DAY 27: SLOW PROGRESS UNDER JURY RIG...

IN BRIEF:

* IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE DISMASTING, Ellen and the crew are continuing to make slow progress towards the SW coast of Australia under jury rig. The process of cutting away the damaged mast, sails and rigging, and then erecting the jury rig using the boom and existing sails was an exhaustive process. But since yesterday, the crew have managed to rest and restore their energy.

* THE 110-FOOT CATAMARAN IS IN GOOD CONDITION, considering the potential damaged that could have occured when the 39.5 metre mast came crashing down, and the crew have more than enough provisions and resources to get them to Australia unaided.

* Hundreds of messages of support have been received from friends and colleagues in the sailing world to members of the general public who want to share their emotions with the team.

* KINGFISHER2 shore team are already working on arrangements for the boat's arrival in Australia and, again, the offers of support from individuals and organisations in Perth and Freemantle have been overwhelming. KINGFISHER2's Technical Director, Neil Graham, is already in New Zealand (he was trying to take a holiday!) is in charge of operations to get the boat and team home.

* WHAT THE PAPERS SAY...the news of KINGFISHER2's dismasting made headline news in the UK and France on TV, radio and this morning in the print media. Andrew Baker, Daily Telegraph: "The Jules Verne Tropy tends to attract stubborn individuals, brave souls who react to setbacks with determination and defiance. Everything in MacArthur's precocious career has prepared her for such a challenges..." Read a selection of quotes from today's newspapers in the What The Papers Say feature on the home page.

STATISTICS:

KINGFISHER2 started her Jules Verne record attempt at 06:48:39 GMT on 30.1.03. On Sunday, 23.2.03 at 2222 GMT KINGFISHER2 dismasted after 24 days 15 hours and 34 minutes into her record attempt positioned at 50 50'S 72 08'E 100 miles east of the Kerguelen Islands in the Southern Ocean. At the time of dismasting, KINGFISHER2 was 20 hours ahead of the existing record set by Orange and had closed the gap on Olivier de Kersauson's attempt to 53 hours behind.
http://www.grandsrecords.com

8 OUT OF 12 JULES VERNE ATTEMPTS HAVE FAILED.

KF2 was ahead of Orange by 20 hours 46 minutes
KF2 was behind Geronimo by 53 hours 40 minutes, but Geronimo’s worst leg was the next 7000 miles
KF2 had covered 10254 miles (total of 24 hour runs)
KF2 Distance to finish was 15135 miles

JULES VERNE RECORD TIMES:
2002 Orange (Peyron) 64 days 8 hours 37 minutes 24 seconds
1997 Sport Elec (de Kersauson) 71 days 14 hours 22 minutes 8 seconds
1994 ENZA (Blake/Knox-Johnston) 74 days 22 hours 17 minutes 22 seconds
1993 Commodore Explorer (Peyron) 79 days 6 hours 15 minutes 56 seconds

JULES VERNE UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS:
2003 KINGFISHER2 (MacArthur)
2002 GERONIMO (de Kersauson)
2002 Orange (Peyron) a few weeks later Peyron re-started and set a new record
1998 Royal Sun Alliance (Edwards)
1996 Sport Elec (de Kersauson)
1994 Lyonaisse des Eaux (de Kersauson)
1993 Charal (de Kersauson)
1993 ENZA (Blake/Knox-Johnston)

OMEGA official timekeeper of KINGFISHER2'S Jules Verne record attempt
http://www.teamkingfisher.com/omega

Kingfisher plc is one of Europe's leading retailers operating in the international home improvement and electrical and furniture markets. Kingfisher employs around 90,000 people in over 1,397 stores across 16 countries and includes some of the best known retail brands in Europe: B&Q and Comet in the UK and Castorama, Darty and BUT in France.
http://www.diy.com
http://www.comet.co.uk
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