Interview With Sylvia Cook!

For all of you readers of HTBS who have enjoyed the entries about John Fairfax, today The Daily Telegraph’s travel section has a real treat for you: an interview with Sylvia Cook, the woman who helped Fairfax prepare for his solo-row across the Atlantic in 1969, and then two years later rowed with him from San Francisco to Australia. Four days shy of a year, Fairfax and Cook rowed across the Pacific Ocean and were struck by all kinds of terrible disasters. Why did she accompany him on this trip? For love, she says. Read this wonderful article here.

John Fairfax Never Dies...

On 18 February, HTBS posted the news that John Fairfax, the first person to solo row across the Atlantic, had died on 3 February, 74 years old. A couple of obituaries had by then been published about this remarkable adventurer, who at 9 settled an argument with a fellow boy scout by firing a pistol at the hut where the boy and the rest of the scouts were sleeping; and at 13 was living in the Amazon jungle like Tarzan; and at 20 tried to commit suicide in the jungle by having a jaguar attacking him (the animal did attack, but then Fairfax had changed his mind and killed it with his gun); and became an apprentice to a pirate, etc, etc.

The story about John Fairfax seems to really have taken off - it went viral, as they say - after Margalit Fox's obituary in The New York Times last Sunday. It is a very well-written article, although I think that I prefer the one in The Daily Telegraph on Saturday.

There is actually an interview on YouTube with Fairfax from 1969, after he had completed his crossing over the pond. He seems very relaxed in this clip:



I managed to find some other film clips from 1969 with Fairfax before he sets out from the Canary Islands and during his voyage. Now, I have to warn you, the link will take you to an hour video with several film clips of news from 1969: media mogul Robert Maxwell loses News of the World to Rupert Murdoch, the war in Vietnam, Sophia Loren shows her new baby, Judy Garland gets married (again), Paul McCartney gets married (not with Garland!), housing problems in Northern Ireland, a plane crash, Harold Wilson goes to Nigeria, Richard Nixon goes to the U.K., etc, etc, etc.... I am afraid, you will not be able to fast-forward the film, but while waiting for the different clips about Fairfax - his girlfriend at the time, Sylvia Cook, is talking to him on the phone 'over...'; Fairfax shows his food; in the middle of the Ocean, he is filming a Russian tanker which he boards to take a shower and get some food; an interview where he explains his thoughts about fighting Nature even if it means that he will not survive (check out the foot stretchers) - you will brush up your knowledge about what happened in 1969!

Here is the link: John Fairfax continues Atlantic crossing Video - Watch ITN Videos

While I am writing this, I am sure there are already some writers in Hollywood working on banging out a script in a month, or two, for a movie about John Fairfax. Whom would you like to see as 'the lone wolf' who crossed an Ocean in a rowing boat?

John Fairfax Dies

Yesterday, newspapers reported that John Fairfax, who was the first person to solo row across the Atlantic, had passed away at an age of 74. As a child he had read an article about the two Norwegians, George Harbo and Frank Samuelsen, who in 1896 crossed the ocean in a small rowboat. He had in 1966 tried to raise money for his solo voyage, but then he was unable to get any financial backers. After John Ridgway and Chay Blyth had rowed the Atlantic in 1966, Fairfax “felt a sudden sense of urgency.” He continued: “I realised if I didn’t solo it soon, it was going to be done by somebody else.”

In January, 1969, at the age of almost 32, Fairfax, who in his passport under ‘Occupation’ had put down ‘Adventurer’, left the Canary Islands in his Britannia, which was designed by Uffa Fox. After battling the sea for 180 days, Fairfax reached Florida where he was met by his girlfriend, Sylvia Cook, and the media of the world. He also received congratulations from Apollo 11 astronauts, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins. Armstrong and Aldrin were just getting ready to take their first steps on the Moon.

In 1971, Fairfax and Cook, who could not swim, were the first persons to row across the Pacific, from San Francisco to Hayman Island in Australia, a 361-day voyage. About their passage Fairfax said: “It was a miserable journey. I don’t care if I never touch another oar.” A quite understandable statement. Read The Daily Telegraph’s obituary here. (The British paper writes that John Fairfax died on 8 January, while some other papers write that he passed away on 8 February.) Read more about Fairfax on The Ocean Rowing Society website. On 19 February The New York Times published an obituary where Ms. Cook was interviewed from London.

See also HTBS 22 February, John Fairfax Never Dies...