ECOVER SUFFERS BROKEN MAST

[StephenSails]

At 1150h GMT this morning ECOVER, skippered by Mike Golding, broke part of her mast while in the Southern Ocean, some 1000 miles from Cape Town, South Africa. Only six hours earlier Mike Golding had completed the daring rescue of his fellow competitor in the Velux 5 Oceans solo round the world race, Alex Thomson.


Golding confirmed that the mast had broken in two places, the first just above the main spreaders and the second about 1.5 metres from the top of the mast and that he and Thomson were securing the loose parts of the rig. The mainsail is intact and all the sails are still on board the boat other than the genoa. Golding and Thomson are currently working to getting back under sail with a staysail and a reefed mainsail so that they can begin heading to Cape Town, some 1000 miles away.

 

[waterboy]

Is that 1000 miles to Cape Town upwind or down? That would make a big difference. Also I reckon Golding is fortunate indeed to have Thompson on board to lend a hand.

 

[npf1]

Crikey! Makes me wonder if it may now be somehow possible to go back and salvage BOSS and bring her back in under tow? Then again ... that's a completely bonkers idea!

 

[Malish]

are we seeing the start of a tortoise and hare contest? Is RN-J on for the win??

 

[xcw]

Think I might get my Bav 36 out and catch them up - looks like I could be in with a good chance of winning /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
I wonder if Pindar would like to sponsor me /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

 

[Nickel]

Well, when you think about, there's probably a perfectly good mast waving about on Boss! All they'd need would be a particularly handy crane! /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[PeterStone]

[ QUOTE ]
are we seeing the start of a tortoise and hare contest? Is RN-J on for the win??

[/ QUOTE ]

Well...that would be a rather nice touch - reminiscent of the Sunday Times Golden Globe trophy that he won back in 1969 when he was the only one of nine entrants to finish.

 

[Appleyard]

Who is RN-J???

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

Robin Knox-Johnson silly! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Appleyard]

Well in that case..shouldn't it be RK-J.? Silly!!

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

fair point, well made.. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[starboard]

I understand Alex had to fire a speedline rocket over to "Ecover" to conect the liferaft, having used these in anger before in my RNLI days they can do a fair amont of damage.....I only wonder if one hit the mast a glancing blow????

Paul.

 

[Guest]

No not at all, it should be RN-J-Silly