Fastnet Race Storm Sails.

[PeterR]

When sailing with Joint Services part of the deal was (whenever possible) to try-out every sail in the locker on every trip - one of which was the trysail.

As a consequence we got use to using the trysail in even a moderate blow & were all well impressed so when stuck crossing the bay in a real blow the trysail was a life saver.

It had an independent track on the mast so could be rigged before the storm struck. Then we just wound a sheet around the boom & main lowered the boom to the deck. The trysail sheets were rigged through the spinnaker blocks & forward to winches - result a totally controllable sail & a relatively comfortable ride.

Must admit we were into survival rather than racing.

Although not involved have heard that during the '79 Fastnet, the Joint Service participants rather than becoming casualties, assisted with S & R? Can any old seadogs confirm or repudiate?

Its true that service crews were encouraged to try out the storm sails on JSSTC yachts but I don’t think this had anything to do with their fate in the 79 Fastnet. I wasn’t there, well not on the water. I actually flew right over the top of the action in a Hercules on the way back from the Azores but it was too dark to see anything.

Although there may well have been others, I only know of two service boats taking part. One was Black Arrow, a RAFSA UFO 34 that carried on racing and won her class. I understand she went down to just a storm jib with the main dropped to the deck. I don’t think she hoisted a trisail. The main reason for her success was that she had seven very experienced crew on board, none of whom were seasick, and all of whom were available to carry on actively steering to windward during the worst of the storm.

The other yacht was the Nicholson 55 Dasher. She saw flares, dropped all her sails and after rescuing one crew continued to act as a radio relay/coordination station using just her engine and/or forereaching under bare poles.

 

[Quandary]

The other yacht was the Nicholson 55 Dasher. She saw flares, dropped all her sails and after rescuing one crew continued to act as a radio relay/coordination station using just her engine and/or forereaching under bare poles.

Aaaah, Dasher, I raced against her a few years before the 79 storm, we were in an Achilles 24 representing Cushendall Sailing Club in our annual challenge at Campbeltown, they were visiting and asked if they could take part. A handicap was made up for them but our only chance was that they would have difficulty rounding the Iron Ledges but they were so far out of sight we never got to see that. Happy days, when an Achilles 24 was an 'offshore' racer and between the two clubs we could field four of them.