HE WANTED TO MAKE HIS MARK IN THE WORLD. ON THIS DOOR TO DOOR SELLING HE MET HIS WIFE LALEL.
JUNE 1972 TONY DID THE TRANSATLANTIC VOYAGE ON A BOAT CALLED TORIA. WHILST DURING THE RACE THE BOAT CAUGHT ON FIRE AND A TANKER SAVED HIM. 1989 ON HIS OWN BOAT CALLED SPIRIT OF TORIA HE PITCH POLED IT AND HE GOT CAUGHT IN THE SAFETY NETS. HE ONLY SURVIVED CAUSE A CREWMEMBER GAVE HIM CPR.
1989 TONY SET UP A CLUB CALLED THE BAMBOO CLUB. LALEL & HIM SPENT ALL THEIR TIME ON THE CLUB, & AFTER AWHILE PPL LIKE BOB MARLEY BECAME REGULARS. THIS WAS UNTIL IT BURNT DOWN DUE TO BAD WIRING. THEY STARTED UP ANOTHER CLUB BUT IT NEVER TOOK OFF. TONY STARTED DOING OCEAN YACHT RACING FULL TIME AT THIS STAGE. HE WAS KNOWN AROUND ENGLAND FOR HIS GREAT SAILING ABILITY.
THE START OF THE VENDEE GLOBE WAS EARLY NOV '96. AFTER BRAKING A LOT OF EQUIPMENT & HAVING TO PULL INTO SHORE TO GET IT ALL FIXED HE WAS PLACED 12TH/ 16. DEC 31 HE PAST HEARD ISLAND. 4TH JAN THE STORM STARTED, THAT NITE WAVES WERE UP TO 60FT HIGH. WALLS OF WATER WERE CRASHING INTO EACH OTHER SENDING SPRAY HUNDREDS OF FT INTO THE AIR. THE SEA WAS COMPLETELY WHITE AND WINDS WAS AT AN AVERAGE OF 70KTS.
IT HAD BEEN 10HRS SINCE THE START OF THE STORM AND TONY WAS GETTING TIRED. HE PUT IT ON AUTO PILOT IT WOULD HOLD 4-5MINS THEN A HUGE WAVE PUSHES THE BOAT ALL THE WAY OVER SO THE MAST TOUCHES THE WATER, THEN THE KEEL WOULD BRING IT BACK UP STRAIGHT. HE TRIED AUTO AGAIN, IT SEEMS TO BE HOLDING SO HE GOES DOWN BELOW SHUTS THE DOOR AND TURNS ON BOB MARLEY. JUST AS HE WAS ABOUT TO TURN THE KETTLE ON A HUGE WAVE HITS THE BOATS SIDE AND THEN HE HEARS A HUGE CRACK. HE DOES NOT KNOW WOT HAPPND. HE IS STANDING ON THE ROOF OF THE BOAT NOW. HE LOOKS UP THE FLOOR AND SEES A HUGE CRACK WHERE THE KEEL IS SPOZD TO BE. IT HAD BROKEN OFF DUE TO THE HUGE AMOUNT OF PRESSURE THE WAVE BROUGHT. THERE WAS NO WAY OF GETTING THE BOAT BACK UP THE RITE WAY.
ONE OF THE FIRST THING HE DID WAS FIND A PLACE WHERE IT WOULD BE SAFE.