Windwalker breaks mast in Bermuda Race

by Barry Pickthall on 21 Jun 2004 The Sailing Vessel WINDWALKER, a Hood 60 owned by Craig Cullen of Villanova PA, broke her mast in the Newport Bermuda Race early Sunday morning (local time). She made a ‘Securite’ call to the Bermuda race communications vessel, GERONIMO. No injuries were reported.

In an early morning call to Race Chairman John Winder, Steven Thing, aboard GERONIMO, said he received a call about 5:40 AM, by relay from another vessel, of a ‘Securite’ call from s/v WINDWALKER, reporting she has been dismasted. Her location was at 39-08N by 69-48W.

Further details on WINDWALKER’s course of action and intended port of refuge are not available at this time.

Two other vessels have called in with problems overnight. VIXEN, a Swan 45 owned by Dietrich Weismann of New York, reported loss of steering, and GARBO, a Beneteau First 47.7 owned by Gerald Sears of Battleboro VT, also reported steering problems.

Steven Thing reported at 03:45 AM that s/v VIXEN called in to report loss of steering. They are doing fine and are continuing to race. GERONIMO has been in regular radio contact with them.

Their position was 37-42 by 69-45 when they reported the problem. He also reported that at 05:00 AM s/v GARBO called in to report loss of steering. They were working on repairs, but have not withdrawn from the race. GERONIMO has also been in regular radio contact with them. Their position was 38-51 by 69-55 when they reported their problem.

A later report to Royal Bermuda Yacht Club indicated that GARBO at 38 05N by 70 04W had withdrawn and was heading back to Newport.

Further details of these incidents are not available at this time.

On Friday afternoon 157 Sailboats started the 44th biennial race to Bermuda from Newport RI. Winds were relatively light for the first eighteen hours but have been building since then. A report from DAME OF SARK, a 39'10' Concordia Yawl, designed by Abeking & Rasmussen and built in Germany in 1961, set winds at 12 knots early Friday night, but dropping to almost 3 knots.

Later at 5:00PM he reported winds were picking up. At 1:00AM, GERONIMO reported clear skies and 23 knots from the west just 18 miles North of their expected entry point into the Gulf Stream about 1/3 of the way to Bermuda from Newport.

Saturday 8.00AM position reports placed MAX z86 racers PYEWACKET, owned by Roy Disney, and Hasso Plattner’s MORNING GLORY, both in the lead as expected. They were about 470 miles NNW of Bermuda. The little classic DAME OF SARK was about a hundred miles behind bringing up the last of the non-spinnaker boats

Stan Honey, navigator on PYEWACKET, filed this report at 0214 EDT Sunday Morning.

‘We just exited the Gulf Stream. We have been jib reaching with a double-head rig. At the peak of the stream we were sailing at 25 knots over the bottom, with 6.5 of those knots contributed by the Gulf Stream.

That is about 28 mph, which isn't quite fast enough to get us a ticket on a residential street, but it is close.

As we passed south of the front, the fog and mist lifted, creating nice weather in the late afternoon and evening.

Compared to two years ago, when we were beating into 10 foot seas in 40 knots, this Stream crossing has been delightful.

What remains is to sort out how we handle the warm eddy that is northwest of Bermuda, and handle the right shift that will come associated with an approaching cold front.’

The 0800 position report from MORNING GLORY put her 108 miles from Bermuda. Winds in Bermuda were forecasted to be West-Southwest at 15-25 Sunday, The Demonstration Division, including is expected to finish between 1300 and 1400 ADT today.