British Airways Races

1984 British Airways - Route del Escrubimenta This was a new race and RKJ took only Billy King-Harman and Bernard Gallay as crew. The route went from Benalmadena via the Canaries to San Salvador and then doubled back through the channel to Santo Domingo. Electrical problems plagued the boat after the generator pushed a con rod through the side of the engine, but this did not materially slow progress, it just meant it could not be reported. Nor could weather forecasts be received. The result was the boat ran straight into a forming hurricane “Lily” and was forced to run off for 6 hours to escape its path, covering 120 miles in the time. Hurricane Lily deepened and on the passage from San Salvador struck the fleet again. This time “British Airways” was hove to and spent Christmas Day in this situation, less than 100 miles from the Liner “Norway” ex “France” which had also stopped. 1985 British Airways – Round Europe Race After the RBR, sailed to Kiel for this race. Round Denmark to Den Haag, then Dunkirk, Torbay, Lorient, Lisbon, Toulon and Porto Cervo. Finished 3rd in Class. 1985 British Airways – Monaco to New York The boat won her class of 3 yachts in this race. A 200 mile lead was whittled down to 80 miles when the top of the mast cracked about level with Block island. This race provided enough points to become the winner of the Class 2 (60 foot multihulls) Bull multihull world championship for the year. 1986 British Airways – Round Ireland Record With a crew set a new record for this course of 76 hours, 5 minutes and 34 seconds. 1986 British Airways – Carlesberg 2 handed Trans Atlantic Race Plymouth to Newport R.I. With Bernard Gallay, finished 2nd in Class, 4th overall.