Helpless crew can do nothing except watch as one of their own, swept overboard during a capsize, drifts away in a stormRed flare and liferaft deployed \u2013 crew of the stricken yacht Stand Aside wait for rescue by helicopter in the 1998 Sydney Hobart Race. All photos: Richard BennettAlong with the 1979 Fastnet Race, the 1998 Sydney Hobart has become a byword for disaster at sea. Unless a writer was actually on board one of the boats and recounts personal experience, reporting on such events is notoriously difficult.
\nG Bruce Knecht, sometime foreign correspondent of The Wall Street Journal, has risen nobly to this challenge in his book The Proving Ground. Originally published in 2001 in the aftermath of the tragedy, the book is now available via Amazon \u2013 and it should be required reading for all who go offshore to compete.
\nWithin a framework of the race in general, Knecht has concentrated mainly on the events surrounding four boats. Sword of Orion is ultimately abandoned in the direst distress, Winston Churchill is lost, but Sayonara and Brindabella finish.
\nFrom meticulous research and endless interviewing of those involved, Knecht has produced a book that is hard to put down. Not only does he describe the events accurately, he takes the bold step of looking critically into the characters and motivations of the dramatis personae.
\nThe book is skilfully crafted by a master and not written as a linear time line, but this has made it difficult to find an extract of suitable length for publication in Yachting World. I have eventually centred on the loss of Glyn Charles, an Olympic sailor from Britain, one of the crew of Sword. Charles joined the crew late in the day as a \u2018rock star\u2019 helmsman.
\nWhat went wrong and why, as described below, brings us right on board the yacht and it makes for harrowing reading.
\nFrom The Proving Ground by G Bruce Knecht
\nAt about 1600, the owner Kooky\u2019s requirement for giving up the race was surpassed as the wind reached close to 70 knots. By then, the yacht was 90 miles from the safe haven of Eden. In racing terms, Sword of Orion was still doing well, but even so he told his shipmate Kulmar he was prepared to give up. \u2018It\u2019s up to the helmsmen. If they want to go back, we\u2019ll go back.\u2019
\nKulmar already knew what Brownie and Glyn would say, but he quickly checked with both of them before telling Kooky it was unanimous. \u2018Fine, let\u2019s do it,\u2019 Kooky said.
\n\u2018But where are we going to go?\u2019 Dags the permanent hand interjected. \u2018We can\u2019t head directly to Eden. That would put the waves behind us.\u2019
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Hunched over a map, Kooky suggested that they head west, roughly in the direction of Melbourne, until it was safe to turn toward Eden. At 1644 Kooky announced Sword\u2019s retirement over the radio, Brownie got out of his bunk and told Kooky, \u2018I\u2019ll take the helm when we turn around.\u2019 Kooky said no. \u2018Glyn\u2019s on the wheel; he can do it.\u2019
\nGlyn already had a plan. \u2018I\u2019ll wait for a big wave,\u2019 he said. \u2018As soon as we\u2019re over the top, I\u2019ll turn the wheel hard as we go down the other side. There\u2019ll be less wind between the waves, and we should be able to get around pretty fast.\u2019
\nBeing on deck was painful. The wind was ripping through the rigging, producing a constant high-pitched shriek. And having created the waves, the wind had gone into battle with them, shaving off the foam at their peaks and creating a jet stream of moisture that looked like smoke. The droplets slapped Glyn and Dags with skin-stinging speed.
\nAll the waves were huge, but after letting several pass Glyn judged one to be larger than the others. \u2018This is the one,\u2019 he shouted. The angle increased dramatically as Sword climbed the 35ft wave. Just before it reached the top, Glyn pulled at the wheel, hand over hand.
\nAs Sword passed over the crest and began to tilt forward, the rudder came out of the water. When it resubmerged a couple of seconds later, the Sword carved a tight arc as it skidded down the wave. By the time it reached the valley, it was on a new course.
\n\u2018Great job,\u2019 Dags shouted, but he had already begun to worry about Glyn\u2019s ability to drive the boat. Rather than steering the westerly course they had talked about, he was heading north.
\n\u2018How are you feeling?\u2019 Dags asked. Glyn, who had a stomach bug and was prone to seasickness, admitted to feeling terrible and then went on to say how bad he felt about not putting in more time at the wheel. \u2018I haven\u2019t done my job. I\u2019ve let the team down.\u2019
\n\u2018No, that\u2019s not true. Shit happens. If you\u2019re not feeling well, it\u2019s not your fault.\u2019
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\nThe waves were no larger than before Sword changed course, but now they were far more dangerous. The almost northerly course Glyn was steering would take them directly to Eden, but it meant the waves were coming astern. That meant Sword was doing exactly what Dags had desperately wanted to avoid \u2013 surfing, vastly increasing the chances of going out of control and rolling over.
\nGlyn wasn\u2019t really looking at the waves. Having cinched the cord in his hood so tightly around his face that he looked as if he were wearing blinkers, he seemed to be paying more attention to the instruments.
\nDags, not sure what to do, shouted over the wind, \u2018Do you want me to steer?\u2019 With his eyes focused on the compass, Glyn replied, \u2018No, I can do it. It makes me feel better.\u2019 Almost pleading, Dags said, \u2018But you can\u2019t steer this way. We have to go into the waves.\u2019
\nGlyn was obviously miserable. His jacket was equipped with rubber seals around his neck and wrists, which were supposed to keep water out, but a steady stream was trickling down his back and chest, causing him to tremble with cold. \u2018This gear is worthless,\u2019 he said bitterly. \u2018I\u2019m completely wet. I wish we could just get out of here.\u2019
\n\u2018You have to stop surfing,\u2019 Dags insisted. \u2018Why don\u2019t you let someone else steer?\u2019 Glyn said nothing.
\nDags wasn\u2019t the only crewman who was worried about Glyn\u2019s steering. Clipping his harness onto the safety line, the experienced Carl Watson made his way to the back of the boat. \u2018Glyn, your course is too low \u2014 you have to come up so we can keep heading into the waves.\u2019
\n\u2018Don\u2019t worry,\u2019 Glyn replied without making eye contact. \u2018I had friends who died in the Fastnet Race. I know what to do.\u2019
\nThe post 1998 Sydney Hobart: Extract from The Proving Ground by G Bruce Knecht appeared first on Yachting World.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Helpless crew can do nothing except watch as one of their own, swept overboard during a capsize, drifts away in a stormRed flare and liferaft deployed \u2013 crew of the stricken yacht Stand Aside wait for rescue by helicopter in … <\/p>\n