zoidberg
Well-known member
C 'n P'd from elsewhere....
"It's something of a coincidence, but I happened to have an especially relevant p'b book, unread, on my piled-high coffee table-cum-library overspill.
It's entitled 'A Race For Madmen', published 16 years ago, and explores in more detail than I've known/read elsewhere the preparations ( and lack of them ), the attitudes, fears and over-confidences of the original Golden Globe Race entrants 50 years ago.
I consider it well written and very interesting for the inside info the writer, Peter Nichols, weaves in. For example, that Chichester, Moitessier, RK-J, Bill King, Fougeron - and even David Lewis in 'Ice Bird' - suffered intense storms well out to the west of Cape Town, while curving down the South Atlantic SE'ly to get into the belt of strong winds that blow around the globe in those latitudes. They all were knocked down and/or rolled, causing several of them to lose masts and steering gear - and retirement - limping into Cape Town under jury rig. Just like Are Riig and Philippe Peche a few weeks ago.
The descriptions are vivid, and very relevant to today's crop of GGR racers.
Now, just a little further along, in the bottom edges of the Indian Ocean ( circa 38°S latitude ) we have much the same destructive storm winds ( 60-70 knots, for upwards of 3 days, switching direction close to 180° ) kicking up the same jumbled, chaotic seas, with the same results - boats rolled, masts and steering gear swept away.
Gregor McGuckin and Abhilash Tomy were victims this time, and have been lucky to get away with it. Mark Slats and Jean-Luc VDH had it just a little easier, but still had knockdowns and repairable damage. Those following on, including Susie Goodall, have had a few hammerings. There are more to come."
"It's something of a coincidence, but I happened to have an especially relevant p'b book, unread, on my piled-high coffee table-cum-library overspill.
It's entitled 'A Race For Madmen', published 16 years ago, and explores in more detail than I've known/read elsewhere the preparations ( and lack of them ), the attitudes, fears and over-confidences of the original Golden Globe Race entrants 50 years ago.
I consider it well written and very interesting for the inside info the writer, Peter Nichols, weaves in. For example, that Chichester, Moitessier, RK-J, Bill King, Fougeron - and even David Lewis in 'Ice Bird' - suffered intense storms well out to the west of Cape Town, while curving down the South Atlantic SE'ly to get into the belt of strong winds that blow around the globe in those latitudes. They all were knocked down and/or rolled, causing several of them to lose masts and steering gear - and retirement - limping into Cape Town under jury rig. Just like Are Riig and Philippe Peche a few weeks ago.
The descriptions are vivid, and very relevant to today's crop of GGR racers.
Now, just a little further along, in the bottom edges of the Indian Ocean ( circa 38°S latitude ) we have much the same destructive storm winds ( 60-70 knots, for upwards of 3 days, switching direction close to 180° ) kicking up the same jumbled, chaotic seas, with the same results - boats rolled, masts and steering gear swept away.
Gregor McGuckin and Abhilash Tomy were victims this time, and have been lucky to get away with it. Mark Slats and Jean-Luc VDH had it just a little easier, but still had knockdowns and repairable damage. Those following on, including Susie Goodall, have had a few hammerings. There are more to come."
