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RTW SAILING RECORD 2004 - Pre Start
Fossett and Cheyenne Underway at 1610 GMT
Expect to Cross Ouessant RTW Startline Saturday 7 Feb 0300 - 0600
Dramatic Departure from Dock
1610 GMT - 6 Feb 2004 - Plymouth, Devon, UK - Not without a suitably
dramatic background, Cheyenne skipper Steve Fossett and his 12 person crew
set off this afternoon from Plymouth Yacht Haven en-route to the official
Round The World start line at the French island of Ouessant. Crossing of the
startline is expected between 0300 and 0600 GMT Saturday.
Behind tug | © Claire Bailey
As the projected 4 pm departure approached - with the wind still gusting to 30 kts and driving rain soaking support crew, friends and family, just getting off the dock seemed to be a challenge.
The tug captains advised that they had another job - and could return in 2 hours. The sun conveniently reappeared, accompanied by calmer conditions and the powerful tugs pulled the 125' catamaran off the dock and around the headland into the late afternoon glare.
Departure | © Claire Bailey
The 120 mile trip to Ouessant (Ushant) is expected to be rough - with 40-50 kt SW headwinds predicted until close to the projected start time - when the winds should shift to the Northwest.
Stay tuned for additional information tomorrow (Saturday) morning.
All of Steve Fossett's adventure challenges are supported by Michelob ULTRA, the new low-carbohydrate premium beer from Anheuser-Busch, the world's largest brewer.
For further details and regular position updates, please see: www.fossettchallenge.com
or please contact: Stuart Radnofsky
Project 100 Communications / Steve Fossett Challenges
e-mail: info@project100.com
mobile phone: +44 7860 612367
office tel:+44 1727 836238 / 844616
Professional media note: Press photos of team and departure are available from Claire Bailey CB1720@aol.com / KOS Pictures www.kospictures.com
16h10 GMT, 6 February 2004 - Plymouth, Devon, UK: Shortly after 4 o'clock local time Steve Fossett and his 12 person crew aboard the maxi catamaran slipped their moorings with the help of two tug boats and a rib at Plymouth Yacht haven on route to the start line for their attempt on the RTW sailing record.
They expect to cross the official start line at Ouessant between 0300 and 0600 GMT Saturday morning.
Latest update at 11h41
Latest weather projection - plan to leave the dock at 16h00 GMT.Our Next weather report from commander's weather expected as 15h00.
Stay tuned for further updates ~ Spokesman, Stuart Radnofsky
Fossett: "We're Going."
Cheyenne to leave Plymouth Friday Afternoon for early Saturday (Feb 7th) RTW Start at Ouessant
5 February 2004 - Plymouth, Devon, UK: Skipper Steve Fossett returned to
Plymouth this afternoon and confirmed overnight predictions - a reasonable
weather scenario is coming together for an imminent Round The World start.
Early Friday afternoon (Feb 6th) Steve and his crew will take the big (125')
catamaran off the dock here at Plymouth Yacht Haven (at Mountbatten near
the village of Plymstock) and make the 120 mi trip to the official Round
The World Record start line at Le Stiff lighthouse on the French island
of Ouessant (Ushant). This transit to Ouessant should take 10-12 hours -
mostly heading upwind.
Their next leg will be a little longer - totalling 21,760 miles in fact: Ouessant to Ouessant, via the three capes - Cape of Good Hope, Cape Leeuwin, Cape Horn, Fossett expects to cross the start line Saturday morning - between 0300-1200 GMT.
Cheyenne's target will be the 2002 record as certified by the WSSRC (World Sailing Speed Record Council) of 64 days 8 hours 37 minutes 24 seconds - avg speed13.98 kts, set by Bruno Peyron and crew aboard the 110' catamaran Orange, see http://www.sailspeedrecords.com/ratified.html.
