Beyond Endurance: 300 Boats, 600 Miles, and One Deadly Storm

by Adam Mayers

The August 1979 Fastnet race, from Cowes on the Isle of Wight in the English Channel to the Fastnet lighthouse off the south coast of Ireland, started calmly enough for the 303 boats taking part. The previous two races had been uneventful and none of the sailors, among them former British prime minister Ted Heath and American cable TV millionaire Ted Turner, anticipated anything out of the ordinary this time. They expected a challenge, an exhilarating ride, and three days of top-flight competition. But once the yachts left the shelter of the Cornish coast, they were hit by a storm that gained ferocity minute by minute until it was blowing Force 10 and raising mountainous waves. At Force 10, the wind speed at sea is fifty-five knots, just shy of a hurricane. Winds that strength on land uproot trees and demolish poorly constructed buildings.

Beyond Endurance is the story of that race, which culminated in a night of terror, courage, and split-second reactions, of ferocious seas that forced each sailor either to give up and face almost certain death or to find within himself the extraordinary strength and skill that might, just might, keep him alive. Not all of them made it. Among the survivors were twenty-six men from Canada, Britain, and the United States, whom Mayers has interviewed about what they still call “that night.”

Beyond Endurance is Mayers’s dramatic story of the Fastnet its hopeful start, the camaraderie of its crews, the challenges of the earlier cross-Channel races — and the deadly storm that caused the worst tragedy ever to befall an ocean-sailing race.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

264 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Mandy]

I enjoy survival stories, and I’d never heard of the Fastnet or the 79 disaster. I learned a lot about sailing and scary seas and storms, so that’s a plus.
I think the balance between the retelling of events and background of the sailors and technical stuff was a bit off in first third or so. Just took me right out of it. Skimmed some bits.
The insanity of the storm and what the crews went through boggles the mind. RIP those who didn’t survive.

[Sandra]

Never underestimate the power of nature, nor a sailor’s ability to endure. As a sailor, I could relate to the racing and the terrifying hours of persisting to get through it because there was no other choice.

[Sharon]

I have heard stories of the 79 Fastnet and read another account, "Left for Dead" several years ago. But holy crap, I know there's nothing you can do if you're caught out there and I have to say the bravery and stalwartness of the Canadians makes me proud. Some of the participants weren't very supportive, in fact down right insulting Mr Turner!!! What goes around, comes around. A simply amazing read. If you ever wondered about a sailboat race but always thought the subject would be too boring, this is the read for you.

[Deborah Sowery-Quinn]

although the content of this story is spectacular, i.e. the experience of those who sailed through the stormy seas, the telling of it was too technical for me: lots of talk about gibs & steering & waves & hulls etc. for this type of adventure book, for those who are not that into sailing, "Adrift" by Stephen Callaghan (sp?) is a much more readable tale.