Fall 2011.indd - Annapolis Yacht Club

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1979 Fastnet Race The Toughest Ocean Race on Record Gary Jobson “Looking back these many years later, it was a heady time. Today, I am happy to sail my Etchells here on the bay a few times each year.” The author at the helm of Tenacious during the infamous 1979 Fastnet Race. I almost missed the infamous 1979 Fastnet Race. At the time, my calendar of racing and giving sailing clinics around the country was mighty full. Heading to England for Cowes Week and the Fastnet Race seemed like one trip too many. The phone rang one evening and Ted Turner was on the line, “I really want to win this race, but I need your help.” One month earlier we had finished first overall aboard Ted's boat Tenacious in the Annapolis to Newport Race. “Okay,” I replied, “let's do it.” When I arrived in Cowes, England by ferry, there were hundreds of boats sailing on the Solent. It was blowing hard. I had never witnessed such a scene. The current was ripping, boats were spinning out under spinnaker, and cannons were booming from the seawall of the Royal Yacht Squadron. I was ready to race, and so was Ted. The first day of Cowes Week was a race across the English Channel to France and back, and then a series of day races. Tenacious had a good handicap rating. We were at the front of the fleet in almost every race. The biggest contest was the Queen's Cup. We ended up first overall. The RYS invited Ted, Jim Mattingly, our navigator Peter Bowker, and I to the prize giving. It was scheduled to be held at the Club's Castle, which was built in the 1500s. It sounded exciting. Ted sent back a message that there were 16 on the crew and all of us would be attending, or he would not be able to attend. The race committee agreed. It was an impressive, formal occasion for an American boat to win this coveted British Trophy. AYC member Jack King also won this prestigious trophy with his Merrythought in 1991. By the time the Fastnet Race started, our crew aboard Tenacious was ready. Ted announced that winning this race was more important to him than the America's Cup. We had defended the Cup two years earlier aboard Courageous in Newport. I was the only member of the Courageous crew to sail with Ted in the America’s Cup and the Fastnet. While we were in England, Richie Boyd from Courageous was preparing Ted's 6 meter for the upcoming World Championship. I sailed in that, too. Looking back these many years later, it was a heady time. Today, I am happy to sail my Etchells here on the bay a few times each year. The Fastnet Race was started in 1925 and is sailed every other year. The course is 605 miles long, starting on the Royal Yacht Squadron line, heading 10 AYC BEACON VOLUME 3, NO. 2
Tenacious racing in the AYC Fall Series two months after the Fastnet storm. west out the Solent, along the south coast of England, past Lands' End, across the Irish Sea to Fastnet Rock, about 8 miles south of Cork, Ireland, passing south of the Scilly Islands and finishing in Plymouth. As we approached the rock, the wind was blowing about 25 knots. Our spinnaker was up. This was in the days before race trackers, so we guessed that we were in good shape against our competitors. And, there were a lot of good ones. Peter Blake was racing Condor, Dennis Conner was racing Williwaw, and Steve Colgate had his boat, Sleuth, there. In fact, 303 boats started the race. The weather forecast was late as we approached Fastnet Rock. When the broadcast finally came over the VHS radio Peter Bowker wrote down every word. His report to the crew on deck was ominous. “The winds are forecasted to build to Force 8 or 9, and possibly up to Force 10!” Ted's comment was frightening, “Oh my God, 20 people are going to die tonight!” We had just finished a roast dinner cooked by Jane Potts. We rounded the Rock and hoisted a No. 2 headsail. At 2000 hours I was on deck as watch captain. At 51 degrees North, the sky was still light. The wind built and I called for a change to the No. 3. One hour later we changed down to the No. 4 working jib. At one point, Ted yelled from below for me to take my hat off so I could feel the wind better. It was blowing over 40 knots! I could feel the wind through my foul weather gear. After dark, Courtney Jenkins used a flashlight to read the compass. The waves were gigantic. I had never seen anything like this. I wondered how I would describe the race when I returned to Annapolis. By Midnight the wind was howling. Ted took over the wheel. I had steered four hours straight. About an hour later, Ted called for the mainsail to come all the way down. The crew was heroic wrestling the heavy Dacron sail below decks. The wind was well over 50 and still building. The waves were 35 feet tall. All of us were seasick. Tenacious was a sturdy 61-foot boat designed by Olin Stephens, who also designed the 12 meter Courageous. We had great faith in Olin and his engineering. At 0400 it was my time to go back on deck. I spent four more hours steering. We only had the No. 4 headsail set. I would see a green light on the bow and then a red light. It was tough changing course. When dawn started to brighten the sky, we set the storm trysail. That made steering easier. By 0600 the wind was back down to 50 knots and shifting to the west. Tenacious was now reaching. When we crossed the finish line later that night, the wind was down to 15 knots. On shore, it was bedlam. Little did we know that CBS news anchor, Walter Cronkite, had reported Tenacious as “missing.” There were hundreds of news reporters on the docks. We VOLUME 3, NO. 2 AYC BEACON 11
Page 1 and 2: THE ANNAPOLIS YACHT CLUB BEACON VOL
Page 3 and 4: Contents RACING CRUISING JUNIORS 11
Page 5 and 6: Celebrating Annapolis Yacht Club |
Page 7 and 8: Introducing our Newest One Design F
Page 9: The Tides Inn and Bay Creek resorts
Page 13 and 14: Expanding Horizons Cruising the Bri
Page 15 and 16: Connection to the Community The Ann
Page 17 and 18: The much coveted America's Cup has
Page 19 and 20: Connection to the Yachting World Th
Page 21 and 22: “This committee is really about m
Page 23 and 24: eventually becoming a force at the
Page 25 and 26: Membership Development Understandin
Page 27 and 28: I was asked to be on the Board so I

Fall 2011.indd - Annapolis Yacht Club

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