Just Checking….: Phew, Cheyenne’s mast is still standing, so it seems the repair is holding. The big cat is running hard to the southeast, about a day ahead of Orange’s 2002 record pace (see chart here), and is trying to stay ahead of the light winds of a high pressure system that is expanding fast in their direction. The only real consequence of Cheyenne’s rigging failure is that the Solent headsail–one of the primary working sails, used mostly for reaching and upwind work–is no longer on a furler. That means the crew will have to hoist and douse it like an old-fashioned hank-on sail when they want to use it. Which in turn means a lot more work at the grinding pedestals. That in itself is no big deal on a boat where almost every sailhandling job is a massive, sweat-popping chore. But it does mean that getting the Solent up and down will take more time, and that will cost Cheyenne some miles because normal practice on the boat is to fly the Solent whenever one of the flying headsails (the gennaker or the blast reacher) is being changed. The flying headsails will be used almost constantly throughout the downwind sleigh ride of the Southern Ocean, and will need frequent changing whenever the wind strengthens or eases. So the headstay problem will exact a price, both on the crew’s energies and in terms of miles whenever there are sail changes up forward. But we’re only talking a small decrease in sailhandling and sailing efficiency. And at least Cheyenne is still racing.

Back in France, Orange II is still under repair, but could be back on the water in the next day or two. Olivier De K and Geronimo are eyeing a decent weather window that looks to be open through Thursday. It’s possible Orange II could catch it too….



Cheyenne Crew Boss Dave Scully: “So I grabbed the headstay between my teeth and growled ‘Get me a f*cking big wrench’…”

(Photo: Nick Leggatt)