What is the bigger overall picture here Jake ?

That Fosset went on a record hunt for 2 years and tried to achieve as many as he could. How did the bigger picture look like before Fosset started on this hunt in 2001 ? Now that Fosset has retired from sailing do you think that the USA will continue to dominate ? Did the US even prove to dominate international ocean passage sailing or racing ? I mean is there an American sailor in the Vendee Globe or in the ORMA cirquit ? How many US sailors are in the Volvo ocean race or even the BT global challenge ? How many were in "THE RACE" or the mini transat ? Seriously does a single multu-bullionair on a individual record breaking binch proof that Americans as a sailing nation dominate ocean sailing ? Or did it just proof that if you spend the time and money on trying every record out there; no matter how small, that you'll end up with a few of them. Halve of these records will not even be attempted by the competition as they are not regarded as serious records. There used to be a record for Amsterdam-Jakarta, who gives a [email]d@mn[/email] about that record now ? If the greater public does not see them as special then they will cease to exist as meaningful records. That is the way things go; That has nothing to do with 'Ignoring the bigger picture' ; In fact THAT is the bigger picture.

Sorry guys, Obviously I stepped on some toes when commenting on Fosset. I understand that I would have won the popularity contest if I had decided to piss on the Peyrons even if for no reason, but I'm not the one suffering from blinds on my eyes or any anti-ism.

Once Fosset loses his most important record, the round the world, than his star will quickly diminish. And no Newport-Bermuda record, fastnet coures or Round Island of White record can safe him. His Lakota records are now 10 years old because the passages are not part of the highly regarded ones and so nobody really tries to break them.

Wouter