BBC Radio 4 "The Reunion" 12-4-2015 - about the '79 Fastnet Race

[DaveRo]

"Sue MacGregor reunites five people who experienced the worst disaster in the history of ocean racing - the Fastnet Race of 1979."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05q5ynq

 

[TSB240]

Well worth a listen.


The things I came away with was no amount of new qualifications, regulations or boat design would have changed the end result significantly.

However better forecasting probably would and has saved lives since.

 

[horatio_nelson]

Am doing the Fastnet this year, I'll give that a listen!

My first family sailing holiday was in 1979, I remember we caught the tail of the Fastnet storm somewhere around Cornwall

 

[VicMallows]

Yes, a very well presented and balanced program for once. Well worth a listen. The one thing that particularly struck me was that VHF radio was not mandatory for the race in 1979. Only 5 years later when I was equipping my first (and current!) boat, not having a VHF would have been unthinkable.

 

[Richard10002]

I was on a container ship coming across the Atlantic to Liverpool from The Panama Canal. Very rough, and the anchor was snapped in half by the pounding of the bows during the trip.

 

[mcframe]

Yes, a very well presented and balanced program for once. Well worth a listen. The one thing that particularly struck me was that VHF radio was not mandatory for the race in 1979. Only 5 years later when I was equipping my first (and current!) boat, not having a VHF would have been unthinkable.

Nice mention of RRS 4 "The responsibility for a boat’s decision to participate in a race or to continue racing is hers alone.".
I wonder how the tabloids would try to "apportion blame" if anything similar were to happen this year, (when I'm doing my second one ;-)

 

[nimbusgb]

I caught this in the car yesterday morning, pulled over into a lay-bye and listened! It was really powerful radio. The descriptions from the survivors and rescuers still fresh in the minds of the men 35 years on. Some tales of incredible luck and some harrowing ones. The descriptions of the conditions should make anyone contemplating an offshore trip pause to think about the capabilities of their vessel, crew and safety gear.

The Fastnet disaster is almost a synonym for many lessons learned in safety, equipment, boat knowledge, rescue techniques that stemmed from 15 friends and rivals death.

If you didn't catch it I highly recommend it!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05q5ynq

 

[[70521]]

Cracking programme.

Two messages come to mind:

1) Flares have a use; and

2) The media love a feeding frenzy

 

[janeK]

Listened whilst driving in the car too, excellent radio, and well worth a listen for those that missed it.