19 June 1964

Eric TABARLY (FRA) sailed into Newport, Rhode Island to win the second Observer Single-Handed Transatlantic Race (OSTAR) and become an overnight hero in his home country and the catalyst for the ensuing French domination of single-handed offshore sailing.

The 32 year old French naval officer was given leave to compete in the second running of the OSTAR, with a firm aim 'to beat the English'.

Four years earlier, five boats had lined up for the first ever OSTAR won by Sir Francis CHICHESTER (GBR) in 40 days, 12 hours and 30 minutes on the 40 foot Gypsy Moth III. The single French entrant Jean LACOMBE finished last, 34 days after CHICHESTER.

In May 1964, 15 boats lined up in Plymouth, Great Britain for the start of the second OSTAR race, including three multihulls. Whereas CHICHESTER was again competing in Gypsy Moth III and the other competitors concentrated on modifying their boats for the challenges of the OSTAR, TABARLY demonstrated the streak of innovative thinking that would continue to mark him out through his sailing life. The 44 foot plywood, hard-chine ketch Pen Duick II, built that same year in Costantini shipyard in La Trinité, was designed specifically for an offshore race against the prevailing winds.

Back in 1960 CHICHESTER had amazed everyone by successfully sailing a 40 foot boat single-handed – but TABARLY went even further. The 44 foot Pen Duick II would have conventionally been sailed by a crew of eight and again the yachting press voiced their scepticism, and again they were to be proved wrong.

Where Pen Duick II’s design succeeded was her lightweight – her hull weighed just 6.5 tonnes, compared to the 13 tonnes of Gypsy Moth III – and her relatively small sails. The transparent dome on deck, to allow the sails to be watched from inside, further added to the mystic of the French yacht.

Right from the start TABARLY signalled his intentions, hoisting his 82 m2 red spinnaker, again a move considered unthinkable for a single-hander at the time, to launch the lightweight Pen Duick II into an early lead.

TABARLY and CHICHESTER sailed parallel courses for the first fortnight of the race, and whilst CHICHESTER regularly reported his position, TABARLY was silent. During the race his self steering vane broke after the opening week, forcing TABARLY into coaxing his 44 foot ketch to self-steer when possible, and into long hours at the helm when it was not.

But TABARLY and Pen Duick II would not be stopped. On 19 June the Frenchman crossed the finish line off Newport, Rhode Island smashing CHICHESTER’s 1960 time by over 13 days (although the 1964 course was 100 miles shorter) to finish in 27 days, 3 hours and 56 seconds at an average speed of 4.38 knots.

CHICHESTER arrived 2 days, 20 hours and 1 minute latter, TABARLY had achieved his goal and his success was celebrated right across France. He was awarded the Légion d'honneur by General de Gaulle and greeted by a tickertape welcome in Paris on his return to France. TABARLY had beaten the Brits and planted the seed for the French passion for offshore sailing which continues to this day.

Where Are They Now

Following on from his victory in the 1964 OSTAR, Eric TABARLY went on to an illustrious career which saw him compete in and win many of the sailing world’s most prestigious distance races. In 1967, sailing Pen Duick III he won line honours in the Sydney Hobart Race and overall honours in the Fastnet Race. Two years later on Pen Duick V, TABARLY set a new record in winning the Transpac race.

He competed in multiple Whitbread Round the World Races, but it was again in the OSTAR that he secured another of his most famous victories - winning onboard the 73 foot Maurice design Pen Duick VI in 1976.

He died on 14 June 1998 after being knocked overboard whilst sailing the original Pen Duick from Newlyn, Great Britain to Belfast, Northern Ireland.

ISAF In 1964

The Soling was designed and built by Jan LINGE of Norway in 1964, in response to trials to be held by the International Yacht Racing Union (IYRU) in 1966 and 1967 to find a new international three-person racing keelboat. By 1972, approximately 2,000 boats had been built and the class had spread to 40 nations when it made its debut at the Olympic Games.