Cheyenne Is ‘Round The Horn And Heading Home…: 39 days 16 hrs 16 minutes after the start. That’s how long it took Steve Fossett and his monster cat to sail around Cape Horn (chart here). Here’s watch captain Dave Scully:

“Clear as a bell against the blue austral sky, the mountains of the Patagonia Cordillera, and the last great cape on our course around the world. It is evening. We are surfing gently in about 28 knots. All the crew line the side of the port cockpit, drinking in the first sight of land since we passed Ouessant, 39 days ago. This is an emotional moment on board. For some, it is the first road sign on the way to relief from the battering and cold we have experienced for the past 25 days. For myself and my core team, to pass this rock rising from the sea is a vindication of the months of effort we put into preparing “Cheyenne” for this adventure.”

Cheyenne’s time to Cape Horn is about a day faster than Geronimo 2003 (the previous record). And it’s about 2 and a half days faster than Orange 2002. Cheyenne is going to need every minute of that cushion if they are going to break the round-the-world record. Pieces of the boat are breaking every day, and they’re still sailing with a single reef in the main, so they are not at maximum potential. First order of business in the smoother water of the Atlantic is to send a team up the mast to repair the top of the mast track and get the main to full hoist. They are going to need every scrap of sail possible. The route through the South Atlantic to the Equator is rife with tricky weather and light winds. This is the hardest leg of the trip, and a leg that Orange 2002 covered very quickly. Cheyenne needs to get to the Equator with her lead intact and her mast still standing. If she does, the record will be there for the taking….



Just 7,500 Miles To Go….

(Photo: Nick Leggatt)