SURVIVAL
Born survivor ABOUT THE FASTNET RACE
Ward was no stranger to survival. enormous waves.The Fastnet race is one of the world’s
Although only 23,Ward had cheated
Many of the boats had poor safetyclassic offshore yachting races. It takesdeath eight years before when a brain
equipment. Ultimately, five boats endedplace every two years over a course of“Compounding the trauma
up in pieces and a further 19 were608 miles which starts from Cowes on
abandoned by their crews. Just 85 boatsthe Isle of Wight in England, rounds thewas the reaction of his
finished the race. The biggest peacetimeFastnet Rock off the southwest coast of
sea rescue effort was launched andIreland and then finishes at Plymouthcrewmates, who refused to
136 sailors were picked up. However 15in the South of England after passingcontact Ward once he was
sailors died.south of the Isles of Scilly.
According to Wikipedia, six lives wereThe first Fastnet Race was held inrescued, citing a pact of
lost because safety harnesses broke, the1925. There were only seven entries.
others drowned or died of hypothermia.During the tragic 1979 race there weresilence around the events, to
The disaster led to a major overhaul303 boats. The storm that hit the racewhich Ward was not a party.”
of the rules and the equipment requiredfired up so quickly that meteorologists
for the competition. Numbers are nowdescribed it as a “bomb”; pressurehaemorrhage left him unable to walk,
limited to 300. It became mandatory forlet alone sail.Recovering from that gave dropped 40 millibars in only 24 hours.
Ward a benchmark of inner strength to all yachts to be equipped with a VHFPoor weather forecasts failed to give
drdd r awwwwwwwwwww ffffrror oom.mmm.m .. radio and qualifications for competingwarw ning of hurricane-force winds
were also brought in.thatt h gusted to 133km/h (83mph) and
“I was fortunate, which is probably Bad experiences, though, have a
the not the right word, but I was tendency to linger.
fortunate in that at age 15 I had a pretty “Psychologically, mentally, it’s
traumatic physical event which meant I something I woke up with for years.
had to learn to walk again, and learn to And like anything so traumatic, I still
sail again. wake up with it.
“Now, I used the same willpower “I was traumatized.That’s why it took
and tenacity back in 1971 that I did with so long to talk about it, to get it out.”
Gerry for those 14 hours. Compounding the trauma was the
“What I’d advise people is to use the reaction of his crewmates, who refused to
inner depth that we all possess.It’s just contactWard once he was rescued, citing
tapping in deep into the human psyche. a pact of silence around the events, to
I’ve learnt that by bad experience, but it whichWard was not a party.
works and it can be done by anyone.” None of them came to the bedside
OUTSIDER|June-July|25
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