This year The Course History
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T H E R A C E
This year The Course History |
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23 May 1964
One prospective entrant for the 1964 race proposed to sail a boat 12ft long. The committee, wisely and politely pointed out a boat that small would not be able to complete the course in the given time limit. In future races a minimum size limit was imposed. Tabarly's Penduick II was purpose-built for the race and he was given time off from his job as a naval Lieutenant and government encouragement. His superb win, despite breaking his self steering gear after 9 days, ranks as one of the great achievements of short-handed offshore racing. President de Gaulle awarded Tabarly the Legion d'Honour and he was given a hero's welcome on his return to Paris. There is no doubt that this win kick-started the high esteem of yachting and particularly single-handed racing, as a national sport in France today. |
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All those who sailed the first race were back again, and improved their times, a trend that was to continue. It is surprising to see how the same names crop up race after race.
McCurdy returned to Plymouth and later completed the crossing independently. Folatre's rudder hit a whale and returned to 500 miles to Plymouth before restarting making the passage in 34 days. Illala, a junk rigged schooner on a Nicholson 36 hull, lost her foremast. Bob Bunker broke his wrist falling whilst climbing the mast. Butterfield and Chaffey both stopped in the Azores to make repairs. The 1964 race was the first in which radio's featured, with several entrants giving daily reports to competing newspapers. The Guardian newspaper in conjunction with Marconi and the Post Office pioneered the development of small boat radio reporting from mid-ocean most successfully. Like self steering gear, this innovative work in due course became widespread throughout the general cruising and racing fleets of the world. Thus the race lived up to its founding principle of encouraging development in sailing craft and their equipment. This development of new innovations continues throughout the race's history and remains today as a guiding principle in the rules and conditions of entry: The Race is intended to be a sporting event, and to encourage the development of suitable yachts, gear, supplies and techniques for shorthanded racing. |
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