Fossett Challenges - 2100+ Nm Ahead Of Orange 2002 RTW Record Track

8 March 2004 - 1710 GMT - 867 nm SE of Wellington, NZ: With the wind still blowing at 25-30 kts, but now more directly from the West, Steve Fossett and Cheyenne continued through the first half of Day 31 on the port gybe they have been following for the past 24 hours, running off 284 miles on the water as they extended their lead over the 2002 RTW record position of Orange to 2100 miles+.

Cheyenne is expected to maintain this E/NE heading for the next several days - as some significant weather develops to their South.

Watch captain Brian Thompson advised earlier:
"The big weather news is a gale that is forecast to pass to the south of us on Thursday. This will squeeze the isobars between itself and the high to the north, giving 30 - 50 knot westerlies. 30 knots at latitude 48S and 50 knots around 53S. We are now at 53S, having been at 54S earlier today. We are making a move to slide up towards 50S to cover ourselves if this gale develops more. Conversely, if it weakens we will be able to revert to our eastward track."
(For the rest of Brian's report on Day 30, see below.)

Commanders Weather George Caras reflected on the same:
"This storm could cover a big area and we'll be watching carefully. The sharpest winds will be S of 48 degrees, and quite heavy between 50 - 53. I expect they'll come as far North as 47 - 48 degrees on this gybe by Wednesday."

Brian Thompson
writing for www.brianthompsonsailing.com reports
Day 30 - Date Line

"We clocked up our best days run today at 622 miles, which puts us 2042 miles ahead of Orange, or 4.5 days ahead. We had great conditions for most of the day, sailing at a 125 TWA in 25 knots of wind with one reef and the staysail or solent. Boat speed was often touching 30 with the best speed of just under 35. The boat was not loaded up and we were gliding down the waves very easily. The helm was light so we did not have to grip the sheets on the edge of control.

If we we're looking for 24 hour record conditions this was not a million miles away. We could have sailed more aggressively and got another 50 miles but the sea state was not quite flat enough for safe speed, and a round the world record attempt is not the right time to sail hard enough to beat the current 24 hour mark - it would be too tough on the boat and the crew. That is best left for a dedicated run in the Atlantic.

We were all pretty pleased to get a 600 mile day for this trip, and to cap it off, within the same hour we had crossed the Date Line, sailing from the Eastern Hemisphere into the Western. As Adrienne said 'we are taking this baby home now!' 3900 miles to the Horn...

Now night is falling here, whilst dawn arrives for those of you in the UK. The wind is picking up to 30 knots and becoming more westerly so we are sailing more downwind in bigger waves. We just changed back down to the staysail after wrestling the big cuben fibre solent down to the deck and lashing it off. We won't make such a big days run as the waves will be slowing us, but it should still be respectable.

The big weather news is a gale that is forecast to pass to the south of us on Thursday. This will squeeze the isobars between itself and the high to the north, giving 30 - 50 knot westerlies. 30 knots at latitude 48S and 50 knots around 53S. We are now at 53S, having been at 54S earlier today. We are making a move to slide up towards 50S to cover ourselves if this gale develops more. Conversely, if it weakens we will be able to revert to our eastward track.

We have not been able to go up the mast for several days so we assume all is well aloft. Damian did some repairs to the new pin that we made for the starboard cap shroud.

We have had 2 days of constant drizzle so not a lot of scenery except our avian companions the albatross and the petrels.

Nick is cooking tonight and he has just announced on the radio that it will be served in the 'Cafe Australis', I had better go over and get my table, and get some food before my watch in half an hour..

Brian"

Position Report
Date: 08/03/2004
Time: 17h10 GMT
Latitude: 52 20.670 S
Longitude: 171 36.801 W
Avg Speed: 19.49 kts
Dist. to Finish: 11 786.81 nm
Required Avg Speed: 14.51 kts

For further details and regular position updates, please see: www.fossettchallenge.com