Learning The Ropes

- Rick Tomlinson

With its intoxicating mix of sky, land and sea, the Isle of Wight has attracted artists, politicians, royalty and sailors for centuries. The waters surrounding this island have enough hazards to challenge the most experienced yachtsmen: in 1990 the wreck of the SS Varvassi caused so much damage to the French Admiral’s Cup yacht that it had to be abandoned, before sinking. It’s no surprise, then, to find marine photographer Rick Tomlinson living on the island and running a gallery next to the water’s edge.

Rick grew up on the Isle of Man, where his dream of sailing round the world began to take shape. He spent much of his time there racing dinghies and boatbuilding, which in turn led him to move south and join a team building a yacht for Simon Le Bon, lead singer with the band Duran Duran. The boat (later named Drum) was designed to compete in the 1985/86 Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race, and due to his work on the build Rick was offered the chance to join the crew.

Disaster strikes

In the run-up to the event, the team entered Drum in the Fastnet Race – a 608-mile round trip starting from Cowes and ending at Plymouth. Part way through the trip disaster struck when the keel broke away from the hull, causing the boat to capsize, trapping six people (including Le Bon) inside. Thankfully, a competing boat raised the alarm and the team was rescued. But with just a month to go until the start of their round-the-world adventure, the crew had to work tirelessly to get the yacht ready to race again. Their efforts were rewarded when Drum came third overall in the Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race.

During his time on board