The Perils Of Ellen–Transat Tipover (Almost): Ellen MacArthur always knew racing a trimaran solo would be just about the hairiest, scariest sailing she had ever done. And she’s right. In the past 24 hours Ellen has racked up a 510 mile run at an average speed of more than 20 knots (just short of the 540 mile solo record held by Laurent Bourgnon), and also came within an ace of flipping her boat in a 40-knot squall. “We were hit very very hard by one wave, sent us to 35 to 45 degrees or more….absolutely smacked, whole boat was physically thrown, including me and everything inside,” an exhausted Ellen said this morning. You have to wonder how long she can sail on the edge like this without a real disaster. The next wave might just be that much bigger or faster, and she’ll be upside down mid-Atlantic. But sailing on the edge is the only way she has a shot at the record. She’s sailed a longer route than Bourgnon, who had a great first two days and as a result she’s more than 20 hours behind on a short course. The only good news is the cold front she’s been racing ahead of will pass overhead this morning and the wind will shift to the northwest, allowing her to sail a direct course to the finish. So she could start catching up. But there’s not a lot of runway, and she’s been pushed pretty far south. I’d say short of a miracle this record bid is cooked…



“Holy Moly, this thing is a monster. I’ve got to figure out how to sail fast AND get some sleep before I start hallucinating…”