As we're all whiling the hours away in lockdown, I thought that this youtube video of the first Whitbread Round the World race, posted today on a sailing forum, would be of interest to some of you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBBm5Xa8DeAIt's a great little film, a real period piece. It also shows how much things have changed since 1973. The race was was a real Corinthian effort. So many of those guys went on to become legends of offshore sailing. You may have recognized Peter Blake on Burton Cutter. Les Williams, the skipper of Burton Cutter is someone I worked for when I was a student, back in the day. Classic Les that the boat was only half built before the start....
From a modern perspective, the matter-of-fact reporting of the lives lost is quite shocking. I loved some of the period commentary, such as "sailing is one of the only activities where you're allowed to drink and drive" and the gushing explanation of the amazing "hi-tech" nav aids. The footage of the partying in Rio reminded me of some of Clare Francis' husband Jacques Redon's tales of the goings on at that stopover - none of which are suitable for passing on in polite company.
I sailed across the Atlantic and down the Med, from Fort Lauderdale to Kos on Second Life in 1981. The film brought back some happy memories of that boat.
