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Saturday 6 March - 0510 GMT: Fastest Indian

Cheyenne passes Australian South East Cape for a new Indian Ocean record and moves 4+ days ahead of Round The World record pace as halfway mark approaches

Fossett claims fastest Indian Ocean passage with 9 day 20 hr 29 min run from South Africa - Tasmania

Watch captain Brian Thompson reports on the wind, sea ... and the amazing night sky

Friday 5 March - Day 28: Aurora "We continue to make great progress around the planet, another 500 mile day and an increase in our lead over Orange. Weather looks good for the next few days, not perfect but nothing in the forecast that is going to slow us down significantly. We have covered the longitude of Australia in a flash, and its now only 80 miles to the line south of Tasmania, the end of the Indian Ocean and the start of the mighty Pacific Ocean.

Sailing was fast and straightforward as we raced ahead of the approaching cold front behind us, but once it passed over us last night the wind shifted more into the west and we had to begin sailing slower downwind angles. We had to make a gybe to the SE for a couple of hours when the sea state was too bad on the port gybe. It has taken at least 18 hours for the sea state to moderate a little and this has been limiting our boat speed. We have been sailing deep and slow with the spinnaker and 2 reefs to wait for the seas to moderate and now we have 2 reefs and the staysail and sailing at slightly better speeds. We are still about 5 knots slower than we could be in a better sea state.

After the front the skies partially cleared. Just as night fell and the full moon was rising in the NE, we saw a line of light to the south of us, high in the sky, perhaps 60 degrees above the horizon. This was the aurora australis and it looked like a long thin banner trailing across the sky from East to West. It only lasted a few minutes before clouds came over and obscured it, but I feel lucky to have seen it. We have very few nights with clear skies, only one and a half so far in the southern ocean, so I hope we get the chance to see it one more time at least.

It was my birthday today and I was greeted on watch with a little song from the boys on deck, and that was a good enough treat for me. I also had a lovely card and photo from my wife Nathalie and lots of messages from family and friends. I get to see all the messages of support from the website and they are all very much appreciated..

Brian"

© Nick Leggatt 2004

Friday at 1710 GMT - Cheyenne on Day 27-1/2

1700+ miles ahead of Orange 2002

242 nm over past 12 hrs

Good conditions ahead as Pacific and mid-point beckon

Geaorge Caras of Commanders weather described the weather today, and what they can expect: "Today they got caught a bit in that frontal zone and the wind angles were not great, plus the seas state was pretty sloppy. The wind should now start clocking to the NW, allowing them gradually (over the next 6 - 10 hours) to go back to an easterly heading, and then Southeast. Although the winds will be coming down slightly to 20-25 kts, the angle will be better and they should be OK. There is a small Low to the West we need to stay ahead of as well, but it is looking like good conditions as they start to head E and SE.

By Sunday expect them to be at 53.5 - 54 degrees S."

Today's French report from Jacques - in English !

Thursday, Day 27: "Hi - today's special from out at sea to land: Apart from racing against the clock we have been racing against a cold front front and managed to stay ahead for 3 days, 3 days of fast exiting sailing going down water slopes. But this front finally caught us, as a reminder that nature is stronger than men. we are now in bigger waves and very messy sea state slowing us down (and making it hard to type on the keyboard).

we just gybed and will slowly go away from the front. In those conditions crossing the net is a gamble and a wave could be lapping your boots. Gybing not only changes the boat's heading but make things different onboard. The leeward hull, usually under water (fire hose spray), becomes the windward hull and comfort jumps a few stars up.

The last few days we have been sailing fast under small sails, the boat has been holding together and no boatbuilding exercises have been scheduled, nor would have been possible, which makes everyone happy but Mike who has no excuses not to work on his holywood weeding. I hope he will put into action all the good ideas his watchmates pour in.

Days went fast, into a routine which is unusual in those latitudes. The galley hull keeps everyone laughing while tense discussions about weather (or weather not) are taking place around the chart table in starboard hull.

The walls are dripping, the internet cafe is busy but Mark is not crossing the net so often.

We are quite far from land and that's how I feel, and I enjoy it enough to bear the cold and dampness. We all enjoy the mail traffic with loved ones and family, whom we have a lot of time to think about.

Tactically things are not too complicated - the weather is helping us make good progress, our weather shore team is keeping us on line and we sail with what we have. Tourism is going well we'll soon be south of Tasmania - but too far for a Cascade.

