Fossett Challenges - New Round The World Sailing Record For Fossett And Crew On Cheyenne

Nearly 6 days faster than previous mark
Monday 5 April 2004, 14h43 GMT Isle d'Ouessant, France: 58 days 9 hours 32 mins 45 secs after taking the start on February 7th, American skipper Steve Fossett and his international crew of 12 aboard the 125' maxi-catamaran Cheyenne crossed the official WSSRC start-finish line here at Le Stiff lighthouse on the French island of Ouessant (Ushant). They have just demolished the 2 year old Round The World Sailing record - by almost 6 days (an improvement of 5d 23h 4m 39s). Their time topples the May, 2002 mark of Bruno Peyron and Orange I - and fulfils Fossett's decade old ambition to achieve 'the most important record in sailing'.

Steve Fossett Speaking from Cheyenne via satellite phone at the finish line:
"The past 24 hours were slow at first, but improving winds became very strong by the time we crossed the line with 2 reefs and staysail it was very dramatic we had our hands full - around this island the tides were whirling. Everyone is just so happy we are all emotionally drained. It's quite a celebration. Everybody on this crew is absolutely delighted; this is a satisfying moment for all of us."
When asked if he ever thought he would not make it Steve said.

"When we started out I thought the chance was 50/50 that we would get around. Then I wondered that the boat might not be fast enough."

The official WSSRC course calls for an eastbound passge from Ouessant, leaving the 3 great capes - Cape of Good Hope (S. Africa), Cape Leeuwin (SW Australia) and Cape Horn (Argentina) - to Port, returning up the Atlantic to Ouessant. The past 8 weeks have seen Fossett and Cheyenne cover over 25, 000 miles along this course at a blistering pace, through every sort of weather, accompanied by a fistful of new RTW segment records - averting numerous potential technical disasters - including a separated forestay, shorted out instrumentation, broken mast track and (just this week) a disintegrating forward beam connection at the starboard hull - all resolved in a series of astonishing 'running repairs' by Cheyenne's brilliant crew.

Cheyenne's RTW crew:

Steve Fossett (skipper) USA
Adrienne Cahalan (navigator) AUS
David Scully (watch captain) USA
Brian Thompson (watch captain) GB
Jacques Vincent (watch captain) FRA
Guillermo Altadill ESP
Mike Beasley NZL
Fraser Brown NZL
Mark Featherstone GB
Damian Foxall IRE
Nick Leggatt ZA
Justin Slattery IRE
Paul Van Dyke USA

The following RTW segment records have been set:

Ushant - Leeuwin 25 Days 14 Hours 8 mins
Ushant - Cape Horn 39 Days 16 Hrs 15 mins
Ushant - 2nd Equator 50 Days 3 Hours 2 min
Indian Ocean crossing 9 Days 20 Hrs 29 mins
Cape Horn - Equator 10 Days 6 Hrs 47 mins
Equator - Ushant 8 Days 6 Hrs 30 mins

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