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Fugitive caught at last

John Moore on 2nd June 2021

It’s not often that veteran offshore racing competitor Francis Whitley has been captured airborne in his Yanmar powered Shakespeare.

In fact, after completing the 2008 Round Britain race and finishing 12 Cowes events in Fugitive, most snappers have never managed to get a glimpse of his props!

Last weekend, Rob Clifford got the money shot at the Poole Bay 100 race of the racer who will be 80 in a couple of weeks.

Clifford spoke about the photograph after:

I have to confess this shot very nearly didn’t happen, I had injured my back quite badly when the rip tide went past.

In some considerable pain, and unaware that how many were in this part of the race, I was packing up and starting to think about the painful climb back up St Albans / Aldhelms ahead of me.

Taking one last look I spotted the splashing of a race a boat in the distance.

I always take the view that if someone has bothered to enter the race then that fact should be recorded by me, so I picked the lens up and soon realised it was the stalwart and familiar shape of Fugitive approaching.

I am very glad I did now!

Whitley and his co-driver Stuart Cureton after the race Photo: Malc Attrill

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