A first hand account of one man's fight to survive during the notorious 1979 Fastnet storm should be of interest to all who venture offshore, cruising or racing.
The 1979 Fastnet Race proved a milestone in offshore racing history. An unexpected storm caught a fleet of yachts in the Irish Sea, turning an amateur sporting event into a disaster. 24 boats were abandoned, 136 people had to be rescued and 15 sailors lost their life. The lessons learnt changed attitudes in the sport, leading to improvements of yacht design and safety equipment. New safety regulations were introduced. In the last 40 years there have been major advances in technology, navigation, communications and weather forecasting. Nevertheless, the forces of nature remain unchanged and those choosing to sail offshore can still face the challenges of the weather and the sea.
Date: Saturday 5th December 2020, at 19:30.
The Talk on Zoom: You will be able to join us from anywhere you can get online, using your PC, laptop, tablet or smartphone and enjoy the talk.
The event will start with a few announcements and introductions. Imre Vadasz will then speak for about 45 minutes, followed by questions and answers. That will be the end of the Talk part of the meeting but if you wish, you could stay with us and join in with the following.
Registration/Booking, open to members of the CA including the Crewing Service, and RHYC members. Registration is for one device with as many watching as you wish. There is no charge for these Talks on Zoom for the time being.
Click to Register to attend On Zoom. N.B. Our registrations are handled by Eventbrite but it is not necessary to sign up for an account with them.
Places are limited, so to avoid disappointment, please book early.
Details of the Zoom meeting will be emailed to you the day before the event.
Click to download: Hints and Tips on using Zoom for the Winter Talks. If you are new to Zoom, you may find these useful, follow the guidance and you will be able to join us.
Covid-19: Our normal venue, the Royal Harwich Yacht Club, are unable to accommodate us for this event due to Government regulations.