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Fastnet Force 10
Wed Apr 30, 2003
Listen in RealAudio 
Hi, I'm Bryan Yeaton for The Weather Notebook. Commentator Chuck Kruger recently pondered the
site of one of the most tragic days in sailing history.
Three hundred and three boats from 22 countries started the race, 85 crossed the finish line
605 miles later. Meanwhile, 13 Royal National Institute Lifeboats from along the south coasts
of Ireland and England became active in rescue missions, as well as eight military vessels, a
number of commercial ships, a fleet of helicopters. The rescue operation was ranked as the
largest in British waters since the evacuation of 340,000 from Dunkirk in 1940.
On Monday, 13 August, 1979, the BBC reported simply: "South-westerly, force 4 or 5, increasing
6 or 7 for a time, veering westerly later. Occasional rain or showers."
Altogether, twenty-seven hundred men and women sailed in this event. Over 77 skippers reported
having their yachts capsize. Some world-class yachts were "pitchpoling," flipping end over
end. Helicopters rescued 136 people, and another 70 were towed or accompanied to safety by
the RNLI.
As a sailor in the race, and author of "Fastnet, Force 10," John Rousmaniere wrote, with the
Monday afternoon BBC forecast in mind, that "Force 10 is to force 8 what stomach cancer is to
gallstones."
That's commentator Chuck Kruger, from Cape Clear Island, Ireland. The Weather Notebook is
supported by Subaru of America, and the National Science Foundation.
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