GREAT SEAMANSHIP
ATTEMPTING A TRANSATLANTIC RACE IN A SADLER 32, MARTIN THOMAS FACES AN ONSLAUGHT OF GALES
Back in 1986, Martin Thomas and Alan Taylor entered the Transatlantic Two-Star Race in the Sadler 32 Jenny Wren. To say they didn’t have an easy trip would be a marvel of understatement. In fact, they and the rest of the contestants in that awful year experienced what can only be described as a trip from hell.
It would have been tough in any boat, but perhaps not quite so shocking in a modern yacht with roller headsails. Back in the 1980s, many yachts were still operating under hanked-on headsails with a wide choice available from a foc’s’le rammed full of wet canvas.
To their credit, Martin and Alan kept a narrative going in addition to the ship’s log.Written at an acute angle during one storm after another and now published in Heavy Weather Sailing (8th edition), it carries the authenticity of a real-time account. For these extracts, very few words have been changed from the original diary written in pencil. It serves to remind us of just how grim going to sea in a small yacht can be, but it also gives us a warm feeling when we sense the continuing morale of these two young men under conditions that would have crushed many a dreamer.
Day 1. We got off to a moderate start about halfway down the fleet, flew past The Lizard during the night and in the early morning came close to the Scillies. The wind was up to a gale by now and we changed down to the storm jib. The next morning the wind came up again at 45-plus knots (Force 9). We rode out the storm with a triple-reefed main alone for four hours or so. We have pumped the bilges and lockers of a surprising amount of water.
Day 5. We reckon two full gales and this current plus two near-gales in the first five days is enough. We continue on port tack and the wind has remained from the same quarter at Force 7, occasionally 8, for 40 hours now. We tore the No2 Genoa this morning when a green sea came over and ripped it.
Day 6. This wind is relentless. We are still in a 35 knot (Force 7) south-westerly. The sea is worse and the poor boat is really being chucked about (including her occupants). Just now she seemed in mid-air for a few seconds and then landed with a fantastic crash as if on concrete. We have lost a hank from No3,which I hope does not also rip. No3 is doing good work and we need it badly.
Day 7. The first present opened (from wife Vivien) was a very black joke (the book Total Loss, an account of yachting disasters). At the time we were belly flopping from one wave to another and shuddering and shaking fit to break. The wind piped up again last evening at 2100 so we put up the storm jib. I