Steve Fossett:Cheyenne's new navigator Adrienne Cahalan arrived late Wednesday after a flight from her home in Sydney and has been installing herself at the nav station. Adrienne replaces Stan Honey, whose April commitments to the new Pyewacket maxi-sled forced him to leave the RTW when the start became delayed. Thomas Coville - who also had to leave to return to his 2004 racing season preparations as skipper of the trimaran Sodebo - will be replaced by 29 year old Irishman Justin Slattery, former bowman on Newscorp in the last VOR and crewman on Nicorette's 1997 TransAt monohull record.
"We're going. After waiting since the start of the year we finally have a pattern we think will work. It is not a traditional start pattern, but we expect to find our way through."
Watch Captain David Scully has been watching the local forecast with Steve:
"Getting to the line will be rough - we're facing headwinds of up to 50 kts. We are then expecting the wind to veer to the W / NW as we negotiate the Bay of Biscay."
Cheyenne's definitive RTW crew of 13 now comprises:
Steve Fossett (skipper) USA
Adrienne Cahalan (navigator) AUS
David Scully (watch captain) USA
Brian Thompson (watch captain) GB
Jacques Vincent (watch captain) FRA
Guillermo Altadill ESP
Mike Beasley NZL
Fraser Brown NZL
Mark Featherstone GB
Damian Foxall IRE
Nick Leggatt ZA
Justin Slattery IRE
Paul Van Dyke USA
Still Code Red Through 8 February
Weather Delays Force Cheyenne Crew Changes
Adrienne Cahalan Named Navigator
3 February 2004 - Plymouth, Devon, UK: Still waiting for a pattern
combining a good start out of the English Channel and across the Bay of
Biscay followed by a reasonable passage through the Canaries and south to
the equator and the ITZ (basically the classic pattern of a frontal passage
and a major High to the West), Steve Fossett re-confirmed today Cheyenne's
'Code Red' through Feb 8th - and several crew moves necessitated by the
ongoing delayed start.
Adrienne Cahalan (2003 Australian Yachtswoman of the Year) has been selected Navigator for Cheyenne's Round the World Record attempt, replacing Stan Honey whose prior commitments as navigator on the new Pyewacket mean he no longer has time to sail RTW. Thomas Coville has also had to leave the program due to his commitments to relaunch his 60 foot trimaran Sodebo at the end of March. Coville's replacement has not yet been selected.
Skipper Steve Fossett:Cahalan was named Yachtswoman of the Year in Australia for her role as co-skipper and navigator for Maiden II's highly successful 2002 records program - with a trio of official world records: the 24 Hour of 694 miles, Cross Channel, and Antigua-Newport records.
"I am disappointed for Stan and Thomas that after over a month of intense preparations they do not get to make the trip. It is a disadvantage we have in trying for sailing records that we must wait for the right weather forecast. Fortunately, Adrienne was available - we know she is a top navigator, and we will not lose a step in Cheyenne readiness."
Adrienne was also navigator on PlayStation (now Cheyenne) for the Fastnet Course Record of 35 hours 17 minutes set in March 2002. She is a veteran of 12 Sydney-Hobart races and has been navigator on 2 RTW's: Royal & Sun Alliance's 1998 record attempt when they were dismasted in the Southern Ocean and the 1993-4 Whitbread on Heineken.
'Cheyenne' Remains Code Red
Weather Analysis Shows No RTW Start Through Feb 7th
1 Feb 2004 Plymouth, Devon, Uk: In an e-mail to his crew this afternoon, Steve Fossett extended the 'Code Red' status - no go - for his RTW sailing attempt start until next weekend at least."The potential start on 6 February is not going to work. The earliest possible start from Ouessant (NW corner of France) is when the winds veer from SW to W or NW. When that occurs it will be too late to round the corner at Finisterre (NW Corner of Spain). before the High pressure moves in to stop us cold.Steve
The next potential pattern to start is on 8 or 9 February. Right now this forecast time is not quite right, but a small improvement in wind pattern would be sufficient. On a positive note, the long range forecasts are now showing High pressure in the mid-Atlantic where Lows dominated during the last half of January. Highs are a prerequisite to finding a Start on the Round the World from the English Channel."
