read ▁Race . ▁Their ▁training ▁sessions ▁went ▁well , ▁with ▁the ▁exception ▁of ▁a ▁broken ▁m ast ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁forest ay ▁not ▁being ▁thick ▁enough . ▁The ▁ship ▁was ▁man ned ▁by ▁a ▁mult in ational ▁crew ▁of ▁sail or ▁friends , ▁who ▁were ▁paid ▁in ▁room ▁and ▁board , ▁but ▁not ▁in ▁sal ary . ▁ ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁crew ▁members ▁was ▁Sk ip ▁Nov ak , ▁a ▁well - known ▁sail or ▁who ▁later ▁competed ▁four ▁times ▁in ▁the ▁Vol vo ▁Ocean ▁Race , ▁the ▁successor ▁of ▁the ▁Whit b read ▁Race . ▁According ▁to ▁Nov ak , ▁he ▁was ▁" in ▁the ▁right ▁place ▁at ▁the ▁right ▁time " ▁to ▁join ▁King ' s ▁Leg end ' s ▁crew ▁as ▁its ▁navig ator , ▁ow ing ▁the ▁position ▁to ▁meeting ▁Rat cl iff ▁by ▁chance ▁at ▁the ▁bar ▁of ▁the ▁F ount ain ▁Hotel ▁in ▁Cow es ▁and ▁" a ▁hand sh ake ▁over ▁a ▁pint ▁of ▁ale ." ▁ ▁Career ▁ ▁Whit b read ▁Race ▁ ▁On ▁the ▁ 2 7 th ▁of ▁August , ▁ 1 9 7 7 , ▁the ▁second ▁Whit b read ▁Race ▁took ▁off ▁at ▁Port sm outh , ▁featuring ▁fifteen ▁compet ing ▁y ach ts . ▁Most ▁of ▁the ▁second ▁Whit b read ▁Race ▁was ▁domin ated ▁by ▁a ▁head ▁to ▁head ▁race ▁between ▁King ' s ▁Leg end ▁and ▁Fly er , ▁a ▁y acht ▁representing ▁the ▁Netherlands ▁and ▁navig ated ▁by ▁the ▁wealth y ▁Con ny ▁van ▁R iet sch