fastnet 79 prog on TV

[Robin]

Storms within storms

The faster boats were closer to rounding Fastnet and a sleigh ride home, others still pounding upwind, but downwind was no safer in the event. From the reports and enquiry plus books and weather articles I read there seemed to be localised areas where there were like small depressions within the main one, with reported barometric pressures and windspeeds varying enormously even from boats just 10mls apart. There were suggestions but no conclusive proof that the shallower water (relatively) over the Labadie bank had an effect on the seas too. I believe also that Morning Cloud and others had rudder stock problems with carbonfibre stocks failing. All this is from memory 25 years on so you can see the effect it had on me at the time as a mere observer.

Adlard Coles 'Heavy Weather Sailing' has a chapter on it and there was a book by John Roussmaniere (?? sp) published shortly afterwards.

<hr width=100% size=1><font size=1>Sermons from my pulpit are with tongue firmly in cheek and come with no warranty!</font size=1>

 

[RupertW]

The race has certainly coloured all my sailing experiences, and I've always tried to have a sound boat rather than one packed with emergency gear, particularly liferafts. A Sea Survival course a couple of years ago only confirmed the prejudice. I wonder how many more people would survive if they didn't have liferafts on board, so couldn't make the dangerous choice.

I was actually crossing the Irish Sea in a ferry that night and I remember trying to walk about the decks to see the unbelievable waves and wind - I particularly remember having to wrap a thick scarf twice round my face as the wind seemed too strong to face into and actually breath out, without the scarf. I can't imagine ferries now letting people on deck in conditions like that, but I couldn't stand the smell of sickness inside. And all that was many miles north of the worst of it.

The guy teaching me dinghy sailing at the time was racing that night, and alas was one of the 15.





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[Robin]

The boats have changed too, having looked closeup at the RORC boats in Cherbourg last weekend I cannot envisage being on one of those things in Fastnet '79 conditions, it just doesn't bear thinking about. Big Merlin Rockets with a crew of 10? At least even the flat out racers in 1979 had some resemblance to ocean going yachts!

<hr width=100% size=1><font size=1>Sermons from my pulpit are with tongue firmly in cheek and come with no warranty!</font size=1>

 

[Robin]

Some of the abandonments were I think helicopter induced. If a guy arrives overhead with an offer to beam you up it must have been very tempting even if until then you were 'managing' OK. Not sure if I could take the armchair view and sit it out on board in that case although I would have been equally terrified of the rescue too.

<hr width=100% size=1><font size=1>Sermons from my pulpit are with tongue firmly in cheek and come with no warranty!</font size=1>

 

[RupertW]

I agree - if a helicopter was overhead in terrible conditions I'd probably accept their offer, despite the risks. You could imagine the boat breaking up a few hours later and the crew looking at you wondering why you told the rescuers to go away.

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[AlexL]

Yes I can see that - One of the things which came out of the sydney-hobart according to what I read was that it appeared that there was a real lack of understanding all round about what 'Force 8' or 9 or 10 or whatever actually means. i.e the fact that the forecast says the wind will be 40 knots for example refers to a mean wind speed of 40 knots with gusts of alot more ( there are some numbers in the book - ISTR 33% greater gusts should be expected for a fair amount of the time) and the same with waves. The met guys in the Sydney-Hobart 'assumed' that the skippers and crews knew all of this, whereas the skippers were supprised to see massive gusts and waves far in excess of what they thought was forecast

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[Clive_Rigden]

Good points Rick and yes, I'd very much appreciate a DVD if you can arrange it. Send me a private post if it's possible and I'll get in contact with you.
Cheers!


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[bedouin]

I would be very interested in a DVD/VCD if you could produce one

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[halcyon]

Seem to remember that they had a odd communication system, and the big boats at the head of the fleet were hitting the weather, but the smaller following boats were not being advised and were just running into it blind.
The one sad point was when they were on one chopper doing a rescue, when there was another mayday a few mile away, and there was nothing the crew could but leave them to there fate, must have been a terriable time.

Brian

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[rickp]

Ah, the qualification rules came in after '79? That would seem reasonable. I was just taken aback by the attitude a little.

Rick

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[brianhumber]

Re: saily talk on TV

Its quite easy to be clear and introduce the right names at the same time, i.e. turn the wheel to the left and keep the boat to the left of that black and yellow thing which is called a cardinal and pull the red string which is called a sheet.

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[Robin]

That was the reason for the rule change, but Golden Apple certainly wasn't crewed by inexperienced people since it was an Admirals Cup team boat, so I tend to agree with you about Chris Dunning's sweeping generalisation.

<hr width=100% size=1><font size=1>Sermons from my pulpit are with tongue firmly in cheek and come with no warranty!</font size=1>

 

[Sans Bateau]

Re: saily talk on TV

I know this was discussed yesterday, but the BBC really have something to answer for here.
We looked to tape this program, however Nap Attack was scheduled in the Mail television guide for BBC south, remembering the thread yesterday, we checked teletext, that also said Nap Attack, so guess what? We didnt record the program on at 10.35, whatever it was!

We are in West Sussex, so we get BBC south. How often is there something of interest on the television? Then we miss it, Grrrrrr !!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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[tome]

Re: saily talk on TV

We recorded the program so might try my hand at putting it onto DVD.

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[flyingjunior]

Re: hm, but

Spending a lot of my time down on scilly I get to chat quite a lot with Matt Lethbridge who was Cox'n of the st Marys lifeboat at the time of the race and he felt that some of the yachts which took part in the race were in his openion not up to a race such as the fastnet.
A number of the present st marys crew decided to sign up as crew for the lifeboat as a result of the disaster including one chap who was awarded a bronze medel earlier this year for his part in helping to rescue a lone Irish yachtman in horrendus condtions last October.

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[Sans Bateau]

Re: saily talk on TV

If you could do that it would be great, you could leave it for me at the marina office (you are in Northney ar'nt you?) and I will square you up with a beer some time.

I spoke with SWMBO earlier and she waited up (I was shot to bits last night) to check what came on at 10.35 and it was Nap Attack, strange!

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[Keith]

the problem was the range of the wessex helicopter, back then it was a short range SAR (771 sqdn), morning take off was first light as it also had no radar fit, to get out to the situation the helo had to refuel in the scillies to get into the search area,also they picked EVERYTHING up that was floating so the next helo did not have to bother with it, as can be appreciated when the aircraft landed we unloaded mattresses lifejackets, cushion, foulweather gear etc there was tons of it,a lot of the casualties died from a mixture of hypothermia and spray inhalation (the best lifejackets have a hood to combat this)....keith

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[halcyon]

Sorry we had drifted onto the 98 Sidney Hobart.
Just re-running the tape at the moment, puts you off sailing, we have 90 foot waves, and a steady 82 knots, touching 92 knots, race control I would have shot, one yacht fired 5 flares at a yacht passing 150 foot away without any responce, one yachts maday has just been down graded, and they have been left to there own devices.


Brian

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