Fossett: RTW 'Code Red' Continues through 5 Feb.
30 Jan 2004 19h00z - Plymouth, Devon, UK: In a brief message sent to his round the world crew this morning, skipper Steve Fossett advised that the ongoing 'Code Red' status - no possible start under present forecast - was being extended through next Thursday."We are Code Red through February 5. The 3 day period from 6 to 8 February is not too pretty, but requires only a little improvement to be a go."Stay tuned for additional updates early next week.
Friday AM Decision: Code Red - Again
No RTW Start for Cheyenne - poor winds forecast to equator.
Fossett and Crew remain ready to respond to changes, but no new likely weather until 2nd week Feb.
23 Jan 2004 Plymouth, Devon, UK - 11:35 GMT:Skipper Steve Fossett;
"What looked potentially acceptable 24 hours ago has worsened. We would be giving up too much at the start with a slow trip south."Navigator Stan Honey;
"It is just too marginal. My recommendation is to wait for a better possibility."Watch Captain David Scully;
"You have to know when to go - and when to say no."
Code Yellow for possible Fri / Sat overnight RTW start
(with Green Decision Friday a.m.)
'Cheyenne' could leave Plymouth dock as early
as noon Friday (23 Jan) on Round The World record
bid but weather still imperfect
22 Jan 2004 Plymouth, Devon, UK - 1800GMT: Skipper Steve Fossett advised earlier today
that the present weather pattern for the start of the Round The World sailing record bid by
the maxi-catamaran 'Cheyenne', although imperfect, was still a potential 'Code Green' for a
departure from Plymouth base Friday midday (the start-finish line is 120 miles southwest of
Plymouth, off the French island of Ouessant). He is en-route to Plymouth from the USA, arriving
Friday morning to join his 12 man crew on the 125' maxi-catamaran.
Steve Fossett:
"We've been on weather standby since mid-December - and the current weather pattern is the best we've seen so far. We would, of course, prefer a rapid trip south - but we might have to accept 9 days to the equator. We'll make a final decision on Friday morning. Otherwise the next opportunity is into February."Navigator Stan Honey:
"It looks like a tolerable system for departure and across the Bay of Biscay - but this window has a potential major problem with light air at the Canaries. The decision whether to go 'Green' on Friday morning will depend on how that forecast develops."Cheyenne's multinational crew for the RTW voyage:
- Steve Fossett (skipper) USA
- Stan Honey (navigator) USA
- David Scully (watch captain) USA
- Brian Thompson (watch captain) GB
- Guillermo Altadill ESP
- Mike Beasley NZL
- Fraser Brown NZL
- Thomas Coville FRA
- Mark Featherstone GB
- Damian Foxall IRE
- Nick Leggatt ZA
- Paul Van Dyke USA
- Jacques Vincent FRA
Mob: +44 7860 612367
Fax: +44 1727 869142
Code Yellow for Cheyenne RTW start later this week
Probable RTW Start Saturday or Sunday 24-25 January
Potentially off the dock Friday night
19 Jan 2004 Plymouth, Devon, UK: Following an excellent weekend of overnight
testing and sail training in which Cheyenne's crew put the 125' maxi-cat through all
her paces (including helicopter-borne film cameras and still photos), the team arrived
back at dock at Plymouth Yacht Haven Sunday afternoon to find that the weather prognosis
has now improved, and a possible RTW start as early as Saturday 24th January is on the cards.
