Last Voyages by Nicholas Gray

Author:Nicholas Gray
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-909911-93-2
Publisher: Lightning Source Inc.

Chapter 8

The Life and Last Voyage of Rob James on board

his Trimaran Colt Cars GB (1983)

Rob James was only 36 when he died. Brought up in a large family in southern England (he had three brothers), James soon developed an interest in sailing and was to be found messing about in boats from an early age.

Rob’s first involvement in ocean sailing came when he crewed on the newly built Great Britain II in the 1977 Whitbread Round the World Race. Great Britain II was built for Chay Blyth with a large budget put up by the wealthy tax exile and Britain loving businessman ‘Union’ Jack Hayward. It was he who had earlier provided the money to rescue Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s original Great Britain, the first passenger ship in the world to be driven by propellers. With Hayward’s money she was returned to her birth place in Bristol; saved from becoming a rotting rusting hulk in the Falkland Islands.

Great Britain II was, at the time, one of the fastest boats in the world but could only achieve sixth place in the race (out of fourteen finishers), probably because she was crewed in the main by a team of paratroopers who were not experienced sailors. It was the first time Chay had skippered a yacht in a competitive race and he was up against some of the world’s best.

After the race Rob stuck with Chay and was engaged to skipper Great Britain II and Chay’s other yacht, British Steel, on regular trips across the English Channel carrying charter guests. British Steel was the yacht which Chay had sailed alone ‘the wrong way’ round the world in 1970/71.

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