Latest news from Nick Moloney to Dr Krumnacker
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* JULES VERNE attempt not yet over for Nick Moloney
* Led by Bruno Peyron, Nick and the crew, Multiplast and sponsors of Orange are working hard to repair the damaged mast and leave before it gets too late to make an attempt on the Round the World Record. The issue is to be clear of the Southern Ocean, around Antarctica, before the Southern winter hits...if you've been following the Volvo race you will have seen how much ice there is already...and its summer down there! March 10th is the nominated deadline...
* GERONIMO, skippered by the Jules Verne Record holder Olivier de Kersauson, left on Monday in the early hours and is already on his way towards the Equator at almost 600 miles a day...
Nick's reflections on the day of the start, and devastating premature end of attempt number one for Orange....or number two for Nick in his quest to circumnavigate the globe non-stop...
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Thursday 14th Feb 2002
This was a morning different to any other in my life. Today we were to sail non-stop around the world. The King, Bruno Peyron, a team of Frenchmen and one privileged Aussie.
Boat arrival 06.00am, driving through the dark grey dockyards of Brest out of the horizontal rain appeared our home for approx 65 days. Our bright Orange machine burst out of the darkness lit-up by an arrangement of powerful spot lights. Never before had she looked so cool and so proud.
I kept saying to myself in an excited manner, ¨¨this is it!¨¨. Everyone seemed to arrive at once from the crew to the press to the old lady up the street that just wanted to wave us off carrying her best wishes. The enormity of the task ahead is very evident.
Goodbyes always seem to take too long but as dawn appeared we prepared to leave terra firma an make our way to the start.
Dawn broke with a pretty cool rainbow and increasing glimpses of clear sky and sun. By the time we pushed off we were experiencing near perfect conditions for toady's task.
At approx 08:15 we motored past Kerso and his team in the process of stepping their new mast. We doubled back to motor close by, we all stood as a team on the starboard hull and gave a respectful wave to the team of Geronimo. Two teams that have been in wonder of each other for the past few months. A form of competitor but united by the same quest.
Accompanied by our sponsor and press vessels we sailed away from Brest bound for the Isle de Ouessant. On the wind, two reefs in the indexsail, staysail, wind speed between 25-30kts. We huddled together in the starboard cockpit, Bruno talked us through the start procedure, we all threw our hands together with a cheer like a team of American footballers then we pressed on the sails and let her go. Before too long we were on our own, beating in steep seas around one of the most rugged chunks of earth on the planet. A wet and rough ride.
Just prior to our final approach for the start we shook out 1 reef and prepared the medium size gennaker. We bore off onto course accelerated to 25 kts of boatspeed and set about hoisting the gennaker. I kept watching Ouessant flying by our port side; I kept thinking were on our way we've crossed the start but there was no real acknowledgement of the achievement, well at least for those busily preparing for the hoist. I was working at the mast during the hoist and after the sail was unfurled I as in a pit box in the index crossbeam at the mast step. We were stonking, not stressful stonking but cruzin along in 30-35kts of wind doing about 30kts of boatspeed a bit of spray about but nothing major.
I was head down at the time flaking the Gennaker Halyard for a drop hopefully in 3 days time, when Kaboom! An enormous bang. I knew it was the mast even before I looked skyward to see a shower of carbon pieces blowing away with the wind. The top mast had snapped right off.
Guys were running everywhere and the shocked look on everyone's faces was sickening. I simply couldn't believe it. I am still unsure of the delta but believe that we were about 20 minutes down track, I could still see the start on the horizon.
Everyone reindexed cool and professional throughout and we immediately began the task of retrieving the sails; No halyards would budge as they had torn down the mast wall until they were jammed tight. The only solution was to send a guy aloft. Florent quickly prepared and after a very marginal 40 minutes 100 ft aloft a severely damaged spar he successfully cut the halyards free and the sails were back on deck.
It was only now that we had a chance to re group. Gilles and Bruno has already a plan to head to Multiplast in Vannes to asses the situation. So we altered of course, away from cape finistere, the equator and the Southern Ocean to shelter inside the Bay of Biscay.
13 numb minded, blank faced crew spent that evening at sea on their wounded pride and joy whilst many others shared sorry and disappointment ashore.
Through the nerves of our departure earlier that day, JB Epron had said something to me that I will remember forever: Days like today are very special. Its like when you were ten years old and you said to yourself......someday I going to do THAT!
The trophee Jules Verne is a dream and a goal. This setback has only enforced within me why I so desperately want to live and achieve this tour.
The past few days hay been full of wonder and hope. Work has begun on a repair ORANGE, Bruno, the Frenchmen and this motivated Aussie are determined to have another go.
I am sorry that I am not writing this one from a lower latitude but we all know how unpredictable this sport can be!
Nick Moloney
*Images for media use of 'Orange' by Gilles Martin-Raget can be viewed at
http://www.martin-raget.com
*Find all the news about the megacat 'Orange' on the website http://www.orange.fr
Nick Moloney
http://www.nickmoloney.com
Nick's Personal sponsors include : The Entire Group * INFRASOFT * MGS
http://www.entiregroup.com.au
http://www.infrasoft-civil.com
http://www.mgsgroup.com
http://www.offshorechallenges.com Short-handed sailing in general
http://www.madsforsailing.com Nick will be posting weekly updates for Mad for Sailing
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