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July 3rd 2000 - 12.00GMT

PlayStation Arrives in Newport

Last Position: 29 June 2000 19.30 GMT - 41 25.000N - 71 13.000 W - Spd 0.0

After being delayed by a lack of wind across the Atlantic, maxi-cat PlayStation and her crew finally arrived in Newport on Thursday afternoon, 13 days after leaving Plymouth, UK.

Navigator Stan Honey sent in the final chapter of the story of PlayStation's mascot for the journey: "The pigeon took a short walk around, but apparently didn't trust the sudden peace and quiet and decided to spend yet another night snug in the roost under the winch deck. Mid morning the next day, the pigeon finally decided the voyage was over, went for another short stroll, and then flew away."

"It is possible that somebody, somewhere in Rhode Island, will be surprised to find a racing pigeon with bands on its legs identifying it as being from Great Britain."

"The crew is wondering whether the seagoing pigeon will return to PlayStation during its stay in Newport, and whether the pigeon will join us for the West to East TransAtlantic sail coming up. We figure that it can't be a very bright pigeon to have chosen PlayStation for the East to West trip, but it must have now figured out that a container ship would be a better choice for the return."

PlayStation and crew will spend several weeks in Newport on repairs and preparations before heading to NYC later in July for a further crack at the NY-UK TransAtlantic record.

Lack of Wind Frustrates PlayStation's

Latest Position: 29 June 2000 12.00 GMT - 40 59.450 N - 70 11.190 W - Spd 9.3

13 days after leaving Plymouth, UK in a delivery to the USA, maxi cat PlayStation and her crew are still 150 miles from Newport and going nowhere fast. Navigator Stan Honey reported: "There is no wind and a forecast for no wind for the next 2-3 days."

There was more positive news about the newest and smallest memeber of the crew: "The pigeon is doing fine, and in fact came out for a stroll about this afternoon as we sat becalmed. We are all waiting to see if he can still fly after just sitting around for so long. He's got a bit of hydraulic fluid on him, but not too bad. His appetite is good. His bowels are functioning great. We assume the bird is a he because there is a notable absence of females with so little sense as to be on board PlayStation right now. The pigeon took his walk, saw no land, and then retired below (under the winch bases) to presumably wait until we are closer."

June 28th 2000 - 12.00GMT

Scare For PlayStation's Pigeon

Latest Position: 28 June 2000 12.00 GMT - 40 56.190 N - 67 22.680 W - Spd 7.0

PlayStation and her crew are 9 days into their transit sail across the Atlantic and are expected into New Harbour, Newport, RI on Wednesday (28 June) afternoon.

Navigator Stan Honey described the sailing over the weekend: "Conditions have not evolved to be exactly what we had hoped for. We have about 700 miles to go and it (just like the last 1000 miles) is expected to be dead upwind."

On a lighter note, on Saturday there was a momentary sign of an improvement in the cooking skills of the crew, but a scare for the feathered friend who has hitched a ride on PlayStation from Plymouth and made his home deep under the deck adjacent to the mast.

Stan: "There was a surprise this evening when Brian announced dinner as 'Pigeon a la King'. When asked how he chopped up the bird, Brian just nodded at the wind generator and muttered something about a wind powered Cuisinart."

"No worries, however. Dinner turned out to be our favorite, salty brown slurry. The pigeon is doing fine, although complaining about the slurry."

Another Exciting Day on PlayStation

Maxi Cat Powers on to Newport

Latest Position: 25 June 2000 10.00 GMT - 42 22.580 N - 55 38.040 W - Spd 2.7

Crewman David Scully's letter to Mission Control summarises the past 24 hours: "I suppose that the reason that depressions are called such is that they can really get you down. As I recall, the last time your correspondent sat at his notebook, it was to discuss light air sailing under genaker. That is now a distant memory. We ducked under an occluded front, and waited for the wind shift to the north that Navigator Stan had predicted for 5 pm. At 5:03, the breeze obediently banged a hard right, and we were beating under three reefs and storm jib in 30 to 40 kts."

