1979 Fastnet Race

Emergency services, naval forces, and civilian vessels from around the west side of the English Channel were summoned to aid what became the largest ever rescue operation in peace-time.

The leading boat, Kialoa, trailed closely by Condor of Bermuda,[5] was on course to break the Fastnet record set eight years earlier.

On 13 August it began to intensify rapidly and turn northeastwards, reaching about 200 nautical miles (370 km; 230 mi) southwest of Ireland.

[7] Over 13–14 August, of the 303 yachts that started, 24 were abandoned, of which five were lost and believed to be sunk, due to high winds and severe sea conditions.

[1] The Daily Telegraph (15 August 1979, p. 1) described the situation, where "Royal Navy ships, RAF Nimrod jets, helicopters, lifeboats, a Dutch warship HNLMS Overijssel and other craft picked up 125 yachtsmen whose boats had been caught in Force 11 violent storm strength gusts midway between Land's End and Fastnet".

Lin Pardey wrote that none of the yachts which hove to were capsized or suffered any serious damage,[11] but the official inquiry makes no such conclusion.

[2] One Fastnet participant, John Rousmaniere, wrote: If there is a fault in this debate, it is that the factions sometimes say that one tactic or piece of gear is always right, regardless of the boat and the conditions.

A similar memorial at Cape Clear Island harbour was first created in 2003, then updated in 2015 to list all 21 fatalities, including the observers from Tempean whose names were not widely publicized until then.