Challenges

Publisher: Bosun Publications, £19.95

Publication Date: 2006

CA Library Reference: 16741

Here is a tale of derring do such as we might have expected in the sea-going tales from earlier centuries. But these almost exclusively take place on modern and very fast craft.

Brought up in the London of the war years, interest in the sea was roused by evacuation to Cadgewith and very soon the young Pike was grabbing every experience he could: building kayaks and dinghies, sailing and renovating an MTB with the sea scouts, graduating to running aground in the Thames Estuary. The latter little drama a forerunner of the many adventures that crop up throughout his boating career.

His enthusiasm and growing skills led him into crewing on an offshore race on a 40 footer when he was fourteen. When faced with a choice of university and National Service, a careers master suggested the Merchant Navy. Here he learned the basics of navigation that led to his being in such demand for the years since.
After a wrecking in storm conditions in the Outer Hebrides, Dag began to pine for more time at home and was selected for the role of Inspector in the RNLI where his almost unique experience of offshore, coastal and navigation experience stood him in good stead. It gave him extended experience and understanding of the handling of motor craft in bad conditions. He describes the lifeboats of the time as too slow for serious off shore rescue work and saw these sentiments aiding the change to the more modern craft.

A further career move a few years later as he sought to develop a writing and consultancy business took him into work with fishery vessels. This did not last very long and he came by chance into the offshore racing field and built his reputation as a navigator. He was soon much in demand with leading drivers and was on winning boats in several world class races. To put things into perspective, he sometimes refers to the leisurely pace of 60-70 knots. His navigation skills made the difference between winning and losing where, as he puts it, the tendency was to follow the leading boats assuming that they knew where they were going.

One of the great achievements was to in be the crew breaking the Transatlantic speed record. Subsequently, with an ambition to be champion in both spheres, he ventured into the sailing world on Chaffoteux Challenger in an underfunded and ill-fated attempt on the sailing record. He believes however that he has the record for the number of times one man has been rescued: ten. Dag Pike now takes his pleasure in an elderly Falmouth gaff rigged oyster which he claims gives him just as much feeling of being at home with the sea as when he was used to travelling at twenty times the speed.

Whether you are interested in the specifics of the motor boat racing that dominates the core of this autobiography, you cannot fail to be fascinated by the adventures, challenges and escapes that are described with verve by a man of considerable skills and energy. - MD