Annals Of Achievement–Sort Of…: We’ve been pretty much ignoring our old friend Olivier De Kersauson and his trimaran Geronimo, because they are outside the world record time of Steve Fossett and his crew on Cheyenne. But The Admiral is not one to go quietly. So while TWC has been preoccupied with out-of-their-heads Russian climbers and human catapults (see yesterday’s posts), De Kersauson has been sailing hard and is set to finish today after some 63 days and 15 hours at sea. That’s good enough for a new Jules Verne record, but not a new world record (Fossett, who has now retired from sailing, refused to pay the Jules Verne entry fee, so he owns the world record but not the Jules Verne record). What does this mean? Not much. The only people who care about the Jules Verne record now that it is not the world record have French accents and are mostly limited to a small region of the Brittany coast. But TWC would like to give De Kersauson an official Wetass salute (not sure what that would look like yet; suggestions accepted). He has stoically endured unbelievably bad weather, both this year and last year. During this current voyage he has hardly sailed downwind at all since before Cape Horn. Still, he has exhibited superb seamanship, he has put up the second fastest time ever, and TWC has no doubt that he’ll be out there again next year. But here’s how he should cap off his grueling voyage with a little glory: instead of accepting the Jules Verne Trophy, he should say it rightfully belongs to Fossett, and hand it over. It would be a headline-grabbing, sportsmanlike gesture, and it would once again unify the JV trophy with the world record, restoring its value and relevance. De Kersauson has always been unpredictable. So come on, Olivier. Do the right thing….



“Alright, Fossett, you cheap bastard, the Jules Verne Trophy is yours. But I swear on Napoleon’s grave that I’m going to win the damned thing back next year….”