Yacht race disaster: alone in a vicious sea
Nick Ward was the last man to be rescued in ocean racing's biggest disaster - the Fastnet tragedy of 1979.
In 1979, English sailor Nick Ward found himself in the middle of the biggest disaster in ocean racing. He was in the crew of the Grimalkin, one of 303 yachts taking part in the Fastnet Challenge Cup – a demanding 608-mile race around the south-west coast of the British Isles. The course started in fine weather but ended up in unimaginable horror after a freak storm swept into the Celtic Sea and pounded Nick’s boat. The ensuing rescue operation was the UK’s largest since World War 2 – and Nick was the last man to be saved. He tells his story to Emily Webb.
Of mourning and mushrooms - how grieving Malaysian widow, Long Litt Woon, found solace in fungi foraging after the death of her husband. She's now become a certified mushroom expert.
Image: The rescue of Nick Ward from the sinking Grimalkin
Credit: Getty Images
Last on
More episodes
Broadcasts
- Thu 8 Aug 2019 11:06GMT³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ World Service
- Thu 8 Aug 2019 15:06GMT³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ World Service Australasia
- Thu 8 Aug 2019 17:06GMT³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ World Service except Australasia, East and Southern Africa, South Asia & West and Central Africa
- Thu 8 Aug 2019 20:06GMT³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ World Service South Asia
- Fri 9 Aug 2019 02:06GMT³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ World Service UK DAB/Freeview
- Fri 9 Aug 2019 03:06GMT³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ World Service Americas and the Caribbean, Online, Australasia, South Asia & East Asia only