Ciao - Jac"

Thursday 4th 22h UTC by 52 S 132 E

In the Front

End Day 27 - Cheyenne stretches RTW lead over Orange 2002 to 1688 miles 507 nm run over past 24 hours

Navigator Adrienne Cahalan wrote late Thursday:

"We have been able to sit just ahead of a cold front from as far back as longitude 70E until just 30 minutes ago when the cold front caught us. Therefore, the 25-35kt NW winds which have allowed us to sail at a fast angle of about 120 degrees wind angle (broad reach) and make very good miles (550+ per day) to the mark (Cape Horn) have shifted into the West. We are expecting that the wind will shift back into the NW and we will have another day of these good NW winds. If not, West winds mean that the Horn will be dead downwind, we will have to start gybing and clocking up 500+nm days toward the mark will be much more difficult to achieve."

caption: Knowing how much Brian likes puzzles we decided to give him one for his birthday. In this picture he is busy puzzling out with Guillermo whether it is better to shorten the tack strop or the head strop on the spinnaker to get more luff tension. Lovely day for a birthday down here. The sun is out for the first time in ages and we are blasting along in a strong breeze. Were thinking of having a BBQ but Brian said that all he wanted was a cup of hot chocolate.

© Nick Leggatt 2004

Day 27 Thursday 20UTC 4 March 2004: Australasian Navigation Update from Adrienne.

"As we pass literally 'down under' I can hear the formula one grand prix just above us in Melbourne warming up. So this weekend we will be in our red Ferrari firesuits here in the nav station just in case their is some pit action. As I have explained often to the Kiwi's on board (and that can take time and patience), there are other international events besides rugby and the Americas Cup that can occupy the sporting mind, particularly in a land such as Australia where cultural and sporting stimuli are abundant. I also explained to them that that whole Lord of the Rings thing was a secret Hollywood pay-off funded by the CIA and orchestrated by George Bush to bring NZ back into ANZUS and then recommence visits to NZ by US nuclear war ships to dump nuclear waste. Sean Penn just got it a little wrong by giving the game away and mentioning WMD on Oscar night.

Yes, several of the Kiwi crew ask why we are blitzing through Australia at such a fast pace if it is such a great place to stay? Well the answer is simple. Our stay in Australian waters is positively leisurely when you compare it to the nano-second we will be under NZ. In fact when I did a crew survey on capital cities yesterday some interesting results came out. Many crew had difficulty identifying the capital of New Zealand while instantly each crew member was able to name Port-aux-Francais as the captial of the Kerguelen Islands,Tashkent as the captial of Ubekistan and Bishkek as the capital of Kyrgyzstan.

Back to business and weather wise our sail across the bottom has been going well as we have been able to sit just ahead of a cold front from as far back as longitude 70E until just 30 minutes ago when the cold front caught us. Therefore, the 25-35kt NW winds which have allowed us to sail at a fast angle of about 120 degrees wind angle (broad reach)and make very good miles (550+ per day) to the mark (Cape Horn) have shifted into the West. We are expecting that the wind will shift back into the NW and we will have another day of these good NW winds. If not, West winds mean that the Horn will be dead downwind, we will have to start gybing and clocking up 500+nm days toward the mark will be much more difficult to achieve.

All is not smooth sailing in these 25-35kt NW winds however, as we have had difficulty today and the last few days finding the right sail combination for this broad reaching angle and wind speed. We have wanted to stay at latitude 51-52S during this last week so we have had to do some reaching in 25-35 kts over the last few days which can be a little tough on the boat. We are aiming to stay on this latitude of 51-52S through out the weekend when we will pass under that small country east of Australia where a high pressure system is forecast to sit above. However, in order to be in a position to negotiate the high pressure system as we head into the South Pacific and to avoid the lighter winds associated with that high, we may have to sail a little more south toward latitude 53S. We always aim to sail in the belt of westerly winds located between the high pressures to the north (subtropics) and the lows to the south (sub polar latitudes).

Cape Horn is at an approximate latitude 57S and is now some 6000nm away. However, our overall strategy is that we do not want to drop south too quickly and would rather stay a little more north until closer to the Horn. As we cross from the South Indian into the South Pacific, we have not been in ice territory for several days. However, we anticipate that we will start to see some of those little bergs again in the South Pacific around about 120W which will be towards the end of next week.

Just a few little interesting facts:

Indian Ocean Sea temp at 50S has been about 6C and air temp 2C. Pacific Ocean Sea temp will be about 10C at 50S and air temp hopefully 6-7C.

The sky has been foggy with poor visibility and the occasional shower for several days. Last time we had a clear night sky was on Day 21 (today is Day 27) at longitude 53E when we thought we could see the reflection from the ice pack on this clear night.

The sea state has been relatively moderate (4m) and the swell from a Westerly direction.

Variation has gone from 60 W (NB compass best!) at longitude 90E to variation 1E (compass least!) at about 130E. We are close to the south magnetic pole. Many albatross and albatix continue to glide by and keep an eye on us.

The food remains poor but the company always good."

Thursday at 1710 GMT - Day 26-1/2

"Going East with the Front"

Cheyenne over 1600 miles ahead of 2002 RTW record track

284 nm past 12 hrs (23.7 kts avg) driving in squally weather

George Caras of Commanders Weather added tonight: "The front is really on top of them - they are right in it. Conditions will stay squally for some time - the next 12 hours I think - but they are making very good time. Basically, they are going east with the front. There's plenty of wind there."