Watch Captain David Scully:
"Fantastic sail. Wind strengths from flat to 40 knots made it a great weekend for practicing catamaran manoeuvres. Every sail in the inventory got an airing, and although temps were low, spirits were high. It was a pleasure to see this expert crew mesh, and confront the challenges that sailing this monster machine poses. No breakages, and no accidents, and a relatively short list of tweaks, which is good, as we hope to be leaving on the record next weekend."Skipper Steve Fossett:
"With the passage of a Cold Front, High Pressure will build this weekend. That will give us the Northwest winds we want to launch our Round the World record attempt. If the start proves to be Saturday instead of Sunday, we would leave the dock in Plymouth late on Friday afternoon to allow time for a leisurely overnight sail to the start line off of Ouessant Island, France."
Cheyenne testing on 17th January -
joined by film crew helicopter © Nick Leggatt 2004
For additional information please see www.fossettchallenge.com or contact Stuart Radnofsky at Project 100 Communications / Steve Fossett Challenges
Tel: +44 1727 836238 / 844616
Mob: +44 7860 612367
Fax: +44 1727 869142
Cheyenne Still Code Red
Poor winds to equator quash possibility for immediate start
Next possible RTW Departure estimated for 28-29 January
14 Jan 2004 Plymouth, Devon, UK 0900 GMT: Skipper Steve Fossett and his 12-man crew
on the 125' (38.1m) maxi-catamaran 'Cheyenne' have spent the past several days considering
an immediate opportunity for their round the world record attempt - but Steve reported this
morning that the wind prognosis had deteriorated overnight and a departure this week has been
rejected as 'just too marginal' in getting decent winds to the equator.
Steve Fossett:
"We are fully prepped, fully loaded and would much rather sail than sit. But the current weather pattern is quite weak to the equator - and while we might just thread our way south past Portugal towards the Canaries, it would be too slow. We were prepared to consider it in order to get going, but have now dropped the idea.The start / finish line for the current WSSRC (World Sailing Speed Record Council) RTW record on the Jules Verne course is a line between the Lizard in Cornwall, UK and the French island of Ushant (Ouessant), where the official observer will be sited. Ushant, the most westerly of the islands off metropolitan France, is 14 miles off Finistère - and about 120 miles from Cheyenne's Plymouth, UK base.
On the other hand, a 'monster' Low Pressure system - the same one we have been tracking since last week - is now over Newfoundland. It will work its way across the Atlantic, with a High Pressure cell centered in the Atlantic behind it, allowing for a possible departure around 28-29 January. This is a classic weather pattern to drive us quickly to 0 degrees latitude. Our target for this first segment will be 8 days or less.
We know 'Geronimo' is also on standby - so it looks like we'll have company."
Cheyenne returns to Code Red
No RTW start this week as weather pattern fails
Next possible start appears to be 26 January
11 January 2004 - Plymouth, Devon, UK:
After consulting with his meteorological team, Steve Fossett advised his crew (and this website) Sunday morning that
there would be no RTW departure this week:
"The weather for a potential start about 15 January has failed. This is disappointing because that start date looked good on all the long term forecasts for the past week. But now a low is forming southwest of Ireland. This will push the center of the High Pressure into the coast of Portugal, resulting in virtually no wind.Steve Fossett
We had completed all preparations - even to the point of loading the food onto the boat. Now we will unpack and resume training, with a combination of day-sailing and physical conditioning on shore.
The next departure date being considered is 26 January. However, on such a long range forecast, we will be prepared for the possibility for a favorable weather change in the week preceding 26 January."
Skipper
Cheyenne Code Yellow for possible 14-18 January RTW start
Steve Fossett and Cheyenne's Crew had successful test sailing
6 January 2004 Plymouth, Devon, UK: Skipper Steve Fossett and Cheyenne's
entire crew have spent 2 of the past 3 days in successful testing.
This morning Steve reported on weather prospects for an RTW start - perhaps as early as next week:
"It's a long way off for a wind forecast, but right now the weather
pattern looks like what we want. Our meteorologists at Commanders Weather note that a
fairly strong area of High Pressure forms west of our start line on the 14th.
This would produce strong North-Northwest winds and also strengthen the Trade
winds in the tropical latitudes. A start may be possible before the High
Pressure moves too far east and chokes our route past Portugal with light winds."
