1939-2018

Tony Bullimore, one of Britain’s most indomitable and adventurous ocean sailors, died in July from stomach cancer. He was one of the pioneers of offshore multihull racing, raced round the world and sailed across the Atlantic some 30 times, but he became most famous in January 1997 after being rescued from the upturned hull of his yacht in the Southern Ocean.

Bullimore had been racing the Open 60 Exide Challenger in the solo Vendée Globe round the world race and was deep in the Southern Indian Ocean when the keel of his yacht broke off and the yacht capsized. Bullimore managed to survive for three days in the upturned hull, sustaining himself with a single chocolate bar after his food supplies were washed away. On the fourth day, he was rescued by the Australian Navy. Photos of him pale with cold, suffering from frostbite in his hands and feet and almost hypothermic in his survival suit and foil blanket were beamed round the world, and he was feted for his ‘Bulldog British’ spirit.

Bullimore was not the only near fatality in that race. French sailor Thierry Dubois was also rescued by the Australian Navy from the hull of his yacht when it capsized and disastrously failed to right, while French sailor Raphael Dinelli was rescued from his upturned, slowly sinking yacht by fellow Vendée racer Pete Goss.

Far from deterring Bullimore, he went on to race in other extreme events, including taking part in The Race, the first round the world race for maxi multihulls in 2000, and in Tracy Edwards’s Oryx Quest round the world race for giant multihulls in 2005. Indeed, he continued solo ocean racing until his seventies.

Bullimore was born in Rochford, Essex, the son of Bill Bullimore, a variety artist, and his wife, Kitty. He was educated at Claremont School, from which he often absconded. After