Fastnet, force 10 Ww norton & co (WW Norton & Co)

In August 1979, the 600-mile Fastnet Race, which began in fine weather off the Irish coast, became, for the men and women sailing it, a terrifying ordeal. A Force 10, 60-knot storm swept across the Atlantic, with a speed that confounded weathermen, into the fleet of 303 boats. For 24 hours, over 2500 men and women were smashed aby 40-foot breaking waves. John Rousmaniere, who was there, tells the story of this great disaster in the history of yachting.