T H E   R A C E



This year   The Course   History
5 June 1976

With 125 entries, 1976 was the biggest race. The entry list also featured the largest yachts, the giant 236ft Club Mediterranée and 1972 Entry Vendredi Treize renamed ITT Oceanic. Two deep low pressure areas passed through course during the race and were the main cause of the large retirement list, particularly to those on the northern route. This was the first OSTAR appearance of the now famous British yachtsman Tony Bullimore. Bullimore became one of the first casualties when his 42ft Trimaran Toria caught fire. He was lucky to be plucked to safety by a passing ship.
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1976

1972

1968

1964

1960

There were many other sea survival stories to be told after this race but the most tragic is that of popular British yachtsman Mike McMullen. Only 48 hours before the start of the race Mike’s wife Lizzie was electrocuted and killed whilst helping her husband polish the bottom of Three Cheers. They had worked as a team to prepare Three Cheers for the event and Mike felt it would be her wish that he start with the fleet. Apart from being spotted off Galley Head on the 6 June, Mike was never seen again. Several pieces of Three Cheers have been washed ashore or dredged up over the years, but no one knows for sure what happened. Competitors, the RWYC and the Observer contributed to a handsome silver-plated model of Three Cheers, the Lizzie McMullen Memorial Trophy, which has since been presented to the first multihull to finish.

The sad tale of American Mike Flanagan must also be mentioned. Mike was lost from his 38ft Galloping Gael, which was found empty. It seems he was forward, adjusting his sails and fell overboard.

Colas in the giant Club Mediterranée suffered continual halyard problems. Although he started with five halyards on each mast, by 18 June he was finding it difficult to handle the yacht imbalanced by lack of sails. He decided to go into St.John’s in Newfoundland to reeve new halyards. At the time of this detour is estimated he was leading Tabarly by 330 miles. Calas was later penalised 58 hours as he was observed with helpers onboard, hoisting sails, when he left Newfoundland.

Tabarly was, as usual, keeping quite and sailed quite unexpectedly into Newport to win his second race, Once again without the aid of sail-steering gear for much of the distance.

