24 Hour Record Attempt Abandoned
Wind Shift and Drop Finishes Record Attempt After 8 Hours

Fossett and Crew Returning To Base


1 June 2003 - 0620 0220 EDT / GMT:

Skipper Steve Fossett reported this morning that the weather had won this one:

"We are turning back.After a fast start, the winds shifted 15 degrees and dropped from 26 knots to 20 knots.This greatly slowed our progress and a 24 Hour Record is not feasible this time. For this record, everything must be right.

We are turning south and bracing ourselves for a pasting by the storm front following closely behind us. It will take at least 2 days to get back to Norfolk Virginia. - Steve Fossett"



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Fossett and PlayStation Press The Start Button
24 Hour Record Attempt Begins At 1800 EDT / 2200 GMT Saturday Night
1800 EDT / 2200 GMT 31 May 2003 - 200 miles northeast of Norfolk, VA, USA: With the wind blowing at just over 21 kts and coming from just west of south, skipper Steve Fossett and crew sailing aboard the 125 foot catamaran PlayStation began their attempt to regain the 24 Hour Record at 1800 EDT / 2200 GMT - heading eastwards across the Atlantic from a start point off the USA east coast.

Earlier today, Steve commented on the weather he was looking for:

" We've been waiting a month for the right weather. This is potentially the best system of the season - an intense low-pressure system with a fast-moving front, hopefully at up to 30-35 kts.

There is, in fact, a fairly narrow band with the right wind. Too far ahead and the wind drops to 15 kts. Too far behind and we'll fall into the front. It is important we can stay just ahead of it - as the winds within the front could be up to 55 kts - and that would certainly stop us."

Crew:
Steve Fossett - Skipper
David Scully - Watch Captain
Nick Leggatt
Paul Van Dyke
Tom Weaver
Mark Featherstone
Sarah Lynch
Tim McKegney
Marion Goran

The current record is 694.78 nautical miles, set in June 2002 by Maiden 2 (co-skippered by Brian Thompson, Helena Darvelid and Adrienne Cahalan).

Steve and PlayStation have twice held this record, firstly in February 1999 at 580.23 nm off New Zealand, and again at 687.17 nm, set during their successful TransAtlantic record of October, 2001.

All of Steve Fossett's adventure challenges are supported by Michelob ULTRA, the new low-carbohydrate premium beer from Anheuser-Busch - the world's largest brewer.

For all Steve Fossett's challenges and to follow progress throughout this record attempt, please see: www.fossettchallenge.com

So if I stop by Norfolk on my way home this coming weekend, will I be able to see Playstation in person?

If so, I could get in a wreck on the rest of the way up to Maryland and die a happy man.

Playstation Aricle

Awesome, now I know where to find it! :P

I'm gonna take some pictures and hopefully convince ole steve to give me a ride

(I can dream can't I?)

Well, you could try this: a scale model of Playstation:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3134104680&category=4248

Jonathan

I'd like to share with you the religious experience I had yesterday. Coming over the bridge on Shore Dr. next to the marina, I could tell she was still in her berth. The only mast tall enough, and raked enough to be a catamaran mast was the telling sign. I pulled up to the marina, and had to con the guy at the gate that I was a guest of a boat there in the harbor. Social engineering from my hacker days I suppose. I walked (ok, I ran) up the dock next to her, hardly able to contain my excitement. I was able to touch the hull, something that for some reason, made me feel complete inside. I know most of you are probably laughing at my youthful enthusiasm, but I don't care, it was one of the best moments of my life.

A few things, I don't know if its officially called Playstation anymore, since the playstation logo had been stripped off the side, replaced by Michelob Ultra logos (which is being pulled from shelves because it gets younguns to drunk). There were no crew at the dock when I showed up about 5pm yesterday, I'm guessing they were probably at dinner or something. On the dock next to the boat they had a dockcart. In it, at first was what I thought nothing special, but then I looked at it, and it was the splintered remains of a centerboard, a HUGE centerboard. There was an aluminum honeycomb core, with several layers of carbon fiber. It looks like it had been twisted, as the breaks were along the spine of the board. It was interesting to see how light it actually was. I wondered if this was the real reason they had to come back early... they broke a board. I'm thinking about stopping back on the way home. A gentleman that was there taking pictures with his wife said that he had come by earlier in the week and told me the crew was really nice, was happy to answer questions, but were really busy. They told him to come by again later in the week and they'd show him around the boat, something I'm hoping maybe I could do.

(~begin music~) da da dddd da da....Later we will talk to undercover sailing reporter Tad Maugen who has discovered new evidence that the recent retreat by Playstation from another world record attempt may NOT have been a decision based on the weather as previously reported by the illustrious Playstation owner Steve Fossett. More at 11... da da ddd da da (~music fades~).

Come to me for the latest and great breaking news.

I should have posted it over at sailinganarchy, but those loons over there would have flamed me for saying something like that :P