Damian Foxall's diary Days 25 + 26:

Day 25 - Cheyenne - 584 miles

"After a slow passage at Kerguelens , we are past the 'crash site' of last year. Down at 52S : its fast , 28-36kts boatspeed as we blast ahead of the next front ; cold , with full gear against the smoking spray ; Full main - 1st reef - 2nd - staysail - stormjib ; big Southern ocean swell , giving ideal surfing for the high bows.

In the Atlantic the Orange II / Geronimo battle has taken a turn as Bruno Peyron takes an emergency stop in the Cape Verdes to repair a water ingress in the stdb. engine shaft casing. This will certainly cost him dearly and certainly questions the reason they left the engines and shafts in , in the first place ; extra drag and weight for no benefit.

At midday today we are heading due East and the midday run is 280miles. The difference between 40S and 50S in Miles sailed / Longtitude gained is 20%, the further South we are the shorter the distance . The trade off , is Seastate / Windspeed / Ice risk / Longtitude gained ; the compromise sends us along a corridor between 45S and 53S ; a circumnavigation of Antartica. We are more than 1200miles ahead of the record . However to put this into perspective; last year Geronimo were in a similar situation at this stage, with a 3 day lead , they ended up loosing it all in their climb back up the Atlantic.

So we push on , all to play for , potential now for anything to happen; In reach of 60 Days , or just to beat it by a few hours ; as much as it is still possible to miss it by days if we have a bad last half. We 'cash the miles' in now, so that we have a safety margin for the weeks to come.

Ahead ; 600 miles to Cap Leeuwin , 7000 miles to Cap Horn."

Day 26 - 577 miles

"We are now gaining miles on the Cold front behind us , and a great forecast looks like we will get the slingshot into the Pacific.

A fast first half of the trip has us breaking Geronimo's Ushant-Cap Leeuwin time (26 days 5 hrs) the new reference is 25 Days 14hrs 8mins. We missed Innovation Explorers time from Cap Good Hope - Cap Leeuwin by 30 mins .Just a good indication of how we are going so far,

Unfortunately for ORANGE II they have turned back , Our thoughts are with all the guys as we know they have worked hard to get the new boat ready. I guess that is it for them this year but Im sure they will be a serious contendor for 2005 as the boat shows good potential.

Geronimo is close to the equator and 80miles behind record pace.

Cheyenne continues to put miles in the bank , now 1500 miles ahead. Australia now 1000miles to the North of us , and Antartica 1000miles to the South of us....some of the crew are suggesting we hang a left , and a couple even suggested turning right ....ADO our Navigator keeps us on the midtrack straight along 52S.

Damian"

End Day 26 - Reaching Aussie Waters

Ouessant - Cape Leeuwin in record time: 25 days 14 hrs 8 mins

1474 miles ahead of Orange's 2002 RTW record track after 26 days

577 miles of blasting yesterday - 24.04 kts average speed

Day 26: "Blasting - We have finally got the good full-on Southern Ocean conditions that you come here for. We have had the last 2 full days of incredibly blasting conditions riding on strong North Westerlies with squalls coming through increasing the wind from 35 to 40 knots. We have been sailing at a 100 to 110 wind angle with 2 reefs and storm jib and even reefed the storm jib at one stage. We have been sitting on the good numbers all day and night topping out at around 36 knots, this boat was built for these conditions - we haven't yet stuffed the bow in which is enabling us to drive as hard as we can.

Great conditions through the night - wet and fast driving with clear goggles on just seeing the white caps around you and the B and G displays. We have just broken the Ushant to Cape Leeuwin record beating Geronimo's time. Nice to break something other than the boat. We are currently about 1300 miles ahead of the record but not quite halfway so heaps can happen yet. We are in Aussie waters and heading straight east at 51 South soon to be under kiwi land, then next up the Horn.

Bring it on. Sheet on and send it."

Fraser Brown
Cheyenne

Today is just a general scene looking aft with Gizmo on the helm and Mark, Dave and Whirley in the cockpit.

© Nick Leggatt 2004

Brian writes on Day 26 from just before Cape Leeuwin - on boats and beams, speed and boundaries, risks and rewards...

3 March: "We are only 30 miles from the longitude of Cape Leeuwin at the SW tip of Australia. That's not to say we are anywhere close to the long beaches and brilliant summer sunshine of Western Australia, as we are 1000 miles to the south and enjoying overcast skies, drizzle and a temperature of 3 degrees C - more like the Western Approaches in winter.

On the plus side sailing conditions are great for churning out the miles; we are in 25 to 30 knots of wind at 115 TWA, with 2 reefs and the staysail. Earlier today the wind speed was up in the mid thirties and we had the storm jib, and for a time a reefed storm jib, coupled with the double reefed main. As always the sea state is the limiting factor on boat speed. In flat water we could be doing 35 knots with more sail, but in these slightly confused seas we are keeping our speed between 22 and 32, depending on whether or not we are surfing on the long westerly swell. Gino Morrelli and Pete Melvin, the designers and Cookson Boats, the builders, have done a great job on creating a Southern Ocean speed machine (+ Sean Regan Performance Yachts - in charge of the 2000 bow extension program - ed.). We have not once yet put the front beam into the waves (touch wood) and the seas are hitting the back beam first, which being flat faced, does create a cascade of spray. It appears to be holding up well. We have had only one solid hit to this beam where the boat speed went from 25 to 17. Occasionally we hit the main beam, but this is not as noticeable.

