Drama brings back memories of Fastnet Race disaster for skipper

A FORMER captain of a yacht that raced in the 1979 Fastnet Race in which 15 people died, has said the professionalism of both the crew and their rescuers ensured no lives were lost when the Rambler 100 capsized on Monday night.

In 1979, Dónal McClement, was a navigator with the Royal Air Force (RAF) and skipper of a seven-man crew sailing in the RAF class 4 yacht Black Arrow.

Now a yacht broker in Crosshaven, Dónal said when he heard the US yacht had capsized, he immediately thought of the events of that fateful night in 1979 when 15 people lost their lives.