Ep. 20: Richard Farrington CBE (Part 2) – WWII Night Hunters, The St. Nazaire Raid, and 40,000 Miles in an Oyster

Welcome back to Part 2 of our conversation with Commodore (Retd) Richard Farrington CBE on The Sailing Podcast (Episode 20).

In this final half, Richard steps into his role with the Coastal Forces Heritage Trust. We dive deep into the breathtaking, forgotten history of WWII’s Night Hunters, the volunteer yachties and fishermen who manned wooden 'floating bombs' at 40 knots in the dark. Richard shares the unbelievable exploits of legendary figures like Mickey Wynn (who ended up in Colditz) and Robert Hitchens, the most decorated RNVR officer of all time.

Then, the conversation turns to blue water cruising. Richard shares with host, Theo Stocker, how he and his wife Julie decided to 'outrun the grim reaper' upon retirement, purchasing their Oyster and completing a massive 40,000-mile Atlantic circuit.

From the challenges of maintaining a dark blue hull to island-hopping through Cuba, New York Harbour, and Nova Scotia, Richard shares invaluable, real-world advice for anyone dreaming of proper long-distance passage making.

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