1979 Fastnet race
Coordinates: 50°33′00″N 6°58′16″W / 50.550°N 6.971°W
The 1979 Fastnet race was the twenty-eighth Fastnet race, a yachting race competition held since 1925, generally every two years. In 1979, it was the climax of the five-race Admiral's Cup competition, as it had been since 1957.
Storms during the race wreaked havoc on over 306 yachts taking part in the biennial race, resulting in 15 fatalities. Emergency services, naval forces, and civilian vessels from around the west side of the English Channel were summoned to aid what was the largest rescue operation in peace-time. Those involved included the entire Irish Naval Service's fleet, lifeboats, commercial boats, and helicopters.
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[edit] Build-up
The 605-mile race started on 11 August 1979. BBC Radio shipping forecast, broadcast at 13:55 that day predicted "south-westerly winds, force four to five increasing to force six to seven for a time."[1] By 13 August, winds were reported at Force 6, with gusts of Force 7. Forecasters were predicting winds of Force 8. The leading boat, Kialoa, trailed closely by Condor of Bermuda,[2] was on course to break the Fastnet record set eight years earlier. However, the headlines the following day were not about success.
[edit] The disaster and rescue mission
Over 13–14 August, 25 of the 306 yachts taking part were sunk or disabled due to high winds and "mountainous seas". The Daily Telegraph (15 August 1979, p. 1) described the situation, where "Royal Navy ships, RAF Nimrod jets, helicopters, lifeboats, a Dutch warship and other craft picked up 125 yachtsmen whose boats had been caught in force 11 violent storm strength gusts midway between Land's End and Fastnet". The effort also included tugs, trawlers, and tankers. Rescue efforts began after 6:30 am on 14 August, once the winds had dropped to severe gale Force 9.[3]
[edit] Finish line
The corrected-time winner was the yacht Tenacious, designed by Sparkman & Stephens, owned and skippered by Ted Turner.
The winner on elapsed time in the race was the 77-foot SV Condor of Bermuda which gained around 90 minutes on the leader at the Fastnet rock, the SV Kialoa. Jim Kilroy of the Kialoa had broken his ribs and there was damage to the yacht's runners. SV Condor of Bermuda broke the existing Fastnet record by nearly eight hours (71h25m23s).
[edit] Vessels that did not finish
Of the 303 starters, only 86 finished. There were 194 retirements and 24 abandonments (five of which were "lost believed sunk").[4]
Early press reports were often confused. The Daily Telegraph reported that 69 yachts did not finish, listed here.
Main source: Daily Telegraph, p. 3, 16 August 1979.
- SV Accanito of France, broken rudder. Towed.
- SV Allamader. Abandoned.
- SV Alpha II
- SV Amanda Kulu
- SV Andiano Robin
- SV Angustura
- SV Animal
- SV Ariadne. Abandoned. *
- SV Arkadina
- SV Asteries
- SV Battle Cry
- SV Billy Bones. Abandoned.
- SV Blue Dolphin
- SV Bonaventure of Britain. Abandoned.
- SV Cabadah Ocean Wave Option
- SV Callirhaex 3. Abandoned.
- SV Camargue of Britain. Abandoned.
- SV Casse Tete
- SV Charioteer of Britain. Sunk.
- SV Corker
- SV Crazy Horse
- SV Détente
- SV Double O Two
- SV Enia
- SV Fiestina Tertia. (Abandoned.) *
- SV Finndabar. (Abandoned.)
- SV Gan. Abandoned.
- SV Gekko
- SV Golden Apple of Ireland, disabled. Abandoned. Crew rescued by RAF Lynx helicopter.
- SV Golden Leigh
- SV Good Intentions
- SV Grimalkin. Abandoned and subsequently recovered. Read John Rousmaniere's 'Fastnet, Force 10' & Nick Ward's 'Left for Dead'.
- SV Gringo. Reported as 'believed sunk'.
- SV Hestral. (Abandoned.) crew of 6 rescued by Royal Navy helicopter.
- SV Hoodlum
- SV Impetuous
- SV Jan Pott of Germany, Flensburg. Broken mast.
- SV Juggernaut
- SV Kestel. Abandoned.
- SV Korsar
- SV La Barbarelle
- SV Little Ella
- SV Magic of Britain. Sunk.
- SV Maligawa III. Abandoned.
- SV Marionette VII
- SV Mexxanini
- SV Morning Cloud of Britain, broken rudder.
- SV Morning Glory
- SV Mulligatawny
- SV Mutine
- SV Pachena
- SV Pegasus
- SV Ocean Wave
- SV Option2 of France, Granville
- SV Pepsi of England
- SV Pepsi of Holland
- SV Pinball Wizard
- SV Polar Bear of Britain. Sunk. Crew rescued.
