Tom had just arrived in Camden Harbor at 5 AM on his 24-year-old J/35 Flash of Beauty, having tied the knot on his Atlantic Circle voyage of some 13,000 miles, which he completed in 50 weeks. And yes, on the prior abysmal evening, Tom was single-handing the final leg across the Gulf of Maine.Tom has been characterized by one of his myriad friends as “so tough, he keeps his socks up with thumb tacks.” Indeed, Tom has done the Bermuda One-Two Race twice on the Flash and did his Atlantic Circle with varying crew compliments, ranging from zero to two extra hands on board. His voyage started in Camden, Maine, last June, and after a chilly but quick crossing of the North Atlantic, he made his first landfall in Scotland, followed by Scandinavia, England, Germany, France, Portugal, the Caribbean, Bermuda, Newport and back to Camden to complete the adventure. On various legs, the crew consisted of a variety of friends and family, all richer for the experience.
If you consider Tom to be an intrepid adventurer, his beloved Flash of Beauty has proven herself equally well. How do six trips to Bermuda, four transatlantics, plus one each sortie to Newfoundland and the Caribbean sound? Highest mileage J under 40 feet, ever?
Specially modified for shorthanded sailing, the Flash is actually 34-1/2 feet long, with her transom having been truncated to fit into a smaller class for the OSTAR race some years ago. Water ballasting was also added and, of course, windvane steering and redundancy all around (three autopilots) are just some of the features of this amazing J/Boat.
What was Tom’s biggest asset on this voyage? Simply put, a supportive and loving family who let him pursue his dream of circumnavigating the Atlantic Ocean, almost guilt free. His wife of 34 years, Mary, and his three daughters—Rachel, Lucy, and Alice—crewed, cooked, cajoled, and gave Tom their unqualified support.
Tom Amory summed it up nicely in his final blog: “Home looks great, and Mary, [my] wife, looks even better. The Flash and I sailed for two weeks short of a year and 200 miles short of 13,000. She is still my favorite boat, but not my favorite girl.” Read Tom's blogsite.
