The Fastnet Yacht Race Tragedy of 1979

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22 thoughts on “The Fastnet Yacht Race Tragedy of 1979”

  1. Both these films pose a lesson to us all.
    Never ever underestimate the power of the sea.
    The 1979 race, the sydney hobart race has ended in disaster

  2. so sad it proves that kaos and disaster make you stop thinking clearly
    makes me think twice about ocean racing

  3. I don’t understand! why don’t people deploy a sea ancor out the bow and
    just go down below when things get that bad and if you they dont have one
    chuck a couple of sail’s out, it make no sense!

  4. I remember reading the book Fastnet Force 10 as a boy, it captured my
    imagination then and the story still does to this day

  5. Full praise for the brave men involved in this venture that turned
    to tragedy. Armchair analysts can look at this film and say surely they
    didn’t do that – sometimes in the actual situation, things are not that
    simple. Deploying the life raft in these extreme wind and wave conditions
    means you are committed to getting into it The general rule is that
    unless you know it is going to sink…never deploy the life raft and or
    leave the vessel. At times this can be deceptive, especially in rough
    conditions. Staying with the boat whilst it remains afloat (even upturned)
    has proven to be the best option..however .. this can be very difficult in
    massive rough ocean conditions where – if your tethered and if your lucky,
    you may get tossed back on board when the vessel self rights it self after
    a knockdown.(instances during 1998 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race) .or sway
    along with it in a big swell.. Alternatively you could be literally thrown
    into the vessel with enough force to kill you 5 times over. Many sailors
    like Jesse Martin survived inside during 360 tumbles but as demonstrated
    here, everything needs to be fastened down or you could be damaged by hard
    objects flying around in the cabin. Most likely water will be pouring in
    up to your waist unless you have a bulkhead tight door (like a submarine).
    As a sailor myself, I think the best thing in all this is to really study
    conditions and if in the slightest doubt about a weather window, abandon
    the race and head for calmer seas to race again.

  6. Im hitting the sack! did that dude go to bed knowing the rudders gone lol
    wtf.

  7. Most modern sail boats abandoned to bad weather come out of the storms
    afloat. Something to think seriously about before deploying a life raft.

  8. It’s a shame that there no word of the rescue from Hr.Ms Overijssel, dutch
    navy vessel, who saved the crew of the Trophy and Grimaldin. I knew Derek
    Moreland for 32 years because I had saved his life….

  9. i was 15 and camping on st mary’s at this time we woke to a maroon going
    off to launch the lifeboat then seeing the yachts that came in with broken
    masts and worse still remember this very tragic

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