Matching the boat speed to the sea state, and if possible not putting ourselves into a position where we are limited by the seas, is very crucial to this record. We are confident we have a strong boat, but everything has its limits and we are being careful to minimize the danger to our structure. We are not overstepping the boundaries of how we have sailed the boat before in shorter records. Of course the sheer distance of the course, the three and a half weeks in the Southern Ocean may cause some fatigue so we have to take that into account as well. Most of the maxi cats, and the 60 foot tris, have had problems with their beams and their bows in rough conditions so we must be ever vigilant.

We are doing excellently on the record, being more than 3 days and 1377 miles ahead of Orange at the same time. We are also going to improve on the best time from Ushant to Cape Leeuwin, set by Geronimo last year. We clocked a voyage best 585 mile day yesterday and are also looking at several more days of reaching or one gybe conditions, where every mile sailed takes us straight down the course.

At the latitude of 50S every degree of longitude is 38 miles apart, and at 45S they are 42 miles apart, so there is about a 10% difference due to the shape of the globe. In one 500 mile day at 50S we can gain 50 miles in easting on a boat at 45S (which is the typical maxi-cat track in the Indian Ocean) The potential downside is stronger winds, a bigger sea state, iceberg risk and a chance of getting on the wrong side of a low. So it is a calculated risk and one that Steve, Adrienne and Commanders Weather is watching carefully just as we are closely monitoring the state of the boat.

The same risk/reward analysis has to be assessed in every decision we make. Is it the correct choice for our goal of this round the world record, are we being too conservative or too bold? There is always a range of opinion but we are all focused on the target and so far making the right calls. We still have all our sails and all our equipment is working well. The structure seems solid and our route has taken us on a smooth and short course sailing out of storms and calms. Our multinational team is in great spirits, no friction anywhere and the all important sense of humour is intact.. Everyone is healthy and taking care of themselves. What more could you ask for?

Brian"

www.brianthompsonsailing.com

Fossett and Cheyenne cross Cape Leeuwin longitude at 1918 GMT 3 March

25 days 14 hours 8 minutes from RTW start for a new fastest passage from Ouessant to Cape Leeuwin

3 days 17 hours faster than Orange to the same point in 2002

14 hours faster than Geronimo in 2003

3 March Evening Report - Day 25-1/2: Cape Leeuwin to port

Cheyenne soon to cross longitude of second major waypoint - in record time

Over 1400 miles (3+ days) ahead of 2002 RTW record track of Orange

"Second Great Cape -

...and the second benchmark on our around the world adventure. We have been moving along on a firehose reach for the last 36 hours. The degrees between 120 true wind angle, and 90, make all the difference in terms of comfort, if not speed. Water cascades off the forward and aft beams, and surges through the trampoline netting. Cheyenne is smashing through under double reefed main and storm jib. A full faced helmet makes the helmsman's job bearable, and with the traveller all the way down, and the little jib no threat, the rest of the watch take turns sheltering under the canopy. We drive with a strong left arm, veering the boat to windward to build apparent, then fling her off down the wave faces, as the speedo climbs to the high 20's. I was reflecting last night, driving along, that it is unusual in yachting to be watching a boat speed indicator flickering between 29 and 32 knots for hours on end.

Sorry to hear about Bruno's withdrawal. While it eliminates his threat to our record prospects, we are always aware that good as things look at the moment, we are always only seconds away from experiencing the same heartbreak he is feeling right now. A broken fitting, a stray whale, electric failure, a worn sail, so many things could bring this roller coaster ride to s sudden halt. That is why I am always thrilled when we pass a potential breakdown port. Freo was one. Next is Hobart or on New Zealand. Hopefully, we will pass those too, and soon!

- David"

3 March - Seas are getting rougher all the time...

© Nick Leggatt 2004

Wednesday 3 March - 0510 GMT - End Day 25

Cheyenne Rolls Up the Miles

1377 miles ahead of 2002 RTW record track
584 miles for best yet RTW 24 hr run
Crossing longitude of Cape Leeuwin late today

"We are blasting along tonight at up to 34 knots, racing ahead of a cold front that is approaching us from behind, the faster we can move, and the longer we can stay in the prefrontal conditions of flatter seas and reaching winds at 120 TWA. We are looking at our best day's run so far for today. We have 2 reefs and the staysail up and 25 to 30 knots of breeze."

Brian Thompson describes slow highs and fast lows

- picking up the pace on Days 24 & 25

March 2: "Writing this at the nav table whilst we are looking at the weather maps for the coming few days. Looks like fast conditions today, maybe 600 miles..

