Have A Wetass Weekend…

TWC Quick Hits…:

Sea Lion (1200 pounds) Grabs Alaska Fisherman (200 pounds) Off Boat: But spits him out…not Atkins friendly.

Florida Legislators Decide Toothy Shark Not Best License Plate Logo: “The most inviting image to our beaches is not a man-eating shark,” says one. Suggest Hooters Girl instead…

Worst Job In The World?: Sewer diver. Any questions?



“It’s really not that bad, as long as people eat their fiber…And, oh yeah, one time I forgot to bolt my face plate down.”

(Photo: Gregory Yamamoto, The Honolulu Advertiser)

Multihull Mania–Geronimo Charging Hard: Cheyenne got from the English Channel to Australia’s Cape Leeuwin, and then Cape Horn, in world record time. But Olivier De Kersauson doesn’t really like letting anyone else steal his glory (or records) on the round-the-world course. So he’s pushing Geronimo hard across the Indian Ocean, and if he keeps it up Fossett’s recently minted records will soon be back in French hands. Geronimo still has 1856 miles to Cape Leeuwin, and perhaps 6,000 miles to Cape Horn, but right now the 110-foot trimaran is more than 100 miles ahead of Cheyenne’s blazing pace, and knocking off a steady string of 500-plus mile days.

For the moment, Steve Fossett and his team–cruising past the Falklands–are preoccupied only with Bruno Peyron and Orange 2002’s circumnavigation. Despite all their problems, they are a hefty 2 days ahead of the record pace. But they’ve got tricky light airs ahead and will need to fix their mainsail track (so they can hoist the full main) if they are going to have any chance of keeping that lead. There’s a lot of work to do, but you can sense the relief among the crew now that Cape Horn is behind them and they are heading for warmer weather and the finish. Here’s crew man Fraser Brown:

“Everyone are extremely happy that we are finally around, for one we say goodbye to the southern ocean where we have seen killer whales, icebergs, albatross the Aurora Australis ( easier known as the southern lights ) big breeze, the storm kite, the storm jib, and extremely confused water and now we start heading north up the Atlantic into the warmth and to the finish…We have another 7500nm to go but this doesn’t really sound like alot considering the mind frame you are in about sailing round the world. Life on board has already changed dramatically as everyone starts taking mid layers off the extra pair of socks the gloves have already gone and the spray jackets are coming out, it’s a good feeling.”

Cheyenne will have to average about 13-14 knots through the water to take the record. So far she has managed 18.98…



Chores, Chores, Chores: “So, maybe we should get going on that mainsail track repair. Umm, anybody up for going 143 feet into the sky?”

(Photo: Nick Leggatt

The Images Behind The Stories: Who are the Wetasses who take all the incredible photos–usually hanging off a mountain side– that end up on the covers of big mags and even in the pages of TWC? What does it take to be a kickass expedition photographer. Well, check out this Outside Online story on shooter Jimmy Chin. Chin spent a month last year on the slopes of Everest, snapping pics of extreme snowboarder Steven Koch’s failed attempt to carve a new route down the North Face.

Chin always puts the grunt work first. “I’m there climbing. The photography thing is totally separate. You have to climb and do all of the training and the technical stuff. That can never be compromised. You have to do all of that, then you can think about photography. If I can’t hike or ski or climb, then I can’t be there to shoot.”

Chin took chances time and again to get into position to snap the best shots (there’s a great photo gallery with the piece). So, like, thanks Jimmy…



“Guys? Guys? I’m stuck in a crevasse here…..”

(Photo: Jimmy Chin)

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)

Annals of Amateur Adventure–Suckerman’s Ravine: It features morons, nudity, keg parties, plenty of weed…and, oh yeah, some of the steepest backcountry skiing on the East Coast. Check out Skiing’s smart and funny take on New Hampshire’s Tuckerman’s Ravine.

“It could be rightfully argued that Tucks is the most significant slice of backcountry skiing terrain in North America…Along the way, Tucks has become something else—a trophy, one of those things that, along with “sky-dive” and “skinny-dip under a full moon,” you keep high on your Things To Do Before I Die list. Which isn’t to marginalize the experience or the sanctity with which many people view Tuckerman Ravine. But it’s nonetheless true—as is the fact that a lot of people who come to Tucks solely for the purpose of checking it off their list can’t ski worth a damn…

It’s easy to poke fun at some of the clowns who frequent Tuckerman Ravine, but to do so misses an essential point: These encounters have become an important part of the Tuckerman Ravine experience. Better skiers have been laughing at lousy skiers here since the 1920s. It’s all part of the fun. For many, Tucks is about the party, and parties are always about the people. If someone has the fortitude to muscle the forward half of a canoe up the Tuckerman Trail and halfway up the headwall, well, who am I—or you, or anyone—to say they shouldn’t then turn around, climb in with three buddies, and let gravity do its thing?”



