TROPHEE JULES VERNE
Creaming through the Southern Ocean in quest of the Trophee Jules Verne for
fastest non-stop circumnavigation, Bruno Peyron's mega-catamaran Orange has
made a serious detour. And the big cat is now minus one crewmember.
Yesterday, Peyron made an unscheduled pit-stop off the Southern Ocean
outpost of Kerguelen Island to deposit Australian sailor Nick Maloney, who
was dismissed unceremoniously after a pair of related incidents that began
last Friday morning. Maloney was at the helm when Orange performed an
all-standing jibe in a fierce westerly gale, blowing out three battens and
almost pitchpoling the boat. Maloney compounded the problem when, in an
attempt to make light of the incident, he told Peyron he was "trying to
dodge an ice floe in the shape of a rabbit." Superstitious French sailors
do not allow the word "rabbit" to be uttered on a boat at sea.
"At that point," said Peyron, "I had no choice but to nuke Nick."
Orange turned around and pounded upwind for two days into the teeth of the
gale, losing time and miles in their bid to topple the record set by
Olivier de Kersauson's Sport-Elec in 1997. Peyron also responded to a press
release issued by de Kersauson last week accusing Peyron of putting an
overly optimistic spin on his position updates. "De Kersauson may attach
his lips to my petite derriere," said Peyron.
Maloney, who was the only non-French crewmember aboard Orange, was put
ashore on Kerguelen Island late Sunday night. Now he faces another problem.
He is the only non-French resident on an island inhabited by 27 French
research scientists, all men, several of whom seemed inordinately pleased
to have a handsome, strapping Australian sailor suddenly deposited in their
midst. The next Kerguelen re-supply vessel is not due for 11 weeks. "Tout
alors," said Maloney, who did appear to have made progress with his ongoing
French lessons. "I think I am in the deep merde." - Herb McCormick
THE CURMUDGEON'S COUNSEL
Be particularly cautious today - it's April Fool's day.