"Reaching and running aboard PlayStation are orgasmic experiences. Upwind, she becomes the boat from Hell. 105 ft of the stiffest, lightest, material known to science starts to fly off the tops of waves at 20 mph, falling 2 stories to land on an uncompressible substance, water. Below, you feel like the human cannonball, on a bungee cord. On deck, the helmsmen battle to maintain enough speed to march the hulls up the mountainous wave faces, while trying to control the airtime as PlayStation launches herself from the top. Sometime in the early hours of the morning, the top bearing of the roller furling staysail exploded. We moved quickly to cut away the bearing, and get the sail drawing before it shredded itself in the high winds. Mark, aloft in the bosun's chair, shivered like a racoon tail on the radio antenna of a speeding car, as he secured the new halyard. As we were catching our breath, the leach of the solent began to unfurl, and instantly tore."

"The dawn brought more civilized conditions. A sewing party of Brian, Nic, and David, soon had the solent back in working order. Stan and Ben repaired a generator problem caused by the violent movement of the night. Light air and sunshine gave us a chance to dry out, and to feed the pigeon. With the arrival of the south wester, we were on course, and in on the record. We passed a couple of whales, paying them much more attention than they paid us."

"Then the outhaul blew up. Never a dull moment. Right now we are still moving towards Newport, at near record pace, but our sail carrying ability has been severely compromised."

"What does the future hold for our crew of star crossed adventurers? We await developments with bated breath!"

PlayStation and crew are expected in Newport, RI by Tuesday (27 June) and will spend several weeks there on repairs and preparations before heading to NYC later in July for a further crack at the NY-UK TransAt record.

June 22th 2000 - 08.00GMT

PlayStation continues to make steady progress in her transit run across the Atlantic from Plymouth to Newport.

Latest Position: 22 June 2000 08.00 GMT - 43 53.700N - 39 04.350W - Spd 18.2

Navigator Stan Honey commented early this morning:"We are undertaking a valuable training exercise beating into gale force winds and significant seas, and lacing the boat through weather systems."

On a lighter note, some of the guy's culinary skills do not appear to be improving with training. Crewman Dave Scully: "Brian (Thompson) and Nic (Moloney) served up a nightmare meal last night. The carbon they left on the bottom of the pan was suitable for boat building. Somehow they managed to coat everything in the port hull in salty, brown slurry, and mashed potatoes. We will be licking it off the furniture for days. Your correspondent was reminded of Hiroshima after the bomb. It was tougher on the survivors than on the victims!"

After cleanup and maintenance in Newport the crew will sail to New York City for another attempt at the East-to-West TransAtlantic record from NY to England.

Please see this website for regular position reports and updates from PlayStation.

June 20th 2000 - 06.00 GMT

PlayStation makes steady progress across the Atlantic

Latest Position: 20June 2000 6:00GMT 47 10.220 N - 26 13.100 W - Spd 11.4

After leaving Plymouth, UK at 0929 UTC on Saturday 17 June, Steve Fossett's maxi-cat PlayStation is making steady progress across the Atlantic.

In an email from the boat received on Sunday night, the crew described the sailing conditions:
"We have successfully sailed across a trough without losing too much time in the light air. Tonight we have to cross a ridge, we hope also without losing too much time in the light air. Then tomorrow mid morning we are privledged to have the opportunity to beat into a Westerly Gale.
Right now, as we finish our dinner of delightful Salty Brown Slurry, we are beam reaching along in about 15 knots, sailing at half again that fast. Unlike yesterday, the weather is starting to look like the North Atlantic."

June 16th 2000 - 10.00 GMT

PlayStation heads back to New York

Latest Position At:15/6/00 18.00 GMT 50 21.770 N 04 10.050 W

Maxi-cat PlayStation will leave Mayflower Marina, Plymouth, UK on Saturday 17th June, in transit to the US. Skipper Steve Fossett and his crew are returning to New York in preparation for another attempt at the West to East (NY-UK) TransAtlantic record.

Please see this website for regular position reports and updates from PlayStation.