Saturday, October 25, 2008

Branson Bails

Virgin Money put on the brakes on their attempt to cross the Atlantic after a 40 foot wave slammed the boat and tore things up, including the mainsail. No one was hurt as everyone was harnessed in. Can you imagine how fast this 100' rocket must have been going with winds in the 50's and waves 40' and higher? Here is what the skipper had to say. "We’ve just experienced a night from hell when Virgin Money was struck by a massive wave from behind – washing one of our life rafts over board, damaging the spinnaker and devastatingly tearing a massive hole in our mainsail. Luckily all of the crew were harnessed in and no one was swept overboard, which is all that matters at the end of the day." They were really pushing the upper limits with this attempt as they waited three months for the right weather window. The low pressure systems they were trying to skirt were massive and too much for the boat. Plus he did this with his two 20 something kids aboard. The whole thing was a very large crap shoot and mother nature wins again!

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