Pete Goss: Making the right decision
More astronauts have circled the Earth than the number of people who have sailed single-handed non-stop around the world without assistance. Pete Goss has done it twice.
Goss is indisputably one of Britain's most experienced racing captains, having clocked well over 250,000 nautical miles at sea in the past quarter-century.
A former Royal Marine, Pete first came to public attention in 1988 when he crossed the Atlantic alone in a 26 foot catamaran in a race.
He next demonstrated his leadership abilities by training and leading a crew of novice sailors to a third-place finish in what has been called ‘the world’s toughest yacht race’ – the British Steel Challenge (now known as the Global Challenge).
The amazing thing about that race is that it sends the boats the “wrong way around”… against all the prevailing winds and currents!
But it was on his next major venture that Pete really showed what he was made of.
The Vendee Globe, first held in 1989, is a non-stop, single-handed round the world race… one of the most prestigious and also one of the most challenging in the yachting world.
In 1996 Pete’s boat, the “Open 50” yacht Aqua Quorum, became the first British vessel ever to compete in the Vendee.
Getting to that point had taken him three years of hard work and unwavering focus. He had put up his own family’s house as collateral get the funds he needed. His days consisted of looking for sponsors, doing constant public speaking engagements, testing hull designs and navigation systems, calculating and measuring out all of the supplies and equipment he would require.
And all of that was just to get him to the race’s starting line!
But finally here he was, on November 3, 1996, sailing out of the harbor at Les Sables d’Olonne, France… with no plans to set foot on land again until he’d been right around the world.
Now, for most of us, this would be a bit of a daunting thought. Yet Pete says all he felt at this point was relief and exhilaration… because now, finally, all he had to do was sail. And there, he was in his element!
Over the next 7 weeks, despite having to deal with a number of equipment failures, Goss managed to hold his own in the race.
His primary source of communication was an onboard fax machine which allowed him to carry on written conversations with his wife Tracey – as well as with the various technical experts he needed to consult to keep his navigational systems working.
By mid-December the Aqua Quorum had left Europe far behind, and was sailing through the Southern Ocean… one of the most desolate places in the world.
There are no ships there, no vapor trails overhead…nothing, for thousands of miles. It’s a place justly feared by sailors, due to its unpredictable winds and violent storm systems.
On Christmas Day, 1996, Pete was fighting his way through one of those storm systems about 1400 miles off Perth, Australia when he received a Mayday signal, passed on by the Marine Rescue and Control center in Australia.
One of his fellow competitors, Frenchman Raphael Dinelli, was fighting for his life. His boat had been overwhelmed by giant seas and was sinking, deep in the Southern Ocean…and the Aqua Quorum was the only boat in the area.
But, just to put that “area” into perspective: Raphael was over 160 miles away, through a howling ocean gale, with huge, freezing swells and deteriorating conditions!
Pete knew his chances of fighting his way through such a storm in time to rescue his fellow sailor were slim. But without him, Raphael’s chances were zero.
So even though he had barely met Dinelli before the race… and even though it would scupper any chance he had of winning the race… Pete says he really had only one choice.
I thought about what I was about to put on the line: my family, my boat, my life. In my own little world it was a profound moment I shall never forget… I knew I had to stand by my morals and principles. Not turning back would have been a disservice to myself, my family and the spirit of the sea.
He sent what he knew might be his last fax to his wife to explain what he was about to do, and turned around to attempt the rescue.
Time and again Aqua Quorum was knocked over by the seas. Goss knew he was close to the end of his own endurance.
It took two days of battling hurricane-force winds before he finally located the life-raft carrying the near-dead Dinelli, who had by that point spent 2 days in a survival suit, waiting for rescue.
Once he had managed to get Raphael on board (no easy feat in a freezing wind, poor visibility and 30-foot waves) there was no time for congratulations.
My new passenger lay face down on the deck and tried to move, but he was too stiff and cold. It was hardly surprising - he had spent two days waiting for me to rescue him.
Pete got him below, into warm clothes and a bunk…and then went back on deck to keep them both alive.
For several weeks, Pete acted as nurse for Raphael, who was suffering from both exhaustion and hypothermia.
Raphael’s English was even spottier than Pete’s French, so at first they had a few challenges in communicating. Nevertheless, after 10 days they were firm friends, sharing conversations about everything and anything.
Dinelli, realizing now what was most important to him, used Pete’s fax machine to ask his girlfriend to marry him. When she accepted, he asked Pete to be best man at his wedding.
Two weeks after the rescue Pete dropped Raphael off at Hobart, Australia, to continue on the race. They shook hands and vowed to meet for a beer.
The next time Pete saw Raphael, the Frenchman was cheering wildly as Aqua Quorum crossed the finish line at Les Sables d’Olonne, 126 days and 21 hours after it had first pulled away from its slip. Pete Goss had become the fastest British sailor to sail single-handedly round the world.
In recognition of the bravery he had shown in turning back to rescue Dinelli, Pete was awarded both an MBE from the Queen Elizabeth, and the Legion d”Honneur from President Chirac of France.
And as you might expect, Pete and Raphael continued to be close friends and colleagues. In fact, later in 1997 they sailed as co-skippers in the Transatlantic Jacques Vabre Race…and won in their class.
Pete Goss has continued to seek – and find – new adventures. He just finished sailing a replica of a 154-year old ship from Cornwall to Melbourne, Australia. You can follow the journey on his website www.petegoss.com.
Here’s what I think is most amazing about Pete’s story:
When he received that Mayday call, Pete was already fighting for his own life.
He knew that in turning around, he was giving up his chance to win…while putting his own life into even greater danger. He also knew that the chances of success were very low.
And yet he had no doubt as to what he had to do. He knew that he had to take action, and that he had to step forward for what he knew was right.
I’d like to think that any of us would make the same decision.
You can find out more about Pete at his website: www.petegoss.com and buy his great book, Close to the Wind.
