Déception pour l’équipage d’Ellen, le tour du monde se termine à 100 milles des Kerguelen

Photo : Kingfisher Challenges

THE 39.5 METRE CARBON MAST BROKE IN TWO PLACES - THE REASON FOR THE DISMASTING IS NOT KNOWN. The mast fell forward and sideways over the port (leeward) hull - the bottom 10 metre section of the mast has been salvaged. But the remainder of the mast, rigging and sails were all cut away to prevent any further damage to the boat - a broken section of the mast in the water punctured a small hole in the port hull but the boat is not taking on water and is now in a good and seaworthy condition.

DEVASTATED OF COURSE, BUT PROFESSIONAL TO THE END - BY 0230 THE CREW ALREADY HAD A JURY RIG IN PLACE using the boom as a temporary mast...KINGFISHER2 is already making between 7 and 10 knots towards their nearest practical safe haven, Perth some 2000 miles to the east. The 10 metre section of the mast that remained on the boat was used as a brace to leverage the boom into place.

ALTHOUGH JUST 100 MILES FROM THE KERGUELEN ISLANDS the decision was taken to head east as there are limited facilities on the islands, and ultimately the giant catamaran will need to make to a port with cargo facilities to return her to Europe. KINGFISHER2 has not requested any assistance from the Australian rescue services and is confident that she can sail the 2000 miles under jury rig.

"WE HAVE HAD A LOT OF BAD LUCK ON THIS TRIP BUT WE FOUGHT ON AND THINGS WERE JUST TURNING FOR US - NOW TRAGICALLY IT’S ALL OVER"... ELLEN : "We have had a lot of bad luck on this trip - a lot of disappointing weather situations which has put us continuously behind the record Record #sailingrecord ... But everyone just fought on - there was never any talk of abandoning this record Record #sailingrecord even in the slowest times... The crew were always positive, just wanting to get back at the record and in the last few days that started to happen... We got ahead of Peyron’s record and were catching Geronimo who has got becalmed in the South Atlantic - then, bang, all of sudden its all over..to watch all that work drift away was so painful".

KINGFISHER2 WERE 332 MILES (approx 20 HOURS) AHEAD OF THE EXISTING JULES VERNE RECORD SET BY PEYRON... and had closed the gap on Geronimo to 2 days (859 miles) at the time of dismasting. Just as the KINGFISHER2 crew were getting back on the pace - this is a huge blow... NEAL MCDONALD : "The look on the guys faces just says it all - total doom and gloom...just silence...it’s the end of a huge attempt that could have been so successful. Things were really starting to look good for us."

THE JULES VERNE LIVES UP TO ITS REPUTATION AS ONE OF THE TOUGHEST ROUND THE WORLD CHALLENGES - now 8 out of 12 record attempts have failed since the first Jules Verne record attempt in 1993. The existing record is held by Orange (Bruno Peyron) at 64 days, 8 hours, 37 minutes and 24 seconds. Whether Olivier de Kersauson and his crew on board Geronimo, currently just over a day ahead of this record, can better this time remains to be seen.

FROM GERRY MURPHY, CEO KINGFISHER PLC, TITLE SPONSOR OF ELLEN MACARTHUR AND HER JULES VERNE ATTEMPT : "We obviously share Ellen and the crew’s immense disappointment at the dismasting of KINGFISHER2. However, the safety and well-being of Ellen and her crew has always been our main concern and it remains the most important thing to us.

"The Kingfisher group is extremely proud to be associated with Ellen and her crew. Individually and as a team. They embody all the quanlities and values that we look for in our staff. Their determination, talent and will to succeed are an example to us all.

"We are sure that they will overcome this disappointment to continue their search for new and bigger ocean-racing challenges."

EMAIL FROM ELLEN RECEIVED IN THE EARLY HOURS OF THIS MORNING

I’m sitting here at my chart table feeling quite sick inside. I can feel the water running by the hull, and feel the waves take KINGFISHER2 along - but not at the 20 knot average of earlier. for now our trip as we knew it is over. At 2222 on the 23rd of feb I was jolted forward on the chart table seat whilst discussing weather with our router meeno schrader. Jolts forward happen quite often in these boats as we fire down waves - but this was different, this was a gut wrenching ear piercing crunching and snapping sound. I dropped the phone and hurled myself towards the companionway - looking round my feet as i went to check water coming onboard from anywhere - nothing. As I reached the hatch all became clear in a flash of nausea...the 39.5 metre mast which has powered us ahead of the record over the past 24 days was no longer.

It’s a funny feeling sitting out here thinking about all that has happened, and wondering what might have been.. But then the "what if’s" will always exist in life. They will never disappear, but you can choose to ignore them...what’s done is done - and however you want to look at it - you learn from it, we have learnt from it. We must just get up and on to the next challenge...

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