Fastnet storm 1979

Robin

Robin

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Occasioned by a nice looking, but cruising Nicholson 345 in a visitor berth near us and the 2021 race starting this coming Sunday got me to thinking back to the ill fated 1979 race. Will this one be a slow drift high speed ride or lost in fog mystery tour.
 
A friend of mine I've sailed a lot with was in that race. Services Nicholson 55. He says it was a bit brisk and they had no idea of what was happening elsewhere until they got in after the finish.
 
capnsensible said:
A friend of mine I've sailed a lot with was in that race. Services Nicholson 55. He says it was a bit brisk and they had no idea of what was happening elsewhere until they got in after the finish.
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My then sailmaker (Paul Lees, Crusader) was there in his (half tonner?) Pinball Wizard. I was at sea in The Channel in thick fog but heard some albeit one-sided radio messages between coastguards and lifeboats etc. I was single handed as family had returned post holiday by ferry. but what I Heard and on the radio news broadcasts had me really stressed out AIRC and i took a small tranny set to work every day for the next few days to keep up. different days back then, no electronics allowed, poorer forecasts and especially so longer range. Today they might have Netflix streaming on the rail by comparison and recue guys on speed dial [/SARC]

A lot of designs got IMHO bad publicity after like CO34s OOD 34s and the Nicholsons whereas theCO32 got elevated to 'immortal classic'

I just re-watched the BBC documentary on u-tube where a GK29 was used to portray 'Grimalkin' brought tears to my eyes even now 42 years on.
 
We had the season off while our then boat was being treated for osmosis. I remember being on the Suffolk coast and looking out on the tail end of the storm and wondering how things were going. More recently we met up with Miranda Delmar-Morgan who had bought Polar Bear, which had been abandoned in the race and later recovered, something which she told me she was unaware of when they bought her. The boat has been sold on since.
 
Those 'prepping' their boats should be aware of the seamanship that Alain Catherineau and his crew displayed on his She 36 'Lorelei' during the '79 Fastnet Race, when he/they saved the 8 crew of 'Griffin' from a tattered liferaft.

Edit: Here's a pic of the print I donated to my club, showing 'Lorelei' dropping down to the knackered liferaft. This was commissioned by the boat's builders South Hants Engineering., as was the little booklet I have with Alain's tale of the rescue.

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in-praise-of-the-she-36

Perhaps they should also get their hands on a copy of Mike Fennessy's 'Tidal Stream Atlas of the South Cornwall Coast' and its companion for South Devon. Having those and knowing how to use them gave us a Class and Series Win in 2003.

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I remember having a conversation with our skipper as to whether people should shit in the galley sink or the bilge after the heads unit had broken free.
Now I ask for 'FAT's opinion as to whether a thread on here is/is not allowable.
Hey, ho.
 
Nom de plume said:
I remember having a conversation with our skipper as to whether people should shit in the galley sink or the bilge after the heads unit had broken free.
Now I ask for 'FAT's opinion as to whether a thread on here is/is not allowable.
Hey, ho.
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'Brave New World'

(S)He clearly hadn't done the YM Instructors' course where one was strapped into a lifering, and suspended over the lee quarter in the time-honoured Arab sea-trader fashion.
 
My boat Marihøna was out that night, and the owner managed to run for shelter, into Bayonne I believe. A fact of which I am quietly proud on her behalf.
 
zoidberg said:
'Brave New World'

(S)He clearly hadn't done the YM Instructors' course where one was strapped into a lifering, and suspended over the lee quarter in the time-honoured Arab sea-trader fashion.
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We used that system on Theodora with OYC in the 1962 Tall Ships Race. salt water bidet. With 2 young and very pretty ladies in our crew we had to pre-arrange times with diplomatic withdrawals out of sight and sound. :eek:
 
zoidberg said:
Those 'prepping' their boats should be aware of the seamanship that Alain Catherineau and his crew displayed on his She 36 'Lorelei' during the '79 Fastnet Race, when he/they saved 8 from a tattered liferaft.

Perhaps they should also get their hands on a copy of Mike Fennessy's 'Tidal Stream Atlas of the South Cornwall Coast' and its companion for South Devon. Having those and knowing how to use them gave us a Class and Series Win in 2003.

51358560702_24c5d30fb9_b.jpg
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HEAR HEAR. Plus a special thanks to 'MORNINGTOWN' too. She was on the hard at Berthons' in Lymington IIRC when we were there in 2018,, unsung heros..
 
Nom de plume said:
I remember having a conversation with our skipper as to whether people should shit in the galley sink or the bilge after the heads unit had broken free.
Now I ask for 'FAT's opinion as to whether a thread on here is/is not allowable.
Hey, ho.
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Yachts, generally, have a simple device on board for such occasions. It's nautical term is 'bucket' but this a common landlubber term too. ?
 
Nom de plume said:
I'm not going to betray a confidence - but the situation was not so simple as you presume.
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Last Sunday whilst bashing to windward under motor in a very uncomfortable chop, my unfortunate crew was obliged to prove that the theory works in practice. As have generations of sailors during the ages. Galley sink? Yeah, right. ?
 
capnsensible said:
Last Sunday whilst bashing to windward under motor in a very uncomfortable chop, my unfortunate crew was obliged to prove that the theory works in practice. As have generations of sailors during the ages. Galley sink? Yeah, right. ?
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I'm sure that you took full account of the person's medical condition and injuries before reaching your judgement.
Typical fore-endy with access to heads - should have tried it amongst us back-afties with none :rolleyes:
 
An injured person in a seaway can be dealt with in a nappy kind of way. Inviting them to balance over a galley sink in rough weather is hardly likely to improve their situation. ?

I'm sure you rear Enders coped, being mostly full of it. ???
 
capnsensible said:
An injured person in a seaway can be dealt with in a nappy kind of way. Inviting them to balance over a galley sink in rough weather is hardly likely to improve their situation. ?

I'm sure you rear Enders coped, being mostly full of it. ???
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As said, you were not there. You don't even know where and what the galley was. I'll leave you to continue to describe the best course of action based on your zero knowledge of the situation without further interruption.
 
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