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Sail training
(c) 2003 Nick Leggatt - used with permission. Free for news use. < see more pics in Nick Leggatt's Photo Gallery> |
Code Red: No RTW start pattern through 11th January
Steve Fossett message to RTW crew: "This goal is worthy"
Test sailing from 3rd January
28 December 2003 - Plymouth, Devon, UK: Skipper Steve
Fossett is gathering his crew for the 125' maxi-catamaran 'Cheyenne' here
on Britain's south coast in preparation for their upcoming attempt on
the 2-year old round the world sailing record - and advised that next
week's sailing will be additional final testing - and that a record weather
pattern was at least 2 weeks away.
"I hope you will share with me the importance of our endeavor to break
the record for Sailing Round the World on the Jules Verne course. A Round
the World voyage represents one of the ultimate achievements in exploration
and adventure. Our aim is to do it faster than it has ever been done before.
Success is neither assured nor likely, but this goal is worthy of every
effort that we make.
Our first record was Round Ireland in September 1993, with Dave Scully
and Brian Thompson sailing with me on Lakota. Success on the RTW would
be the capstone of this sailing program which, in the last 10 years, has
set 21 official world records (14 standing) and 9 distance race records
(8 standing).
Please arrive in Plymouth by 2 January for test sailing with full crew
beginning on 3 January.
Our RTW start criterion is a good wind forecast for the first week. We
are now Code Red through 11 January for the RTW start due to a poor North
Atlantic weather pattern. Our time in Plymouth then will be well spent
in sailing together and making final boat preparations. Let's do everything
we can to make this voyage a success."
- Steve Fossett
Cheyenne's multinational crew for the voyage includes:
Steve Fossett (skipper) USA
Stan Honey (navigator) USA
David Scully (watch captain) USA
Guillermo Altadill ESP
Mike Beasley NZL
Fraser Brown NZL
Thomas Coville FRA
Mark Featherstone UK
Damian Foxall IRE
Nick Leggatt ZA
Paul Van Dyke USA
Jacques Vincent FRA
Project 100 Communications/ Steve Fossett Challenges
tel. +44 1727 836238 / 844616
mobile +44 7860 612367
www.fossettchallenge.com
Fossett & Crew Assembling after Christmas in Plymouth for RTW
Happy Holidays!
Fossett and Crew Assembling after Christmas in Plymouth for RTW
On standby from 2nd January 24 December 2003 - Plymouth, Devon, UK: Skipper Steve Fossett and his Round The World crew on the 125' maxi-catamaran 'Cheyenne' will be assembled in Plymouth shortly after the Christmas break - to be on standby from January 2nd in preparation for their attempt on the 2-year old RTW sailing record set by Bruno Peyron and his crew on the 110' foot maxi-cat 'Orange' (64d 8h 37m 24s).
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Cheyenne crew members Damian Foxall & Mike Beasley on test sail
|
View
across the trampoline
|
(c) 2003 Nick Leggatt - used with permission. Free for news use.
< see more pics in Nick Leggatt's Photo Gallery> |
|
Steve's multi-national crew (so far seven nationalities) includes:
Steve Fossett (skipper) USA
Stan Honey (navigator) USA
David Scully USA
Marc Featherstone GB
Damian Foxall IRE
Nick Leggatt ZA
Guillermo Altadill ES
Jacques Vincent FR
Thomas Coville FR
Paul Van Dyke USA
Mike Beasley NZL
Fraser Brown NZL
Weather routing the attempt will be Ken Campbell and his team at Commanders Weather, USA
RTW Preparations Begin
Steve Fossett's catamaran 'Cheyenne' and crew arrived at Plymouth Yacht Haven, UK
Monday, 1 December 2003 - 0900 gmt Steve Fossett's 125' maxicatamaran 'Cheyenne' and crew of 10 arrived at Plymouth Yacht Haven on Britain's Devonshire coast Monday morning after a 'useful' 11 day trans-Atlantic delivery voyage / test run from Norfolk, Virginia, USA.Treating the delivery as a general shakedown after a general pre-JV refit in Virgina, Cheyenne's route was fairly southerly, dodging the big Atlantic low pressure system, with a possible stopover in the Azores considered for a time. But a favourable breeze since mid last week brought them straight into Plymouth on schedule shortly after breakfast this morning.
