The Fastnet Yacht Tragedy of 1979

THE FASTNET YACHT TRAGEDY OF 1979 is a BBC documentary about the story of a Force 10 gale which decimated the 1979 Fastnet race, the last of the Admiral’s Cup events in that year. A massive search and rescue operation was begun as half of the 300 yachts competing went missing in a 20,000 area square of the Irish Sea. The death toll was 15, and the ramifications are still felt today with the increased safety requirements introduced in the aftermath.