Eight bells are being rung in the sailing community for round the world yachtsman Tony Bullimore, who has died aged 79, from cancer.
He was best known for surviving five days in the upturned hull of his yacht Exide Challenger when her keel fell off in the cold waters of the southern ocean in 1997, while in that year’s Vendée Globe race. He was rescued by the Australian Navy who were not sure if he had survived. He managed to inspire hope in his rescuers by switching his EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon) on and off. He was 1400 miles from the Australian coast when it happened, and, a few days short of his 58th birthday he remained inside the upturned hull and awaited his rescue in one of the most remote areas of the planet, surviving on sips of water and nibbles of chocolate. The rescue was estimated to have cost $6mAus as the frigate HMAS Adelaide ploughed into the mountainous seas to rescue him after attending to another capsized competitor, Thierry Dubois. Having run out of water two days earlier it must have been a feat of faith and strength that made Bullimore dive into the water and swim out from under his boat when sailors from the Adelaide knocked on the hull. He became known as the British Bulldog after the incident.
Bullimore was an ex Royal Marine who was born in Southend, Essex at the outbreak of World War II in 1939. After service he moved to Bristol, marrying Lalel, a West Indian with whom he opened and ran the Bamboo Club. It hosted Bob Marley and Tina Turner among other stars and Bullimore carved a reputation in the city as an anti-racist who was well known for helping the West Indian immigrant community.
His sailing successes include winning the Round Britain and Ireland Race, the Singlehanded Transat, Round the Island Race, Round Europe Race and a two-man Transat. In 1985 he was voted the Yachtsman of the Year together with designer Nigel Irens – for several racing successes in his 60ft trimaran ‘Apricot’. After the fame of his rescue he was a household name as one of Britain’s best known yachtsmen and made a TV documentary programme in 2000 with Sir Lenny Henry when the pair crossed the Atlantic ocean.
Ex BBC Bristol reporter (and sailor) Rob Salvidge wrote on Facebook: “He helped make Bristol a more harmonious and tolerant place — even without his sailing achievements he would be a rare colourful giant of a man (he was actually very short) among the African Caribbean community… so thank you Tony – love and sadness will be shared by all for a while but I also predict a helluva party with some great Reggae pretty soon too.”
Exide Challenger, upturned in 1997. Australian Navy