tugs, trawlers, and tankers. Rescue efforts began after 6:30 am on 14 August, once the winds had dropped to severe gale Force 9. Fifteen sailors died, at least 75 boats capsized and five sank. Adopting heaving to as a storm tactic proved to be a good preventive of capsize and turtling during the race. Lin Pardey wrote that none of the yachts which hove to were capsized or suffered any serious damage, but the official inquiry makes no such conclusion. One Fastnet participant, John Rousmaniere, wrote that The disaster resulted in a major rethink of racing, risks and prevention. The coastguard requested support resulting in a Nimrod aircraft from RAF Kinloss being ordered to the scene to act as the Scene of Search Coordinator. As the scale of the disaster became apparent other rescue assets were requested and was ordered to the scene taking over as the Scene of Search Coordinator on arrival at 17:30 on 14 August. Finishing yachts The handicap winner was the yacht Tenacious, designed by Sparkman & Stephens, owned and skippered by Ted Turner. The winner on elapsed time in the race was the 77-foot SV Condor of Bermuda, skippered by Peter Blake, which gained around 90 minutes on the leader, the SV Kialoa, after rounding the Fastnet rock, by the calculated risk of setting a spinnaker sail in the high wind conditions. Jim Kilroy of the Kialoa had broken his ribs and there was damage to the yacht's runners. SV Condor of Bermuda broke the Fastnet record by nearly eight hours (71h 37m 23s). Handicap results all classes (first three in each class) <ref>1979 Fastnet Race Results & Season Point Winners, Royal Ocean Racing Club</ref> Notes Vessels that did not finish Of the 303 starters, only 86 finished. There were 194 retirements and 24 abandonments (five of which were "lost believed sunk"). Early press reports were often confused. The Daily Telegraph (16 August 1979, p. 3) reported that 69 yachts did not finish. Accanito of France, broken rudder. Towed. Allamader. Abandoned. Alpha II Amanda Kulu Andiano Robin Angustura Animal Ariadne. Abandoned. * Arkadina Asteries Autonomy. Towed to Dunmore East. Ballydonna Battle Cry Billy Bones. Abandoned. Blue Dolphin Bonaventure of Britain. Abandoned. Cabadah Ocean Wave Option Callirhaex 3. Abandoned. Camargue of Britain. Abandoned. Casse Tete Charioteer of Britain. Sunk. Combat II. Retired to Cork. Corker Crazy Horse Détente Double O Two Enia Evergreen Farthing Fiestina Tertia.