- SV Regardless of Cork, broken rudder. Assisted by LÉ Deirdre (P20). Towed by RNLB Mary Stanford
- SV Samurai II
- SV Scaldis
- SV Scaramouche. (Retired) Made own way back to Plymouth."Although we hadn't the satisfaction of being one of the 88 which rounded "the rock" we were content in knowing that we had brought the boat and ourselves back in one piece"-Steve Cross.)
- SV Schuttevaer of Holland
- SV Silver Apple of Howth: lost steering, assisted by LÉ Deirdre (P20), made a jury steering rig, retired to Courtmacsherry under own power.
- SV Sinndkabar
- SV Skat
- SV Sophia
- SV Tam O'Shanter
- SV Tarantula of France
- SV Trophy. Abandoned.
- SV Tiderace IV. Abandoned.
- SV Wild Goose of Singapore
- SV Yachtman of Spain
- SV Zap
Also
- SV Mulligatawny (not competing)
[edit] Craft that assisted the rescue mission
Over 4000 people aided in the rescue efforts. The Royal Navy coordinated efforts with the success of finding around 80 vessels and rescuing 136 crew members.
Key contributors to the rescue:
[edit]
- HMS Anglesey, Island class patrol vessel
- HMS Broadsword, frigate
- HMSTY Dasher, yacht
- HMS Sultan, yacht
- One other RN vessel
- RFA Tidespring, fast fleet tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary
- Eight Royal Navy helicopters from RNAS Culdrose and RNAS Prestwick, including Sea Kings, Lynx helicopters and Wessex helicopters
- Four Nimrods from RAF St Mawgan in Cornwall
[edit]
- HNLMS Overijssel, destroyer
[edit]
Entire service.
[edit] Lifeboats
These RNLI lifeboats spent 75 hours at sea in 60-knot (110 km/h) winds[5]
- RNLB Guy and Claire Hunter, St Mary's Lifeboat, Isles of Scilly (
Royal National Lifeboat Institution) - Baltimore Lifeboat, County Cork
- RNLB Mary Stanford, Ballycotton, County Cork
- Courtmacsherry, County Cork
- Dunmore East, County Waterford
- Lifeboat Solomon Browne ( Royal National Lifeboat Institution)[6]
[edit] RAF
- 7 British military helicopters
- 3 RAF Nimrod aircraft
[edit] References
- General
- Fairchild, Tony (1979) Kiaola heads for Fastnet record Daily Telegraph, p. 26, 14 August 1979.
- Rais, Guy and Bramwell, Christopher (1979) 10 die in yacht race havoc Daily Telegraph, p. 1 & 32, 15 August 1979.
- Fairchild, Tony (1979) Killer wind gives Condor record Daily Telegraph, p. 29, 15 August 1979.
- Fairchild, Tony (1979) Fastnet may be limited to fewer Yachts Daily Telegraph, p. 3, 16 August 1979.
- Roy, Amit (1979) Last of the Fastnet race yachts found Daily Telegraph, p. 1, 17 August 1979.
- Wettern, Desmond (1979) Fastnet race rescue operation involved 4,000 people Daily Telegraph, p. 2, 20 August 1979.
- Rousmaniere, John (1980) Fastnet, Force 10: The Deadliest Storm in the History of Modern Sailing
- Siggins, Lorna (2004). "4". Mayday! Mayday! Heroic Air-Sea Rescues in Irish Waters. Dublin: Gill and Macmillan. pp. 51–52. ISBN 0-7171-3529-2.
- Specific
- ^ Siggins, Lorna (2004). Mayday! Mayday! Heroic Air-Sea rescues in Irish Waters. Dublin: Gill & Macmillan. pp. 49. ISBN 0-7171-3529-2.
- ^ http://www.ecademy.com/node.php?id=76448#
- ^ Eye witness accounts
- ^ 1979 RORC Fastnet Race Inquiry report p7 table 1.2
- ^ Siggins p50
- ^ Corin, John; Farr, Grahame (1983). Penlee Lifeboat. Penzance: Penlee & Penzance Branch of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. pp. 120. ISBN 0 9508611 0 3.
[edit] External links
- BBC News - "Freak storm hits yacht race"
- Collation of various items
- Race Inquiry report
- BBC Radio 4 Archive Hour - a one hour documentary about the fatal 1979 Fastnet Race. Presented by journalist and sailor David Lomax.
- The Royal Ocean Racing Club's official history of the 1979 Admiral's Cup
- Photographs of the sea conditions
- Scilly History
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