We are blasting along tonight at up to 34 knots, racing ahead of a cold front that is approaching us from behind, the faster we can move, and the longer we can stay in the prefrontal conditions of flatter seas and reaching winds at 120 TWA. We are looking at our best day's run so far for today. We have 2 reefs and the staysail up and 25 to 30 knots of breeze.

This is a big contrast to this time last night when the breeze dropped to 0 as a ridge of high pressure passed overhead. Fortunately this was just for a moment that the wind disappeared, although all night the wind was very light. Only a spurt of speed as we got the first wind from the approaching front allowed us to hold on to a 400 mile day.

We have 600 miles to go to the longitude of Cape Leeuwin and we are on track to beat the current record from Ushant to this Cape that is held by Geronimo, set last year. It's about 7000 miles to Cape Horn and the end of the Southern Ocean.

The magnetic variation here is huge, we have just passed through a point near the Kergeulens that had 60 degrees of W variation, and by the time we reach Australia it will be back down to 0. We are passing less than 1000 miles to the north of the South Magnetic Pole and the lines of variation come pouring out from this point, so are changing very fast for our passage. Up on deck we have compass heading displayed and additionally course over Ground True as a reference, and to prove we are really sailing east and not 150 as the compass is telling us.

We saw 2 penguins and a few seals this morning, all by themselves hundreds of miles from land, doing a little exploring of their own. Not quite so many birds as we are so far from any island bases, we expect to see more birds closer to the islands south of New Zealand.

No icebergs since the first two, at present we are just north of the convergence zone so the risk is low.

- Brian"

Fraser Brown writes:

2 March: "We are currently at 51 south 102 East, speed 31 knots heading 90 degrees air temperature 4.1 degrees, distance to the longitude of Cape Leeuwin Australia 490nm. Distance to NZ 2400nm and 7000 to Cape Horn.

We have had a very good southern ocean leg so far, we saw icebergs early on after the Cape of Good Hope along with a school of Killer Whales and of course the Albatross that fly beside the boat with their 3 metre wing span. Conditions on board have been wet inside due to condensation the port hull is a lot worse than the starboard as we have the galley in the port side, it has become a daily ritual to shamy down the roof above your bunk and the walls before going to sleep. We have goretex bags around our sleeping bags to keep them as dry as possible for the rain forest down below. However this is all part of it and have now been down here for 10 days. Everyone is used to the conditions and we only have about another 14 days to go before reaching Cape Horn - which is a huge turning point in this round the world attempt.

Passing the Kerguelen Islands was extremely interesting. The air temperature was around 3 degrees passing north of the islands you have the risk of picking up large amounts of kelp and passing south you can have extremely rough conditions on the southern shelf. The island is 2000 metres high with Glaciers so has a large affect on the local weather conditions. We opted for the northerly route which set us up for a long starboard gybe going south once we were passed. It was a little slow initially but paid off later down the track.

We are currently making the most of the current strong North Westerlies which are ahead of the front to carry us under Australia and onto New Zealand. We are back in iceberg country now so the radar is working over time, but being this far south means that we are chewing up the miles and getting closer to the warmer climates.

Currently we are 1200 miles ahead of the record and hoping to extend on this before the Horn, as the Atlantic run home is always going to be difficult, the more time we have on our side the better chance we have.

Fraser Brown
Cheyenne"

Tuesday at 1710 GMT: 1/2-way through Day 25 and 3 days ahead

Cheyenne leads Orange's 2002 RTW record by over 1300 miles

Geronimo's 2003 Ushant - Cape Leeuwin record targeted on Wednesday

Potential for new Cape of Good Hope - Cape Leeuwin record as well

Orange II suffers crack - stopping in Cape Verdes for repairs

Tuesday 0510 GMT- Day 24 Ends: Cheyenne rides out slower winds Monday

Relatively little mileage lost to High pressure ridge on 406 mile Day 24

Now 1206 miles ahead of Orange's 2002 RTW track

Navigator Adrienne Cahalan's notes:

"Our current forecast suggests that we should get east as fast as we can to stay ahead of an approaching cold front coming quickly behind us. If we can stay ahead of the front and stay on the 'money gybe' in NW winds, it is all good miles in the bank. We call it the 'money gybe' when we cash in miles at top speed straight at the mark."

Adrienne Cahalan writes - a nav update, plus Oscar Night fantasies onboard

03z Tuesday 2 March: "We have settled down into a corridor of 50S now for this section of the Southern Ocean. 50S is the mean axis of the storm track and allows us to sail maximum east at the shortest longitudinal distance realistically possible. At 50S one degree of longitude is only about 38 miles whereas at 40S one degree of longitude is about 45 miles. So when we sail about 11-12 degrees of longitude each day being further south represents a net gain in distance of about 80 miles a day just by sailing at a lower longitude (the great circle route as opposed to rhumbline).

