', Ballycotton, County Cork
* Courtmacsherry, County Cork
* Dunmore East, County Waterford
* Lifeboat ''Solomon Browne''

= Royal Air Force

=
* Three helicopters
* Four Nimrods from RAF St Mawgan in Cornwall

=Irish Air Corps

=
* Beechcraft Kingair maritime patrol
* Alouette helicopter

= Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC)

=
* ''Morningtown'', Rodney Hill's Oyster 39 acted as the RORC escort and radio relay boat and was responsible for relaying the positions of the racing fleet.

Yachtsmen killed

*Paul Baldwin
*Robin Bowyer
*SLt Russell Brown
*David Crisp
*Peter Dorey
*Peter Everson
*Frank Ferris
*William Le Fevre
*John Puxley
*Robert Robie
*David Sheahan
*SLt Charles Steavenson
*Roger Watts
*Gerrit-Jan Williahey (Gerrit-Jan Willering)
*Gerald Winks

The Fastnet Race Memorial at Holy Trinity Church, Cowes, Isle of Wight lists 19 fatalities: the 15 above and Olivia Davidson, John Dix, Richard Pendred, and Peter Pickering who were aboard ''Bucks Fizz'', a yacht shadowing the fleet to view the race. Denis Benson and David Moore were lost from ''Tempean'', which was not a competitor. Their names were added to the Fastnet memorial at Cape Clear Island harbour.

See also

*Contessa 32
* J/30
*UFO 34

References

Notes

Sources

* Tregoning, Martin, Acting District Controller, Senior SAR Mission Controller HMCG Lands End.
*
* Fairchild, Tony (14 August 1979) Kiaola heads for Fastnet record ''The Daily Telegraph'', p. 26
* Fairchild, Tony (15 August 1979) Killer wind gives Condor record ''The Daily Telegraph'', p. 29
* Fairchild, Tony (16 August 1979) Fastnet may be limited to fewer Yachts ''The Daily Telegraph'', p. 3.
*
*
* Rais, Guy and Bramwell, Christopher (15 August 1979) 10 die in yacht race havoc ''The Daily Telegraph'', p. 1 & 32.
*
*
*
*
*
* Wettern, Desmond (20 August 1979) Fastnet race rescue operation involved 4,000 people ''The Daily Telegraph'', p. 2.

Further reading

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External links

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