Tuckerman Style: “Why would I want pants? Hell, half the people skiing here are naked…”

Arctic Freezer–Wave Whinges: Arctic trekking is obviously for masochists. In the interests of public safety, TWC hereby posts a description from Wave Vidmar of what weirdness happens in the cold:

“Ouch. I’ve got frostnip on several of my finger tips and it doesn’t feel good. Today was another cold and hard day. I’m also losing my eyebrows and lashes. Any moisture on the body or clothing is quickly turned to ice. The small amounts of moisture on my lashes and eyebrows are no exception. They dangle icicles which then freeze to other parts of my clothing. Eventually my vision is obscured and if I close my eyes for even a second I run the risk of having them frozen shut – which has happened a few times. Clearing the ice rips out lashes and eyebrow hairs. I like it when the temperature is warmer….”

No wonder Wave keeps obsessing about hot showers and hopping a lift home on the next helicopter that touches down on the ice pack…



“Damn. I’ve got plenty of spare batteries, but absolutely no spare body parts…”

Southern Ocean Scavenging–“Find Me Bolts, Any Bolts”: More woe for Cheyenne, thanks to more bad mast track. Here’s Steve Fossett:

“Now it is the mast track at the top that has ripped off. We are baffled that this has occurred in mild conditions – without any significant shock loading or sailing error. We are limited to a one reefed mainsail until the repair can be effected. We are running out of spare mast parts and are scavenging bolts from winch bases and other rigging locations. Right now we just want to get sailing. The repair will be attempted at the next slowdown beyond the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic. It is demoralizing that there is one breakage after another.

Meanwhile we have been stuck in the center of the Low with light winds and we reflect with envy on the 600 mile days Orange was able score on the way to the Horn. Our lead has shrunk from a maximum of 4 1/2 days to 3 and continues to shrink. The lost time on repairs and a poor weather pattern forecast for the South Atlantic means we are going to be hard pressed to maintain any lead at all by the time we reach the Equator.”

The crew is confident they can repair this mast track section too, once they round Cape Horn, which is expected later today (to read a detailed report from Dave Scully on what it took to fix the first broken track section click here and go through to the archives). To do it, though, they are having to scavenge spare bolts from winch bases and any other location that can sacrifice a bolt or two (this is reminiscent of Club Med’s experience in The Race, where the crew was forced to scavenge so many bolts for repairs they were even removing them from the engine room fans). In the meantime the wounded cat is slinking along at submaximal speed, with a mainsail that can hoist only as high as the first reef. Along with the light winds they have been stuck in, the lead over Orange 2002 will continue to shrink. Even if they can keep Cheyenne together for another tough 7,000 miles, it’s going to be a very, very close race to beat the record. Even more worrisome for Fossett and his beleaguered team, Geronimo is matching mile for mile their blazing speed across the Indian Ocean. De Kersauson and his crew just put up a 520 mile day, gybing through a zone of icebergs with their hearts in their mouths…



Cheyenne Slowed: “These damn things are spending more time on the net than up the mast…”

(Photo: Nick Leggatt)

Kitesurfing Ain’t Always Easy…: Want to know what happens when an unsuspecting kitesurfer approaches a beach in light winds with a powered up kite and gets hit by a massive gust? Well, you can probably guess. But even a pretty heinous imagination can not conjure up the truly painful tale of New Zealand kitesurfer–turned house-seeking missile–Nigel Marsden. “I sailed through the air, over the sand, over the Esplanade Reserve, over some trees and my front lawn to whack into the side of my house. I slammed into the eaves, fell into a gate and came to rest on the ground below, a distance of approximately 70m from where I started…A summary of my injuries: 5 fractures to pelvis; 6 ribs fractured in 15 places; 2 fractures to my shoulder; A dislocated shoulder; A punctured lung; Severe concussion and shock; Severe bruising on my left side.” Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Luckily Nigel lived, and came to a very sensible conclusion: always kitesurf with a quick release system. Good thinking, Nigel. His amazing story on Wetdawg.com–full of humor and irony–can be read here…



House Hunting: “Ohh Sh***t!!! Whatever happens, I better not land on that badass lawyer’s bungalow down the road….”

(Photo: Benjamin Iglesis)

Huge Seas, Little Boats…: Think the merchant marine is all about sitting on the bridge sipping a cup of coffee and watching a DVD while the autopilot steers you from Yokohama to San Francisco? Then check out this web site, which is devoted to posting photos of the horrific, horrendous sea states which can make life on the bounding main more than a little exciting….



“Uhh, Frank? You might want to stop playing shuffleboard out there…starting RIGHT NOW!”