Weather wise however, we are limited by how far south we can go as the centres of the low pressure systems tend to sit around a mean position of about latitude 60S (also known as the circumpolar trough). If we get on the south side of a low pressure system we are into head winds, which is disastrous. In the South Pacific Ocean we will sail at a little lower latitude at around 53-54S to stay in the centre of the storm track. We will also leave our approach to the Horn hich is at 56-57S, until the last minute if possible.

We have had a good trip through the South Indian Ocean so far. We were able to sit in NW winds that enabled us to sail directly east (or just east south east) right on course and the seas state has been moderate. Sea state is almost more important than wind speed in these boats. The Kerguelen Islands (50S, 70E) was a major obstacle in our way and we left our decision quite late as to which side of the islands we would go. We had seen some bergs the day before whch made the south side a little dicey. Ultimately we went to the north side for weather reasons - which was to set ourselves up for SW winds and give ourselves some north leverage when the SW winds came in just after the island but we did lose some time there.

Last night we were briefly caught in a ridge of high pressure. The wind swung abruptly from the SW into the NW (which meant we were now on the back side of the ridge) and has now filled in to about 18kts. You will see that our mileage today was not that great because we were sailing at about 10 kts for several hours while we negotiated the ridge.

The swell has picked up today for the first time. Those big southern ocean rollers are racking and stacking behind us and it is quite a roller coaster feeling when you take off from the top of one and the bows point down into the trough. Luckily we have helmsmen such as the great Spaniard Guillermo Altadill now pushing the boat along at 25+kts so we are in safe hands.

We have decided if they make a movie of the trip - and I have no doubt they will - namely a blockbuster featuring Kevin Costner- the Spaniard Altadill will of course be played by Antonio Banderas. Several other crew members have also been cast as follows:

David Scully - George Clooney
Steve Fossett - Anthony Hopkins
Brian Thompson - Jeff Goldblum
Damian Foxall - Colin Farrell
Jacques Vincent - Tom Cruise
Fraser Brown - Ron Howard
Justin Slattery - Russell Crowe
Mark Featherstone - some guy out of All Creatures Great and Small
Whirley Van Dyke - a young Clint Eastwood
Adrienne Cahalan - Renee Zellweger (definitely not Meryl Streep)
Nick Leggatt - Rhys Ifans
Moose Beasley - the US TV fix it guy

The only thing is that we cannot find a place for Kevin Costner - but maybe that is as Bruno Peyron, in which case Olivier de Kersuason is Gerard Depardieu or more appropriately Marlon Brando. Phelpsy has also got to be cast somewhere in there as well.

So anyway back to navigation report:

Our current forecast suggests that we should get east as fast as we can to stay ahead of an approaching cold front coming quickly behind us. If we can stay ahead of the front and stay on the 'money gybe' in NW winds it is all good miles in the bank. We call it the 'money gybe' when we cash in miles at top speed straight at the mark.

On Thursday, when the cold front is close to us, a low is forecast to form on the front which would put us in a area of light winds. However if we stay ahead of the front this will not be a problem although at this stage this may be an impossible task as the front is moving at about 30kts. On Thursday we should be at about 130E just below South Australia (just in time for the Melbourne Grand Prix).

So as the barometer continues to drop we prepare for a couple of days of fast sailing in probably the roughest conditions yet. The next 2 days and into next weekend we may see 30-40kts which we can not escape by diving north so it will be important to keep it all together and the boat in one piece.

Very sorry to have missed Oscar night, but luckily I was able to wear my Prada gown in the nav station, the next best thing to being there."

- Adrienne

Today's picture is another general work scene. I took it while out on the end of the boom taking off the reef safety strop. In the background you can see the crew preparing to hoist the mainsail to its full hoist. Difficult to make out but from L-R, they are Brian, Guillermo, Whirley and Adrienne.

© Nick Leggatt 2004

Monday at 1710 GMT - Evening Day 24

Cheyenne slowing as ridge passes over, bigger winds expected Tuesday

207 miles over past 12 hours, slow tonight

Commanders Weather Ken Campbell advised this afternoon: "I talked to Adrienne at 1430z and the wind had dropped right down to 6 kts. They'll be waiting until tomorrow (Tues) for winds to pick up significantly - meanwhile they'll be working back North to 50 - 51 degrees, setting up for the much stronger winds to come, when they'll be trying to stay ahead of the front. Look for big breeze until next weekend. Lots and lots of wind."

Guillermo Altadill | © Nick Leggatt 2004

Damian Foxall on Days 20, 21 and 22

Day 20
Cheyenne 445 miles
Ice , looming on the horizon , as we sail past at 25kts+ . Your gut reaction is to turn left and slow down. We do limit our dive South , now heading along the 49S Latitude but we keep the speed on , wether you hit something at 25 or 30 kts the result is still the same!

An hour later , another on the bow , we luff for 30 mins to get around the weather side of it. Radar watch and the nightscope are brought into play , but they all disappeared thereafterwards , not to be seen again ...atleast until later. Certainly there should be much more Ice in the Pacific as we potentially take a modified Great Circle route to the exit at Cap Horn.

