Rich Wilson and Rich du Moulin are sailing the trimaran Great American II (shown at left during a stop in Sydney, Australia, on the way to Hong Kong) in the wake ofthe clippers.
While the contest is certainly about speed, it is also about seamanship, and sailors of the present taking on a challenge by sailors ofthe past.
ciples. Sea Witch was a traditional wooden ship, with a displacement monohull that drove through the sea. Great American II is a high-tech, multihull boat that rides the surface of the sea-by nature a faster design. The clippers were fully laden, working cargo ships, while the trimaran is a racing craft with a technical advantage. That said, beating the historic record is not a given. The performance of a vessel ultimately comes from the performance of her crew. Aboard the clippers, a crew of thirty to forty or so mariners strained to the limits of skill and endurance in the fiercest weather, driven by captains determined to make the best time home. Similar words could describe the trip aboard Great American II. Though the vessels differ substantially, the ocean of2003 is the same as the ocean of 1849-tough, unpredictable, and unforgiving. In addition, they have only one shot at the record, which is the best time among hundreds of voyages. And for a two-man crew, the voyage brings circumstances that, on the level of seamanship, even out the challenge a bit.
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Great American II anticipated route from Hong Kong to New York. (www.sitesalive.com)
New York City FINISH
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Cape Town
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So while the contest is certainly about speed, it is also about seamanship, and sailors of the present taking on a challenge left by sailors of the past. The trimaran carries five sails-reacher, spinnaker, mainsail, jib and staysail-with no replacements. It will be under full manual control the whole way. Each man is sailing single-handed in continuous four-hour shifts, while the other rests or works below. The only automation aboard is an autopilot that will keep the boat on course when their joint attention is needed elsewhere. In a way, the inherent speed potential of the trimaran acts as something of a handicap to the challenger. The trimaran can capsize if the wind puffs up suddenly and the sails aren't eased or reefed in time. This prevents the single-handed sailor from running her at maximum speed, adding a challenge in control and vigilance-over oneself and the vessel-to the sailor's contest. Such constant vigilance is the seasoned sailor's byword; still, remaining alert and sailing solo in top form for nearly three months nonstop is a tremendously taxing effort and closely links Great American If' s crew with their ghostly competitors.
Web Site for Adventure Each aspect of the voyage-geography, world history, science, mathematics, and sailing skill-becomes a lesson plan through Wilson's sitesALIVE! web site. The idea for sitesALIVE! grew out of an earlier race. While taking another trimaran across the Atlantic in 1988, Rich Wilson thrilled listeners of a Boston radio station with a series of daily dispatches from the boat. Their interest sparked the thought that live reports from a sailor at sea might capture the imaginations of schoolchildren and open a new avenue for teaching: living lessons linking learning to life. SEA HISTORY 104, SPRING/SUMMER 2003