Fastnet Rock in Fair Weather

Forty years ago today, on the third day of the 605-mile Fastnet Race, an unexpectedly strong storm struck the fleet with tragic results. The fleet of 303 sailing yachts had set off on August 11,1979 in clear weather with calm seas. The forecast predicted “south-westerly winds, force four to five increasing to force six to seven for a time.”

By the 13th, winds reached gale force 8. Overnight and into the 14th, the wind rose to 60-65 knots with mountainous seas.  Fifteen sailors and four spectators in an observation boat lost their lives. At least 18 boats were rolled a full 360 degrees. Twenty-four boats were abandoned, five sank, and approximately 170 were rolled over until their masts hit the water. Only 86 of the over 300 boats finished the race.

In what has been described as the largest maritime rescue operation in peace-time history, naval forces and civilian vessels from around the west side of the English Channel braved the seas to attempt to reach the beleaguered sailors. The rescue effort involved some 4,000 people, including the entire Irish Naval Service’s fleet, lifeboats, commercial boats, and helicopters, as well as the support fom the Royal Navy, HM Coast Guard, the RAF, and ships from the Royal Dutch and the US navies.

Remembering the 1979 Fastnet Race Disaster