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TaoJones · 12-12-2007, 11:58

From today's 'Lectronic Latitude, it seems the French have no mercy these days when it comes to shattering world records.

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"Beach Cat Crosses Atlantic in 12 Days

"December 12, 2007 – Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe, French West Indies

"There's no denying that the French are showing the world the way when it comes to ballsy ocean sailing. The day before Francis Joyon set the new 24-hour record with Idec, Benoit Lequin, 33, and Pierre-Yves Moreau, 35, two other Frenchmen, established a new transatlantic record for a . . . beach cat.

"The two intrepid Frenchmen raced this 20-ft beach cat 2,700 miles across the Atlantic faster than all 240 boats in the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers.
© 2007 Martin Coudriet"

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For the rest of the story, go to:

Latitude 38 - The West's Premier Sailing & Marine Magazine

TaoJones

rebel heart · 12-12-2007, 12:02

I'll take my el toro across and one up them!

Brandywine · 12-12-2007, 12:06

do you think you can do it in less then 11 days?

rebel heart · 12-12-2007, 12:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brandywine

do you think you can do it in less then 11 days?

I'd be happy if I didn't die by the 11th day!

12-12-2007, 12:13

Time to see what my Wind Rider 16 can do. I guarantee it will be more comfortable. Alright, maybe I won't. Gotta give credit where credit is due. That is a heck of a long sail on a beach cat.

ssullivan · 12-12-2007, 13:17

Wow... spartan!

Seeratlas · 12-12-2007, 14:35

I don't think my adjective for that kind of silliness would have anything to do with 'ballsy'. Did they have some sort of shepherding power yacht nearby for when something went wrong? Like the weather?

seer

TaoJones · 12-12-2007, 14:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seeratlas

I don't think my adjective for that kind of silliness would have anything to do with 'ballsy'. Did they have some sort of shepherding power yacht nearby for when something went wrong? Like the weather?

seer

I believe the answer is "No," seer. What they did have though was a fleet of 240 other vessels in the ARC following in their wake. Still, if they had no means of contacting any of those other vessels should they have gotten into trouble, well . . . C'est la vie . . .

TaoJones

Pura Vida · 12-12-2007, 14:58

The amazing thing is this is not the first crossing by a beach cat. Also the first successful sail of the Northwest passage was on a Hobie several years (ok maybe decades) ago.

There was a guy posting here several months ago that intended to deliver a beach cat between islands in Hawaii.

I wonder what Wharram would say.

pv

delmarrey · 12-12-2007, 15:01

If the Hawaiian's can do it, why not the French. That is, travel long voyages on a small craft (CAT).

mikereed100 · 12-12-2007, 15:54

There was an article a while back in Multihulls World about some French twins who sailed a cat they made themselves for $300 across the Atlantic. I believe it was smaller than 20'. Are the French desperately intrepid or are they just that desperate to leave France? (I kid because I love)

Mike