JV Jumble–Cheyenne Fast, Geronimo Slow: What’s going on with the world’s weather? Geronimo, in the windy Southern Ocean, has been limping along in a miasma of light airs and racked up only 350 miles. Cheyenne, supposedly in the difficult South Atlantic, skated along to a 539 mile day. That puts them more than 1000 miles ahead of Orange 2002 again, and has to have De Kersauson hurling Gallic epithets at Neptune. Worse, Geronimo’s slow 48 hours put her almost a day behind Cheyenne’s record time from the English Channel to Cape Leeuwin (now we’ll see whether De Kersauson stoops to target Fossett’s semi-invented Indian Ocean record).

Onboard Cheyenne, morale is high though a very slow day crossing a ridge of light air is upon them. After that it looks like they’ll have a fast passage to the Equator. The big worry is the huge high pressure system dominating the North Atlantic for the moment. This is the sort of weather barrier that killed Geronimo’s record attempt last year, after she had led Orange 2002 all the way around the world. There is still time for the North Atlantic weather picture to improve, though, so the crew is focused on more mundane issues, according to Dave Scully:

“In the absence of cooking gas, the cold frappucino has become the refreshment of choice on board, and they are quite tasty, though requiring a deft hand at stirring. The Mars bars have disappointingly disappeared from the daily ration packs, in deference to the increasing heat, and we are starting to look hungrily at the flying fish, though our garlic supply has long since sprouted green shoots. Young men’s minds are turning to thoughts of washing, and the foredeck is turning into a bucket bath venue. Beards off, shorts on, and may we find a way through the less windy bits for a fast passage home.”

What, no major repairs?



It’s amazing what a resourceful crew can produce at sea…