Fastnet, Force 10: The Deadliest Storm in the History of Modern Sailing [Paperback]

John Rousmaniere (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2000

In August 1979, 303 yachts began the 600-mile Fastnet Race from the Isle of Wight off the southwest coast of England to Fastnet Rock off the Irish coast and back.

It began in fine weather, then suddenly became a terrifying ordeal. A Force 10, sixty-knot storm swept across the North Atlantic with a speed that confounded forecasters, slamming into the fleet with epic fury. For twenty hours, 2,500 men and women were smashed by forty-foot breaking waves, while rescue helicopters and lifeboats struggled to save them. By the time the race was over, fifteen people had died, twenty-four crews had abandoned ship, five yachts had sunk, 136 sailors had been rescued, and only 85 boats had finished the race. John Rousmaniere was there, and he tells the tragic story of the greatest disaster in the history of yachting as only one who has sailed through the teeth of a killer storm can. With a new introduction by the author.

Editorial Reviews

Review

I reread Fastnet, Force 10 for at least the fourth time, with pleasure and admiration, as always. For a long time now, it has been a huge favorite of mine; as a writer, I'm dazzled by [John Rousmaniere]'s sure-footed handling of a complex narrative, with multiple points of view, all beautifully woven into a continuous and powerful story. After twenty years, it still reads as freshly as ever. (Jonathan Raban, author of Passage to Juneau, Coasting, and Old Glory and editor of The Oxford Book of the Sea )

John Rousmaniere's gripping account of that calamitous race is a must-read for anyone thinking about sailing offshore. This richly detailed account provides inspiration for all sailors to thoroughly prepare and use good sense at sea. (Gary Jobson, ESPN sailing commentator )

There are few new lessons in safety at sea. What we teach is the accumulated wisdom of centuries, passed down to us by those who took the trouble to think and then to write. [Fastnet, Force 10] is still the best single source of those lessons, in my view.... Thanks for a great book and a lifetime of caring for those who go down to the sea in ships. (John Bonds, Safety-at-sea expert and former director of the U.S. Sailing Association and the U.S. Naval Academy sailing program )

About the Author

John Rousmaniere has sailed in over 35,000 miles of offshore voyaging and racing. He crewed on the 48-foot Toscana in the fateful Fastnet Race of 1979.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company (April 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393308650
• ISBN-13: 978-0393308655
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #75,046 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #38 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Miscellaneous > Essays
  • #81 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Outdoor Recreation > Sailing
  • #81 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Miscellaneous > History of Sports

More About the Author

After 30 years of professional writing about boats, sailing, New York history, cemeteries, religion, and other topics, it's still a thrill to learn that I've given people pleasure and security. Just this morning I read these words: "If you want your Ph.D. in sailing there's always John Rousmaniere's The Annapolis Book of Seamanship." That advice to a new sailor appeared in the Catalina Association Forum on June 27, 2009.

Though I've sailed some 35,000 miles on most of the oceans, I was born in Kentucky and spent my early years in Ohio. My family moved to the shore of Long Island Sound, where as a boy I fell in love with sailing and boats. Raised by parents who were wonderful story-tellers, I became determined to be a writer, and that's what I've been doing most of my life. I was educated at Columbia University (bachelor's and master's degrees in history) and Union Theological Seminary (M.Div. -- readers say they see religion and spirituality in my books), where my wife, Leah, works. After Army service, I spent several years as an editor at YACHTING magazine, them became a freelance writer while raising my two young sons solo.

I do a lot of lecturing and instruction -- 20-30 talks a year across the country -- in part because it puts me in touch with readers. When not sailing and writing, I enjoy mountain hiking, New York City, movies, reading fiction, poetry, and American history, and spending time with my wonderful sons, their wives, and their children.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Retells an amazing adventure and analyzes the mistakes, July 14, 2000

By 

R. Spell "raspell" (Memphis, TN USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Fastnet, Force 10: The Deadliest Storm in the History of Modern Sailing (Paperback)

From reading Perfect Storm two years ago I have started reading adventure stories at sea. This is a fascinating race in extreme conditions which the author describes very well based on his first hand knowledge. But he also analyzes what went wrong and where the blame should be placed if anywhere. The pictures are exceptional and this is an excellent read with a few slow spots.

However, it is not my favorite sailing adventure. That would be Fatal Storm, the Inside Story of the Sydney-Hobart race. While it may not have taught as much, the stories were more in-depth and mesmerizing.

This book has historical importance from a sailing perspective as it was one of the first races of the modern era with catastrophic results and much was learned for equipment development. A must read for sailors and adventure junkies. Also good for someone wanting to learn about the technical side of racing and weather.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gripping tale of adventure and boat safety, December 14, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Fastnet, Force 10: The Deadliest Storm in the History of Modern Sailing (Paperback)

This book is superb, the best I have ever read on sustained rough weather sailboating and what really happens onboard 30 to 80 foot sailboats in very strong storm conditions at sea. The book is very well written and the author's words allowed me to come quite close to feeling the wet, windy, bouncing, noisy and scary conditions experienced by the people on the boats in that terrible storm. It is highly gripping as an adventure, and unusually informative on how to properly prepare a yacht for offshore sailing where threatening storms are always a real threat. Very enjoyable. by Allen Hobbs, Lt. USN (ret)

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best modern sea adventure story!, January 9, 2000

By 

Kurt (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fastnet, Force 10: The Deadliest Storm in the History of Modern Sailing (Paperback)

I have read this book multiple times and I have loaned it out to every one I know. It is my favorite adventure book. The writing is superb and John's analysis is spot on. The storm is reviewed from its beginnings over Minnesota, its brush with the J/24 world championship off New England and on to its fateful meeting with the Fasnet fleet. He tells a compelling story about the race and the horror of the sea in a state of rage - this is better than Into Thin Air and the Perfect Storm. Best of all John tells his story with compassion and sensitivity and shows that sometimes no matter what you do you may find yourself in an impossible situation. . Buy this book! You will not be disappointed! Thanks John for a great book.