Tony Bullimore facts for kids

Tony Bullimore (born January 15, 1939 – died July 31, 2018) was a British businessman and a famous sailor. He became well-known for a dramatic rescue in 1997. During a tough sailing race, his boat flipped over. Everyone thought he was lost, but he was found alive.

Tony Bullimore's Early Life and Work

Tony Bullimore was born in Southend-on-Sea, a town in Essex, England. He went to Claremont School.

In the early 1960s, Tony moved to Bristol. There, he married Lalel. In 1966, they opened a special place called the Bamboo Club. It was a lively center for West Indian entertainment. The club had a restaurant and even a football team. It was also the home base for the Bristol West Indian Cricket Club.

The top floor of the Bamboo Club was a music venue. DJs played reggae and American soul music. Many famous bands played there, including Bob Marley and The Wailers and Tina Turner. The club sadly burned down in 1977. Before that, Tony had also opened another club called The Granary club in Bristol. He later sold it to focus on other businesses.

Tony Bullimore's Amazing Sailing Adventures

Tony Bullimore was a brave sailor. He took part in the 1996–97 Vendée Globe race. This was a very difficult race where sailors go alone around the world. Many things happened during this race, and another sailor, Gerry Roufs, sadly died.

The Rescue in the Southern Ocean

On January 5, 1997, Tony's boat, Exide Challenger, flipped over. This happened in the Southern Ocean, about 2,500 kilometers (1,350 nautical miles) off the coast of Australia. The winds were very strong, blowing up to 160 kilometers per hour (100 miles per hour). Most news reports thought that Tony, who was 57 years old, was lost at sea.

But Tony was still alive! He survived in a small air pocket inside his upside-down boat. It was completely dark, and he had lost all his food, except for one chocolate bar. The Royal Australian Navy started a rescue mission. They were looking for Tony and another sailor, Thierry Dubois, whose boat had also capsized.

On January 9, Thierry Dubois was rescued. An Australian helicopter from the frigate HMAS Adelaide picked him up.

How Tony Was Found

The HMAS Adelaide then went further south. A RAAF plane had found where Tony's boat was. The Adelaide sent a small, fast boat to the Exide Challenger. The crew members knocked on the hull of Tony's boat. Tony heard the knocking and swam out from his boat. He was quickly pulled to safety by the crew from the Adelaide.

The HMAS Adelaide then took both Thierry Dubois and Tony Bullimore back to Perth, Australia. On the way back, Tony met every person on the ship. He wanted to thank them for saving his life.

Later Sailing and Achievements

In 2000, Tony was in a BBC show. It was about crossing the Atlantic Ocean with comedian Lenny Henry.

In 2005, Tony was the leader of a team that came in second place in the Oryx Quest race. In 2007, he tried to set another sailing record.

Tony Bullimore's Final Years

Tony Bullimore passed away on July 31, 2018. He was 79 years old. He died from a rare type of stomach cancer.