Day 42, Friday November 6, 1998

Jean-Pierre Mouligne © Foto Marek Slodownik

Cray Valley crossed the line in Cape Town slightly after seven a clock in the morning. JP Mouligne sailed the final distance in a light wind after series of strong squalls accompanied by rain and lightning. He lost his mainsail the evening before: "Last night I got caught in a squall with unbelievable wind. I've never seen anything like it before. I had 60 or 70 knots strong wind and hail. I tried to get the main down but it was too late. I let the halyard go but the sail was just pinned up against the spreaders. I pointed up into the wind and it started flogging, then it just split down the leech between the first and second spreaders. I took it down this morning and put on a patch. It was ugly, but good enough for the last 50 miles."

Cray Valley © Foto Billy Black
Mouligne crossed the finish line after 40 days, 12 hours, 56 minutes and 41 seconds at sea. He broke the previous Class II record set by David Adams in the 1994-95 race by 1 day, 20 hours, 54 minutes and 4 seconds.

When a reporter asked him for his worst moment during leg one, Mouligne said it was when Mike Garside aboard Magellan Alpha called him on the radio. "I was down below and Mike calls on the radio," Mouligne answered "He talks to me for a while then says to go on deck. I go up and there he is sailing almost beside me. It was a terrible moment. He was pushing hard to pass me and I was just not going to let it happen. But Mike has a very fast boat, and if he had not had his keel problems, who knows. I think the next leg he is going to be very fast."

Cray Valley © Foto Marek Slodownik

When he finished, he had a lead of 200 miles on the second boat Magellan Alpha. Rapscallion III in fourth position established 140 miles gap on rudderless South Carolina and at the rear of the fleet excelled Yazykov, who doubled his lead on Shuten-dohji II to 140 miles.

© Foto Richard Konkolski

Positions:

Class 1

Class 2

Copyright © Richard Konkolski
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