26.03.2004
Day 48 + 12.5 hrs: Good Trades Speed Cheyenne North
Fossett and Team averaging 20.4 kts today
Hope to Cross Equator Sunday, 2-1/2 days ahead of Round The World record pace
Cheyenne's Indian Ocean Record Safe for the Year
But 2004 Rival Geronimo Hot on RTW Tracks
Friday 26 March 2004 - 1739 GMT - 378 miles SE of Recife, Pernambuco, Brasil, 827 miles S of the Equator: Speeding North towards the Equator in increasing E/SE tradewinds, Skipper Steve Fossett and crew aboard the 125' maxi-catamaran Cheyenne have made 254 miles over the past 12-1/2 hours, fully leaving behind the light airs near Rio de Janeiro and can begin to aim for home on their attempt on the official Round the World Sailing record (target 64 days 8 hrs 37 mins 24 secs). Cheyenne's lead over the pace of the current record-holder (Orange I, skippered by Bruno Peyron in 2002) was 1215 miles this afternoon - a useful margin of over 2-1/2 days.
19 days and an ocean behind, 2004 rival Olivier de Kersauson and his 114' trimaran Geronimo are also ahead of Orange I's 2002 record pace on their own RTW attempt...
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Justin Slattery's Report 25 - 26 March
Thursday 25th March 2004. Day 48
Well, I can confirm that these Maxi Cat's just don't like going up wind - in light wind, tacking angles are in the region of 120 degrees and boat speeds similar to wind speeds in under 8 kts of wind, then in heavier air sea state forces you to slow down more often than not. For example last night whilst driving upwind for two hours in 14 -16 kts of wind with a continuous stream of black clouds rolling in one after another, the wind knocking you before each cloud then increasing whilst under them and then lifting you into head seas afterwards, the yachts capable of doing 18-20 kts boat speed but you have to slow it down to 14kts or so sometimes even less purely to deal with the seaway, otherwise it will simply just break - frustrating as hell when all you want to do is go fast!
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