Solo Sailor on record pace despite light winds

by Suzanne Arms on 25 Jul 2011 Solo yachtsman Bruce Arms, two-time winner of the Solo Trans-Tasman yacht race, has completed week two of his world-record attempt to sail around Australia non-stop, solo and un-assisted.

At 12 noon on Sunday, 24 July 2011, Bruce in his catamaran Big Wave Rider, was 250 nautical miles west of Broome, 62 hours ahead of the existing 42 day record.

Week 2 of the attempt has seen Bruce sail from the Gulf of Carpentaria, across the Top End, and a third of the way down the WA coastline.

After the good progress of the first week involving strong winds and a successful passage through the Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait, Bruce has met a far different challenge – light winds.

'One of the sailor’s worst nightmares is to run out of wind. You just can’t get anywhere when the sails are banging and crashing in the swell, it’s very hard on the nerves. Well it happened to me and then when it looked good for a dip I spotted a shark (NO Swim),' Arms said.

'Coastwatch (surveillance plane) flew over again today and asked the usual questions - port of registration, last port of call and next port of call - to which I answer Mooloolaba, Mooloolaba, Mooloolaba, which gets them thinking and brings on a bit of silence on the radio.'

Although making slow progress at times this last week, Arms is still ahead of his personal goal to complete the circumnavigation in 35 days. In seven days time he will be near Cape Leeuwin at the south-west corner of Western Australia.

In the meantime, Bruce is taking advantage of the comfortable sailing to present himself and Big Wave Rider in the best of condition for the 1500 nautical mile leg across the treacherous Southern Ocean to Tasmania.

Follow Bruce Arms journey in Big Waver Rider via Addcom Contact Solutions Website: here