THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS

Anyone in the sailing fraternity recognises the Fastnet Race as one of the world’s most notoriously tough endeavours, even for the most skilled sailor.

The 695-mile route starting from the English south coast, around the Fastnet rock, a rather bleak isolated protruding teardrop situated in the Celtic Sea, and back again has been well documented. A spot onboard this sought-after race is on many bucket lists and attracts people from around the globe.

But there’s one race edition in particular that stands out, one that has warranted book publications, and even resulted in changes to safety measures for vessels that stand today. The year unforgettably etched into the memory of both those involved and succeeding competitors is the infamous 1979 Fastnet.

Meteorologists and journalists reported on the natural phenomenon that formed over the Atlantic Ocean and swept across the racecourse, leaving behind harrowing destruction and chaos. Vessels, like scattered debris in the vast expanse of the open water, were left battered and bruised, and limped onwards in search of shelter.

In time, the victims of this perilous storm shared their stories and people everywhere were rocked by the tragic loss of life. The glimmer of light, piercing through the thick blanket of cloud as the storm subsided, was a reminder to us all that when such a catastrophe occurs, acts of kindness will always prevail.

In our minds the 1979 Fastnet paints a scene of despair, loss, sadness and fear – all of which are credible descriptions of one of the biggest disasters in ocean racing history. But I am going to fill in some gaps, touching on the small acts of kindness