The achievement of Birch (The Third Turtle), 2nd, and Greene (Friends), 8th, in their small Dick Newick trimarans is notable considering their size in relation to the rest of the fleet leaders.
Skipper Nation Yacht Cl Type LOA Time
D H M 		Class
place
Eric Tabarly French PEN DUICK VI P Mono 73 23 20 12 1
Mike Birch Canadian THE THIRD TURTLE J Tri 32 24 20 39 1
Kazimierz Jaworski Polish SPANIEL J Mono 38 24 23 40 2
Tom Grossman U.S.A. CAP 33 P Tri 53 26 08 15 2
Alain Colas French CLUB MEDITERRANEE P Mono 236 26 13 36 3
Jean Claude Parisis French PETROUCHKA G Mono 47 27 00 55 1
David Palmer British FT J Tri 35 27 07 45 3
Walter Greene U.S.A. FRIENDS J Tri 30 27 10 37 4
Jaques Timsit French ARAUNA IV G Mono 38 27 15 32 2
Alain Gabbay French OBJECTIF SUD 3 J Mono 38 28 09 58 5
Francis Stokes U.S.A. MOONSHINE G Mono 40 28 12 46 3
Carlo Bianchi Italian VENILIA G Mono 54 29 00 15 4
Clare Francis British ROBERTSON'S GOLLY J Mono 37.5 29 04 22 6
Gustav Versluys Belgian TYFOON V J Mono 34.5 29 21 12 7
John de Trafford British QUEST G Tri 54 30 07 30 5
Yves Anrys Belgian PAWN OF NIEUPORT J Mono 30 30 15 34 8=
Eugene Riguidel French NOVA J Tri 33 30 15 34 8=
Gilles Vaton French ACKEL FRANCE J Mono 38 31 03 12 10
Daniel Pierre French LORCA J Mono 29.5 31 14 45 11
Patrice Dumas French SIRTEC G Mono 39 31 23 09 6
Guy Hornett British OLD MOORE'S ALMANAC G Tri 42 32 02 06 7
Bill Howell Australian TAHITI BILL G Cat 43 32 05 19 8
Geoff Hales British WILD RIVAL J Mono 34 32 13 48 12
Bernard Pallard French PETIT BRETON J Mono 33.5 32 19 57 13
Folkmar Graf German DADZTOY II J Mono 38 32 20 55 14
Ernesto Raab Italian CARINA G Mono 41 33 01 22 9
Rome Ryott British ADHARA J Mono 33.5 33 02 54 15
Pierre Riboulet French PIERRE J Mono 38 33 03 39 16
Gerd Bucking German HELENE III J Mono 35 33 08 41 17
Richard Clifford British SHAMAAL II J Mono 25.5 33 12 51 18
E. Everett-Smith U.S.A. WIND QUEST G Mono 40 34 08 44 10
Burg Vennemans Holland PYTHEAS J Mono 38 34 10 10 19
Nicholas Clifton British AZULOA J Tri 32 35 03 35 20
John Mansell New Zealand INNOVATOR OF MANA J Mono 28 35 12 25 21
Philip Howells British FROMSTOCK FILIUS J Mono 28 35 16 07 22
D. H. Clark British FREEMERLE J Mono 32 35 22 50 23
Georgi Georgiev Bulgarian KOR KAROLI J Mono 30 36 01 50 24
Yves Olivaux French PATRIARCHE J Mono 33.5 36 05 14 25
Ian Radford British JABULISIWE J Mono 28 38 08 44 26
Lars Wallgren Swedish SWEDLADY J Mono 27.5 36 11 10 27
Edoardo Austoni Italian CHICO BOBA G Mono 41 37 06 00 11
Ida Castiglioni Italian EVA J Mono 34.5 37 10 20 28
Elie Labourgade French EVALOA J Mono 34 37 10 24 29
Klaus Schrodt German LILLIAM J Mono 29.5 37 21 25 30
Jock McCleod British RON GLAS G Mono 47 38 17 40 12
Rory Nugent U.S.A. EDITH J Tri 31 39 04 30 46
Chris Butler British ACHILLES NEUF J Mono 30 39 06 02 32
Juan Guiu Spanish CRISAN G Mono 38 39 08 15 13
Richard Konkolski Czech. NIKE J Mono 22.5 39 10 49 33
James Young British ENGLISH ROSE J Mono 30 39 11 29 34
Peter Crowther British GALWAY BLAZER G Mono 42 39 12 57 14
David White U.S.A. CATAPHA J Mono 32 39 17 15 35
H.G. Mitchell British TULOA J Mono 33 41 11 59 36
Enrique Vidal Paz Spanish CASTENUELA J Mono 34 42 10 10 37
David Pyle British WESTWARD J Mono 30 42 10 11 38
Zbigniew Puchalski Polish MIRANDA G Mono 38 42 13 14 15
Wolfgang Wanders German AMITIE J Mono 35 42 17 30 39
Henk Jukkema Netherlands HESPERIA J Mono 29.5 42 21 18 40
Max Bourgeois French ACHILLE J Mono 33 43 08 41 41
Corrado di Majo Italian TIKKA III J Mono 37 44 00 37 42
David Sutcliffe British LADY ANNE OF ST DONATS J Mono 25.5 44 03 47 43
Angelo Preden Italian CAIPIRINHA J Mono 30 44 04 45 44
