Rambler 100 capsize - part one

A great deal has been reported from the Rolex Fastnet Race about Rambler 100’s keel breakage, her subsequent capsize and the recovery of her 21 crew, including George David, who has chartered the supermaxi from Alex Jackson, his partner Wendy Touton, plus the plethora of top international sailors in her crew. To see around Rambler 100 as she was when launched as Alex Jackson's Speedboat - click here To recap – Rambler 100’s start to the Rolex Fastnet Race had been relatively painful after a winch gave way causing their J2 headsail to flog to death. They hoisted the J4 in its place as the crew worked through the first night to repair the damaged sail. With this back up Rambler finally overhauled Mike Slade’s ICAP Leopard crossing the Celtic Sea en route to the Fastnet Rock which they rounded at 16:25 GMT on the Monday afternoon, the first monohull to reach it. Once around, Rambler 100 hardened up to head SSW to the Pantaenius offset mark upwind with 29 minutes on port and 6 on starboard. Conditions at the time were 20-25 knots from the south, nothing exceptional for the Juan K 100 footer, as Andrew Taylor confirmed: “We’ve been sailing this boat regularly. The more you sail a boat, the more you get used to it and the more you push it, so we were confident of the boat’s ability. We trimmed up and were on the wind and had a nice lead around the Rock. It was quite a nasty seaway, but still it was fine, the boat should have handled it.” At the time they were sailing upwind at 14 knots, under J4 with one reef in the main. Visibility was moderate – around 0.5 mile. While the wind was by no means excessive – prior to the Fastnet