Fast female navigator on Aftershock

by Ian Grant on 1 Aug 2004 Adrienne Cahalan will monitor the navigator’s station on Aftershock when Admirals Cup team winning skipper Colin O’Neil attempts to win his second ‘Boss Hog’ trophy in the 2004 International Hog’s Breath Race Week at Airlie Beach later this month.

Racing on Aftershock in the warm Whitsunday Island waters will be a very pleasant change for the determined Adrienne Cahalan.

She will be stepping down from a high after becoming the only female to have sailed around the Globe in under 59 days.

This remarkable yachtswoman plotted the course along the ice flow in The Great Southern Ocean and past Cape Horn in some atrocious conditions to play a major role when the Steve Fossett skippered 38m catamaran Cheyenne smashed the Around the Globe record in April.

Sailing 25,000 nautical miles in 58 days 9 hours 32 minutes 45 seconds and to bust the Globe sailing record by 5-23-4-39 allows the relatively lightweight navigator the opportunity to be accepted as a nominee in the Globe Sailors Hall of Fame.

Cahalan thrives on challenges and will have no need to pack her thermal suits when she stows her sail bag on Aftershock.

Her sailing rig will consist of brightly coloured tropical shirts and shorts when she charts the courses on Aftershock as skipper Colin O’Neil and World 11 metre champion Stephen McConaghy combine with the highly talented crew to build a challenge to win the prestigious Boss Hog trophy for the second time in three years.

Aftershock recently extensively modified with the latest keel shape and speed producing trim tabs and new sail wardrobe from the North Loft will be using Hog’s Breath Race Week as a complete evaluation trial for the Hahn Premium Race Week.

'Colin (O’Neil) has given Aftershock a comprehensive upgrade which will lift her performance to a new level'. Stephen McConaghy said.