Stuart Woods Irish GOLDEN HARP J Mono 30 44 19 14 45
Martin Wills British CASPER J Mono 31 44 21 05 46
Richard Elliott British LAURIC J Mono 34 45 02 29 47
Henry Pottle British JANINA J Mono 25 45 03 12 48
Michel Bourgeois French DRAGON G Mono 37.5 45 12 45 16
David Cowper British AIREDALE J Mono 29.5 46 11 17 49
Nigel Lang British GALADRIEL OF LOTHLORIEN J Mono 25.5 48 03 10 50
Rodney Kendall New Zealand SONGEUR J Mono 24 49 05 40 51
Gerard Dijkstra Netherlands BESTEVAER G Mono 54 49 07 22 17
Eilco Kasemier Netherlands BYLGIA G Mono 40 49 10 34 18
Bob Lengyel U.S.A. PRODIGAL J Mono 25 49 19 30 52
Rod White British BLUFF J Mono 26 -- OUT --
Peter Evans British MEINWEN J Mono 32 -- OUT --
Jean Ropert French BIGOUDEN BRISE J Mono 27.5 -- OUT --
Dr F. Sloan British BALLYCLAIRE J Mono 33.5 -- OUT --
Anthony Lush U.S.A. ONE HAND CLAPPING J Mono 28 -- OUT --
Mike Flanagan U.S.A. GALLOPING GAEL J Mono 38 -- MOB --
Tony Bullimore British TORIA G Tri 42 -- ABN --
Jean Yves Terlain French KRITER III P Cat 70 -- ABN --
Pierre Fehlman French GAULOISE G Mono 57 -- ABN --
Dominique Berthier French 5100 J Mono 37 -- ABN --
P. Szekely French NYARLATHOTEP G Mono 42 -- ABN --
Mike McMullen British THREE CHEERS G Tri 46 -- MOB --
Kees Roemers Netherlands BOLLEMAAT G Mono 45 -- RET --
Heiko Krieger German TINIE II J Mono 36 -- RET --
R.J. Ogle British JADE G Mono 51 -- RET --
Jock Brazier British FLYING ANGEL G Mono 63 -- RET --
Hans Schulte German SILKE J Mono 25 -- RET --
Mike Richey British JESTER J Mono 26 -- RET --
Val Howells British UNIBRAS BRYTHON J Mono 38 -- RET --
Ambrogio Fogar Italian SPIRIT OF SURPRISE J Cat 25 -- RET --
Yvon Fauconnier French ITT OCEANIC P Mono 128 -- RET --
Andre de Jong Netherlands AQUARIUS J Mono 28 -- RET --
John Christian British ET SOEKI J Mono 27 -- RET --
Christian le Merrer French ACTEIA II J Mono 39 -- RET --
Edoardo Guzzetti Italian NAMAR V G Mono 45 -- RET --
Paolo Sciarretta Italian VALITALIA G Mono 42 -- RET --
Pierre Yves Charbonnier French KARATE J Mono 33 -- RET --
Michael Kane U.S.A. SPIRIT OF AMERICA P Tri 62 -- RET --
Chris Smith British TUMULT J Mono 23 -- RET --
Hywell Price British MC ARTHUR J Mono 35 -- RET --
Gerard Frigout French PEN AR BED G Mono 40 -- RET --
Doi Malingri di Bagnolo Italian CS & RB II G Mono 60 -- RET --
Marc Linksy French OBJECTIF SUD I J Mono 38 -- RET --
Angus Primrose British DEMON DEMO J Mono 33 -- RET --
C.S.W. Ward British ALTERGO G Tri 39 -- RET --
Patrick O'Donovan Irish SILMARIL J Tri 31 -- RET --
Mike Best British CRODA WAY G Tri 35 -- RET --
Guy Cornou French KERVILOR J Mono 34 -- ABN --
Jean Claud Montesinos French KEEP CAP D'AGDE G Mono 53 -- RET --
Paolo Mascheroni Italian PANDA 31 J Mono 32 -- RET --
Mike Richardson British ARCTIC SKUA J Mono 31 -- RET --
Andrew Bray British GILLYGALOO J Mono 32 -- RET --
Colin Drummond British SLEUTH HOUND J Mono 32 -- RET --
Joel Charpentier French WILD ROCKET P Mono 63 -- RET --
Aline Marchard French LOGO J Mono 38 -- RET --
Guy Brunet French IRONIGUY J Mono 32 -- RET --
Jonathan Virden British SHARAVOGE J Mono 25 -- RET --
C.H. Le Moing French PRONUPTIA G Mono 43 -- RET --
Alain Marcel French DRAKKAR III G Mono 39 -- RET --
Oscar Debra Belgian VANESSA G Mono 43 -- RET --
Simon Hunter British KYLIE J Mono 26 -- RET --
Yann Nedellec French OBJECTIF SUD 2 J Mono 38 -- ABN --
Brian Start Canadian TRUE NORTH J Mono 36 -- RET --
Classes: Jester (J) to 38ft, Gipsy Moth (G) 38 to 65 ft, Penduick (P) 65ft to unlimited
(OUT: Outside time limit. RET: Retired. ABN: Yacht abandoned. MOB: Skipper lost at sea)