For now we all sleep feet forward , and continue to make good miles.

Day 21
564 miles
Chasing the same high ridge now for days , ideal conditions allowing us to be well South on the shorter route but in flat seas and 22-24kts breeze. It wasnt like this last year. With the Kergeulens 800 miles ahead we now opt to go just North of them. Gennaker turning block is breaking the welds on the cheek plates ....drill new padeyes , Spanish windlass and she's good.

Geronimo has started with Orange II also leaving 12 hrs later , both back in the race after previous abandons.

Day 22
573 miles

Still downwind in flat water, 950 miles ahead of the record , life is good.

Damian

Brian Thompson reporting Monday morning on RTW Day 23 - and the day ahead:

1 March 2004: "Out here we had a good day's run (Sunday-Monday) considering we were gybing downwind the whole way. We did not run out of wind as on the previous day and so we clocked up 488 miles and 547 through the water. This puts us 1187 ahead of Orange.

We have gone quite south last night and are now at 51S. It was very noticeable when we crossed into the colder water to the south of the Antarctic convergence zone. The air got a lot denser as well and the power from the sails increased noticeably. However, now we are looking at lighter winds for the rest of the day and tonight, as a high pressure ridge approaches from the west. This will be followed by a low that will give us good NW winds for Tues and Wed. So a slow day today - and better thereafter.

At dawn we saw a pod of about 30 pilot whales diving in unison near the bows, like a synchronised swimming team. They were approaching from the bow and dived in perfect harmony just as we were about to run into them. They then changed direction and surfaced on our port side running with us for a couple of breaths before they resumed their travels westward.

I guess if they can find prey, they can sense and avoid a 125 foot catamaran even if it is travelling towards them at 25 knots. Let's hope the bigger whales are equally alert...

Brian"

www.brianthompsonsailing.com

Jacques Vincent's Monday report

Lundi, 1 Mars - Jac Vincent ecrit:
"Bonjour. Il nous aura fallu quelques zigzag et empanages pour passer les iles Kerguelens. Sans les voir nous avons senti leur presence. La mer est devenue un peu chaotique avec la remontee des fonds et le vent instable sous de longues trainees de nuages perturbes par les hauts sommets de l'ile (2000m). L'annee derniere le voyage de Kingfisher s'etait arrete la , Damien et Guillermo, 2 rescapes de cette tentative, se felicitent d'avoir enfin depasse cet endroit sans avoir eu besoin de leur combinaison de survie.

Bonne journee decidement pour Guillermo qui a enfin trouve le mode d'emploi de son sac de couchage. Depuis 20 jours il faisait les "Oudini" pour entrer et sortir de son duvet... a l'envert...trompe par le double zip ! Nous continuons notre plongeon dans le sud, tribord amure. La temperature exterieure est maintenant de 4 degre. le vent d'WSW a fait tourner l'anemometre a plus de 30 noeuds. Derriere nous une dorale anticyclonique poussee par un front actif va temporairement affaiblir le vent lors de son passage. les vent vont tourner au NW devant le front et notre mission est de rester devant, babord amure, cap a l'Est, jusqu'a epuisement (du front).

A bord tout va bien, pas d'exercice de bricolage par ce temps la. Chacun sort de son sac la paire de gants, la cagoule ou le bonnet a la mode. Il y en a pour tout les gouts, du neoprene a la laine et chacun envie l'equipement de l'autre et tout le monde a froid ! Nick a enfin quiter son Jean's et je porte fierement mes 6 epaisseurs de vetements. Dans quelques jours nous seront sous l'Australie.

Ciao - Cheyenne - Lundi 1er Mars a 9h par 52 S et 82 E - Jac"

End Day 23

Cheyenne notches up 488 miles; 22.5 kt avg

Stretches lead over Orange 2002 RTW record track to 1187 miles

Today's picture is of Steve, Damian and Brian having dinner.
Just a typical scene from onboard | © Nick Leggatt 2004

Brian Thompson writes on passing the Kerguelens

Sunday 29 Feb - Day 23: "Addendum; that whale we saw yesterday was at least 60 feet long - doing 25 knots!!

We are just passing the Kergeulen Islands now, they are 70 miles to the south of us and we are travelling over the infamous bank that extends to the north. The sea shelves from 4.5km deep to 120m and in gale conditions it is not a safe place. As we have 20-25 knots and 2 to 4 metre swells there was no danger and no discernible difference to the waves as we crossed on to the bank.

The islands are quite high, up to 2000m, and have a couple of glaciers, so the wind shadow to leeward could be over 50 miles. We are aiming to pass well clear. At present we are on port gybe heading 70T, but later today, as we clear the island, we will gybe to starboard to stay in stronger breezes to the south. We are at 47.5 S at present, air temp 6 degrees C.

