The perfect film for anyone stuck at home dreaming about sailing...

A lovely find, thanks.

Great memories of the boats, sails, equipment and clothing of that age. I was learning to sail and race as a teenager in the RN at that time and that race was inspirational for me to go on to have a second career sailing full time.

One of the top thrills I had in that era was helming British Soldier on a trip from the Azores to UK doing 17 knots downwind. Never forgotten! :D
 
A lovely find, thanks.

Great memories of the boats, sails, equipment and clothing of that age. I was learning to sail and race as a teenager in the RN at that time and that race was inspirational for me to go on to have a second career sailing full time.

One of the top thrills I had in that era was helming British Soldier on a trip from the Azores to UK doing 17 knots downwind. Never forgotten! :D
I bet!
 
Haven't seen the quoted movie ... will have to sit down and watch ...

But I do have two 'boaty' movies I like ... for different reasons !!

Riddle of the Sands .... for its old world aspect of wooden boats and old time traditional skills - AND JENNY AGUTTER !!

and of course

Wind .... the take on the Americas Cup with some surprisingly good tactical sailing stuff in ...
 
Was that the last time there was a race of that kind with basically amateurs participating,note lack of essential safety gear and team waterproofs
The 1977 race was also in a pretty Corinthian Spirit, although Conny Van Rietschoten did bring a new level of professionalism to it.

Thanks for posting the film Pete. I really enjoyed it.

From a modern perspective, the matter-of-fact reporting of the lives lost is quite shocking. I loved some of the period commentary, such as "sailing is one of the only activities where you're allowed to drink and drive" and the gushing explanation of the amazing hi-tech nav aids. The footage of the partying in Rio reminded me of some of Jacques Redon's tales of the goings on at that stopover - none of which are suitable for passing on in polite company.

I sailed across the Atlantic and down the Med, from Fort Lauderdale to Kos on Second Life in 1981. The film brought back some happy memories of that boat.
 
Although funnily enough a lot of the crew went onto become pretty significant figures in the world of sailing, and the marine industry. It was a sort of proving ground.
Was it in this race that Tabarly was disqualified for using exotic materials on board? A uranium keel.

It may have been mentionned but I nodded off for a few minutes in the middle...
 
Was it in this race that Tabarly was disqualified for using exotic materials on board? A uranium keel.

It may have been mentionned but I nodded off for a few minutes in the middle...

No, it was in the 2nd Whitbread that Tabarly was disqualified for the spent uranium keel.

Pen Duick VI had already been built and issued with a rating prior to the outlawing of spent uranium in November 1973, two months after the start of the first Whitbread.

The first race where it became an issue for Tabarly was the Los Angeles to Honolulu in 1977, which led to his subsequent disqualification during the 2nd Whitbread. As Loic Caradec on Gauloises II pointed out at the time "It's not really the Uranium keel that makes Pen Duick fast...."

The ban on Pen Duick's keel was subsequently lifted by an extraordinary meeting of the UNCL in 1978, on the basis that the boat had been built before Uranium was banned. A small rating penalty was applied to compensate for the greater density of spent uranium compared to lead.
 
No, it was in the 2nd Whitbread that Tabarly was disqualified for the spent uranium keel.

Pen Duick VI had already been built and issued with a rating prior to the outlawing of spent uranium in November 1973, two months after the start of the first Whitbread.

The first race where it became an issue for Tabarly was the Los Angeles to Honolulu in 1977, which led to his subsequent disqualification during the 2nd Whitbread. As Loic Caradec on Gauloises II pointed out at the time "It's not really the Uranium keel that makes Pen Duick fast...."

The ban on Pen Duick's keel was subsequently lifted by an extraordinary meeting of the UNCL in 1978, on the basis that the boat had been built before Uranium was banned. A small rating penalty was applied to compensate for the greater density of spent uranium compared to lead.

It reminded me when Paddy Hopkirk was disqualified from winning the Monte Carlo Rally for the second time on the trot because he had light bulbs that dimmed rather than dipped.
 
Wow! What a film. Thanks!

Edit;

Just spent the rest of the evening watching all the other Whitbread films.
My, how things changed between each one!

Incedentally does anyone know where Whitbread Heritage (ex GBII, United Friendly, and a couple of other aliases) is now? I'd love to make her acquaintance again.
 
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