Delivery crew:
Dave Scully USA
Nick Leggatt ZA
John von Schwarz USA
Ben Wright AUS
Andrew Herbick USA
Mark Featherstone GB
Michael Beasely NZ
Sarah Lynch USA
Rob Myles USA
Henri Thibault FR
Cheyenne and crew en route for England on delivery voyage
Expected to arrive Plymouth Monday, December 1st to continue preparations for early 2004 RTW attempt
28 November 2003 - 200 miles west of the Azores: Steve Fossett's 125 foot catamaran, recently re-named 'Cheyenne' and her crew under boat captain David Scully are currently en-route for the UK, expecting to arrive at their Plymouth Yacht Haven base sometime this coming Monday (December 1st). They left Norfolk, Virginia, USA late last week. It was thought they might need to wait in the Azores for improving weather, but now anticipate coming straight to the southwest coast of Britain.
At 12 noon (gmt) yesterday (November 27th) Cheyenne's position and status were:
Lat=38 02.270 N, Lon=35 02.480 W
Hdg true=062 Spd=21.1
TWS=19 TWD=183 TWA=121
Meanwhile, Steve, after a short break at home in California for the Thanksgiving holiday, is on his way back to Bariloche in Argentina to attempt more glider speed and distance records as the Andean glider season continues.
Project 100 Communications/ Steve Fossett Challenges
tel. +44 1727 836238 / 844616
mobile +44 7860 612367
www.fossettchallenge.com
Fossett Takes on Round the World Sailing Record
Attempt in January 2004
24 July 2003 - Beaver Creek, Colorado, USA - American skipper Steve Fossett announced today that he is targeting the biggest record in sailing - the absolute record for the fastest boat around the planet - for January, 2004, at the helm of his 125' (38.1m) maxi-catamaran.Currently holder of 10 of the 13 fastest World Record passages in sailing (as certified by the World Sailing Speed Record Council), Fossett and his crew made sailing history in October 2001 setting a new TransAtlantic record of 4 days 17 hours - shattering the previous record by over 43 hours. Twice he has set the 24 Hour Record (1999, 2001), signifying the world's fastest sailboat.
"We are going. I regard the Round the World as the most important of all sailing records and it's the one we have never held. The time has come to get committed. I aspire to join the list of the great Jules Verne record skippers: Bruno Peyron, Olivier de Kersauson, Peter Blake and Robin Knox-Johnston."
"Cheyenne" is the new name planned for the former PlayStation. The catamaran is undergoing a refit in Norfolk, Virginia. An assault on the 24 Hour Record will be made during October with the goal of logging the first 700 mile day. The current record is 694.78 nautical miles by Maiden II in June, 2002. The round the world crew will be named in September. Final preparations will be made in southern Europe during November and December.
The Trophée Jules Verne, with the initial magical round the world target of 80 days, was established in 1992, with a start/finish line between Ushant in France and Lizard Point, Cornwall, UK. Over the past 11 years there have been 13 attempts to set this record - with just 4 successful, the current record being set by Bruno Peyron (France) and crew aboard the 110' catamaran 'Orange' in 2002 at 64 days 8 hours, 37 minutes, 24 seconds.
For additional information please contact:
Nicola Horne or Stuart Radnofsky at
Project 100 Communications/ Steve Fossett Challenges
tel. +44 1727 836238 / 844616
mobile +44 7860 612367
p100sport@aol.com
and see: www.fossettchallenge.com