![]() I’m currently immersed in the research for the book Changing Tides and right now, it’s all about storms at sea. It’s a fascinating subject that has taken me in to the world of meteorology as well as search and rescue operations. Getting the facts right are so important to me for this book. While the story and characters are fictional, the events that take place are based on fact. If we cast our minds back to the 1979 Fastnet race, we are reminded of the incredible force of nature. A violent storm rolled in across the Atlantic in August with a speed and ferocity that took many people by surprise. Force 10 gales whipped up huge, mountainous seas with 40 - 50 foot waves. The deadly storm raged across the Irish Sea and caused havoc for the crews of the 300 plus yachts in the Fastnet race. Sadly, 15 lives were taken by the storm. Incredibly, given the horrendous conditions, 136 crew members were rescued. This was the biggest rescue operation launched by UK authorities in maritime history. I recently read a book called ‘Left for Dead’ by Nick Ward who tells his harrowing but inspiring memoir of how he survived the storm on the stricken racing yacht, Grimalkin,. It is well worth a read and I was gripped from start to finish. My research has been about the weather systems that create these huge, destructive storms. It also about how experienced yachtsmen deal with these storms, the techniques they use to ride out a storm and the risks they face such as capsize or pitch poling. Another element of my research looks into the rescue missions of the coastguard and Search & Rescue when they are called out. These are truly brave people who risk their lives to save others.
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Tim HardwickI'm a composer, producer and author. I've been creating music for many years now and over the last 8 years, I've been focused on the fusion of electronic, orchestral and acoustic music that tells a story. Archives
April 2018
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