Finding out more

BOOKS

Fatal Storm by Rob Mundle (Adlard Coles, 1999) £14.99.
No-detail-spared account of the 1998 Sydney-to-Hobart race, with harrowing personal testimonies, by an Australian broadcaster and yachtsman.

Knockdown by Martin Dugard (Simon & Schuster, 1999) £9.99.
Colourful, informative account of the ill-fated 1998 race by an American journalist.

The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger (Fourth Estate, 1997) £5.99.
Narrative behind the devastating 'storm of the century' in 1991 that tossed the Massachusetts fishing fleet all over the North Atlantic.

Weather at Sea by David Houghton (Fernhurst, 1991) £12.95.
All you need to know about storms and tempests on the ocean waves.

Total Loss by Jack H Coote (Adlard Coles, 1992) £10.99.
Forty first-hand accounts of yacht losses at sea throughout the 20th century.

Fastnet, Force 10 by John Rousmaniere (Norton, 1993) £11.95.
Story of the 1979 Fastnet disaster by one of the sailors who took part.

117 Days Adrift by Maurice and Maralyn Bailey (Adlard Coles, 1998) £9.99.
How a couple survived after their yacht sank in the Pacific during the round-the-world race in 1973.

Close to the Wind by Pete Goss (Headline, 1998) £6.99.
Autobiography of the British yachtsman who risked his life in a hurricane to rescue a fellow competitor during the Vendée Globe race in 1996.

WEBSITES

Telstra Sydney-to-Hobart Yacht Race 1999
www.syd-hob.telstra.com.au
Official site of the 55th event, including a summary of the race organisers' enquiry into the 1998 race.

Cruising Yacht Club of Australia
www.cyca.com.au
Site of the race organisers, with historical background on all previous races and weather conditions.

Australian Bureau of Meteorology's Preliminary Report
www.bom.gov.au/inside/services_policy/marine/
sydney_hobart/contents.shtml
Detailed explanation, with diagrams and maps, of the storm that devastated the 1998 race and the Bureau of Meteorology's role in giving warnings.

Sydney-to-Hobart Tragedy: The inquest
www.smh.com.au/news/specials/local/hobart/index.html
Sydney Morning Herald website with the latest news of the inquest plus a detailed archive of the tragedy.

FILMS

The Perfect Storm (2000, directed by Wolfgang Petersen)
Adrenalin-soaked adaptation of Junger's book (see above) starring George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg.

White Squall (1995, directed by Ridley Scott)
Boy-bonding adventure set in 1960 turns to tragedy when a freak squall sinks the teenagers' sailing boat. Jeff Bridges stars.

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