ALL AT SEA | SEPTEMBER 2009 | www.allatsea.co.uk 12. First Official Fastnet Race Criticised by some as not being a ‘proper’ Fastnet race, the first official Fastnet race departed Ryde on the Isle of Wight on 15 August, 1925.
17. MV Kalakala On July 3, 1935, the MV Kalakala made her maiden voyage. The Kalakala was known for her ‘her unique streamlined superstructure, art deco styling, and luxurious amenities’.
13. Gertrude Caroline Ederle Gertrude Caroline Ederle achieved fame by swimming the English Channel on August 6, 1926. Not only was Gertrude the first woman to swim the channel, she smashed the men’s record by over two hours.
18. Riptide Making its debut at the 1938-39 New York Boat Show, a small 1939 Elco MY 54 was purchased by Howard Johnson. It was this boat that went on to star alongside Joe Penny, Perry King and Thom Bray in the 80’s TV series Riptide.
14. Reeds Nautical Almanac The first edition of Reed’s Home Trade Nautical Almanac and Tide Tables was published in January 1932. It is still popular today as ‘Reed’s Nautical Almanac’. 15. White-Sea Baltic Canal: The White-Sea Baltic Canal opened up on 2 August 1933. Its 277km length connects the White and Baltic seas but remains a failure in the eyes of many as the canal is only 12 feet deep, restricting large vessels from using it. It is not known for sure how many people died during its construction but some estimates are close to 100,000. 16. “Britannia rules the waves … but America waives the rules” This was the famous quote from the 1934 America’s Cup. It is said that England should have won that but the rules were changed to deny them victory. It was the first time England had competed since 1895 when a boat skippered by the Earl of Dunraven was disqualified, once again by a post-race change of rules.
19. Battle of the River Plate The first major naval battle of World War Two started on December 13, 1939. Four ships from the Great Britain’s South American Naval Division targeted the Graf Spree, a German battleship known for attacking merchant shipping. 20. HMS Hood 24 May, 1941. Three days before its own demise, the Bismarck sank the HMS Hood, the symbolic flagship of the British Navy. It reputedly sank in less than three minutes and of the 1,418 crew, only three men survived. 21. “Sink the Bismarck” … was the order given by Winston Churchill. The fearful German battleship was relentlessly pursued until its sinking by torpedoes fired from Royal Navy bi-planes and gunfire at approximately 10.39 on the 27 May, 1941. The wreck of the Bismarck was discovered in the Atlantic on the 9 June, 1989. 22. USS Arizona, Pearl Harbour On December 7, 1941, without warning, the Japanese attacked the US fleet moored in Pearl Harbour’s Battleship Row. The USS Arizona was subject to multiple bomb hits
23 before sinking, taking with it a crew of 1,177. 23. Engima Codebooks on U-559 On 30 October, 1942 the German submarine U559 was forced to the surface. Three crewmen from HMS Petard boarded the sinking U-boat and seized two vital code books that allowed Allied codebreakers to read messages sent by the Enigma. It was another turning point in World War II. 24. PT 109 PT 109 was the ship John F. Kennedy commanded when the Amigari, a Japanese destroyer, sliced through it on August 2, 1943. Kennedy, later to be president of the USA, survived by swimming three and a half miles to land. 25. D-Day On June 6, 1944 160,000 Allied troops stormed the beaches of Normandy in the biggest seaborne invasions of history. It proved to be a crucial turning point in the war against the Nazi regime in Germany.
from Peru and sailed to Polynesia, arriving on August 7. The craft, which was built using no metal whatsoever, now resides in a museum of the same name in Oslo. 29. The Britannia Cup Replacing the King’s Cup, the Britannia Cup was founded in 1950 in case the America’s Cup could not be restarted after the war. King George VI presented the first trophy to the Royal Yachting Association - then the Yacht Racing Association. 30. Calypso’s first journey Jacques-Yves Cousteau’s legendary ship started life as a mine-sweeper and was later converted into a ferry. Cousteau purchased the ferry in 1950 and transformed it into his Oceanographic vessel. Calypso was first put to water in its new capacity in June 1951. 31. Slo-mo-shun IV Predating the Bluebird K7, the Slo-mo-shun set two speed records on the water as well as winning the Gold Cup Race in 1950, 1952 and 1953.
26. The Battle of the Philippine Sea One of the last and decisive naval battles of World War II took place between 18 and 20 June, 1944. Despite being the larger force, the Japanese suffered heavy losses to the United States. 27. Yamato The Japanese Yamato was one of the biggest battleships ever built and weighed in at 72,800 tons with a full load. The Yamato was sunk on April 7, 1945 after heavy bombardment. 28. Kon-Tiki On April 28, 1947. Thor Heyerdahl along with five others set sail on their raft, Kon-Tiki,
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25. D-Day