Back around 1980 I was privileged to be involved with the Robert Clark-designed 72ft ketches operated by what was then called the Ocean Youth Club. My own contribution was as a relief skipper on the Solent-based Samuel Whitbread and the time I spent running the boat gave me great respect not only for the vessels themselves, but also for the permanent skippers, mates and bosuns. The size of the yachts and the ethos of the club were a perfect combination for sail training at its best.
One of the great names from those days was Chris Payne – ‘CJ’ to his shipmates – skipper of Francis Drake. CJ has made an enviable life on the water, skippering all manner of interesting craft over four decades. His book, When the Sea Calls, is an extraordinary collection of extended yarns from a man who really has been there and done it. To say it is well worth the reading is an understatement. In the extract below, he describes a classic ‘Man overboard’ incident on the Drake. This, of course, is every skipper’s nightmare, but the way CJ and his mates deal with the emergency is a prime example of how training and cool heads can defuse a potential horror show.
At the time of the incident we were at sea in. They are beautiful sea-boats, long and lean, very forgiving and able to soak up a lot of punishment, whether from the sea or the crew. OYC had had around a dozen of them over the years and they were universally loved and admired by professional staff and volunteers alike.
