Category Archives: Ocean Racing & Records

Is Ocean Rowing an Exercise in Futility?

There is no doubt in my mind that crossing an ocean alone in a small boat with only oars for propulsion (without sails) is one of the hardest voluntary sporting task anyone can undertake. (I assume that is why this … Continue reading

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Ray DeFir–Portland Water Ski Racer and Boat Builder (1930-2011)

Ray Was First Man to Water Ski 1,000 Miles Non-Stop! Ray DeFir, an active and well-known figure in the Portland, Oregon boating scene for over 50 years, died in 2011 at the age of 81. Ray had a lifetime love … Continue reading

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WWII Merlin Engine Set US Speedboat Records

 Loss of the Quicksilver and its driver in 1951 at Seafair In the years after World War II, as the US economy prospered, veterans settled down and soon began to look around for new forms of leisure. Many took to … Continue reading

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2015: Florence Arthaud Dies in Helicopter Collision

She Held Both Solo Trans-Atlantic Records Copyright P.Marsh French yachting star Florence Arthaud, who broke into solo ocean racing in the 1980’s and became a sailing legend by winning the 1990 Route dy Rhum, died recently in a collision between … Continue reading

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2013: Meeting My Vendee Globe Heroes

In March 2012, after riding along the Canal du Midi from the Med to Bordeaux, I rewarded myself with a train ride north to Brittany. But i was soon back on the bike and searching for the sailing center of … Continue reading

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2014 – Mini Yachts Promise Maxi Speed…..and Risk!

Huge Beam, Giant Rigs, Maxi Sprits Early in October, 2013 I took the train from London to Portsmouth, ferry to St Malo,  and cycled across Brittany via back roads and canal towpaths to see the solo Mini Transat race start in Douarnenez, … Continue reading

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2007 – Film “Deep Water” Reveals Tragedy of Donald Crowhurst

Documentary of  Crowhurst’s “Voyage to Oblivion” – copyright Peter J. Marsh Boating has certainly changed since the 1960s; this was brought home to me when I watched “Deep Water,” an award-winning documentary that arrived in the northwest at the end … Continue reading

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2000 – Paraplegic’s Non-Stop Circumnavigation

Australian Paraplegic Finishes Incredible Voyage –  copyright Peter Marsh On August 12, a month before the Olympic Games opens, 32-year-old Vincent Lauwers became Australia’s latest sailing hero, by becoming the first paraplegic to sail around the world solo, non-stop and … Continue reading

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2004 – Ellen Macarthur, Young English Star of Solo Racing

How English Sailor  Gained International Fame – copyright Peter Marsh The scene in the small French harbor of Les Sables d’Olonne the evening of February 11 was unlike anything ever seen in the world of sailing. An estimated 200,000 people … Continue reading

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Steve Fossett’s Life on the Edge

Steve Fossett (1944 –  2007) American Sailor, Aviator and Adventurer For over a decade, Steve Fossett galvanized the sailing world with his record-setting exploits at sea, while also surviving many near-death situations while attempting to set records in the air. … Continue reading

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