Yesterday we did a rather slow 422 mile day point to point, although we did travel 520 through the water. The wind shifted into the west forcing us to gybe as we headed east. Last night we were caught in an upper level trough and the wind dropped to 15 knots for a time and also gave us a bad angle, forcing us to be beam on to the swells. This was mainly on my watch in the middle of the night and was a little frustrating, but now we are going well again and we anticipate a better day today. In fact is has been 10 days since we have had a day under 400 miles, so I really cannot complain. We arealso 999 miles ahead of Orange's position and almost 3 days ahead in time.

This is where Kingfisher 2 lost its mast last year on their Jules Verne attempt; Damian and Guillermo were on board that day and have been joking about getting into their survival suits in preparation. After the mast fell they had a very long passage under jury rig to Freemantle in Western Australia. They were only a few miles past the Kergeulens but once downwind of them there was no way of getting back upwind so had to sail the 2000 miles to Australia.

There has been quite a bit of kelp floating around, in long strands of brown strips about a foot wide. We have caught quite a few on the dagger boards, causing a great rushing sound inside the hull. Usually they fall off very quickly, but one time we did have to raise the dagger board fully up to free some of the tough strands. To look at what is happening underwater we have an endoscope, a metal rod about 2 feet long that fits through a special hull fitting. At the top of the rod is an eyepiece, and at the bottom a tiny lens. By rotating the tube you can see, in a fish eye view, the bottom of the hull and the dagger board. There are 4 of these through the hulls, one each near the dagger boards, and one each near the rudders.

Onward to Australia now! - Brian"

www.brianthompsonsailing.com

Evening Day 23

Starboard gybe takes Cheyenne back on SE heading

Fossett and team continue solid progress eastwards with 230 miles past 12 hrs

"Not a lot of news, no calamities, some unusually good weather for the Indian Ocean, a fin whale, a fat whale, we are lifted north of Kerguelen by an increasing westerly wind as we overtake the high pressure that has given us such great reaching sailing for the last few days.

The crew is divided into three watches of four persons. One watch is asleep. One watch is on standby, which means that they are in their gear, ready to assist in manoeuvres, but are also engaged in cooking, cleaning, boat maintenance, or napping. The on watch drives the boat, one on the wheel, one each on the traveller and headsail sheet, and one checking trim, getting coffee, etc.

My feet come out of the bunk to hit a cold, wet, floor. There is some merit to the statement that the boat is wetter inside than out. The superconductivity of the aluminium honeycomb core and carbon skins produce a great deal of condensation inside. In cold weather, it is literally raining inside the hulls.

I grab my socks, from where they have been drying against my body in the sleeping bag, and go to a rack in the head to collect my gear. Wiping dry a small spot with a rag left there for the purpose, I sit and get into the waterproof gear. Depending on our speed, the noise below can be deafening. Based on the noise, I usually have a good idea of our progress by the time I grope my way passed the nav station and check in with Adrienne or Steve. The navigator on duty will fill me in on the latest weather. I am now on standby for the next four hours.

During the day standby, we check the boat and rigging and work down the job list. There is one of Dalia's excellent freeze dried meals to be hydrated, and cleaned up after. During the night standby's I often write these pieces, or download the day's photos, edit, and send them.

My watch takes the con. We are in the habit of doing 40 minute tricks at the wheel, and thus we roll along. If we need to change sails or reef, we call the standby watch to give us a hand, putting eight people on deck for manoeuvres. A coffee, a candy bar, a conversation about the stars, Middle Eastern politics, the quality of the cooking, the trim of the sails, and four hours later we turn over to the standby watch, strip off the wet weather gear, and zip into the sleeping bag for the next four hours."

This picture shows Brian crawling out of the tiller flat where he had been doing a routine inspection of the steering gear. We normally check the steering gear at least every 4 hrs for signs of wear or stretch in the cables. Next to Brian you can see the blue food storage bags. Each bag holds two days worth of freeze dried rations for the 13 crew. The white container he is climbing over contains one of our two diesel generators which are used for charging the batteries for the lighting, desalination, navigation equipment, etc.

© Nick Leggatt 2004

0510 GMT Sunday 29 Feb: End Day 22

Cheyenne leaps over Kerguelens this morning

999 miles ahead of Orange's 2002 position

422 nm for Day 22 run - avg 17.6 kts

Galley Stalker? Another amazing photo Nick Leggatt explains (on what is obviously a 'quiet day at the office' - ed.): "In another bizarre twist in this ongoing saga I managed to capture Paddy the Goulish Galley Stalker on film. Unfortunately the flash from the camera alerted him to my presence as he was stealing chocolates again and so I have had to barricade myself in to the starboard hull and don't know what has become of my crewmates. Purely to save myself I have also managed to stash the remaining supplies of chocolate in my side of the boat and even Paddy's fiendish ability to sound like Damian Foxall calling me to assist with a gybe will not entice me on deck. I don't know how long I can hold out here but each time I try to crawl out of my sleeping bag I feel a ghostly chill run down my spine and I have to creep back under cover..."

© Nick Leggatt 2004