Survivors of the 1979 Fastnet Yacht Race gathered on Cape Clear yesterday to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the race which claimed 15 lives.
There was no global positioning system (GPS), no terrestrial navigation, no real crew experience, one of the participating Irish yachtsmen, Neil Kenefick, recalled. More than 300 boats found themselves caught in a freak storm on August 13th and 14th, 1979.
Many of the vessels spread over 605 miles of water between Plymouth and the Fastnet Rock were unprepared for what hit them, having no proper radio communications on board.
In fact, VHF radios could cost up to 10 per cent of the price of a boat, Cork yachtsman Ted Crosbie of the Irish Examiner noted. He was out taking photographs of the race that evening and was the subject of an alert himself as he had no radio on board.
Crosbie, Kenefick, Donal McClement and fellow Cork yachtsman, Joe English, were among the Irish "Fastnet 79" veterans who attended yesterday's ceremony on Cape Clear. Also present were several British competitors, including Chris Dunning of the Marionette and Peter Whipp, Tim Allison and Peter Hooson-Owen, who were on board the 30ft Magic.
The Magic was one of the smallest boats to take part in the 1979 leg of the Admiral's Cup, and lost its rudder on the Labadie Bank. Whipp recalled a premonition he had on the afternoon of August 13th.
"There was no wind, no forecast of anything significant, and it was a warm, humid afternoon," he said. "It was kind of eerie, and I remember charging up all the batteries and lashing everything down." Whipp and crew wisely stayed with their rudderless vessel and were rescued by a Royal Navy helicopter.
"When we got to the Royal Navy base at Culdrose, we were so relieved and delighted to be on dry land. But that relief was short-lived, when we met so many who had lost members of their family."
"Devastating" was how Joe English, who was on Denis Doyle's Moonduster, recalled the atmosphere at Plymouth, the race finish. Moonduster was reefed down but in good shape going round the Fastnet and heading into the return leg when it hit a "heinous storm". It was only when the Cork yacht berthed at Plymouth that it realised what had actually occurred over the terrifying preceding 24 hours.
The heroic efforts of the Baltimore lifeboat crew, under coxswain Christy Collins, were recalled by many at yesterday's event, while tribute was also paid to the Royal Navy helicopters and the Naval Service patrol ship, LE Deirdre, under the command of Commodore John Kavanagh.
Neil Kenefick, who had been on board the Golden Apple of the Sun owned and skippered by the late Hugh Coveney, described how he and his colleagues were almost crushed by their vessel when they had to take to the life raft.
"Fortunately, the Royal Navy helicopter was overhead at this point, the pilot saw what was happening and he skilfully blew the raft away from the boat."
An appeal for documentation, photographs and any other Fastnet memorabilia was made by Dr Eamon Lankford of the Cape Clear Museum Society, when Mr Ted Crosbie marked publication of a new book by Dr Lankford, Fastnet Rock: An Charraig Aonair. A plaque carrying the 15 names of the race's victims was then unveiled at the museum by John Bourke, Admiral of the Royal Ocean Racing Club.
Afterwards, the current Baltimore lifeboat coxswain, Kieran Cotter - who was one of the rescue volunteers back in 1979 - led a parade of yachts from Schull and Baltimore Sailing Clubs. Destination was the Naval Service ship, LE Emer, which had anchored within line of sight of the "wild and lonely" Fastnet light.
