 April
22, 2004- Carmel, CA, USA: Two weeks after returning from his
successful Round The World Sailing world record at the helm of
his 125' maxi-catamaran Cheyenne, American skipper Steve Fossett
announced today that he has decided to pull back from front line
international speed sailing - after 11 years of spectacular
record success - in order to focus on key 2004-2005 projects in
aviation (altitude, speed and distance gliding plus the round the
world solo airplane) as well as other new (as yet undisclosed)
sporting projects on land and in the air. Cheyenne will be put up
for sale."The round the world record has fulfilled my highest ambition in sailing," admitted Fossett Tuesday "and this just seems like the right time to stop." His focused and committed approach has made him the greatest record-setter in the history of speed sailing with over two dozen total world and race records set. And 13 of the 22 current records listed as 'outright' in the World Sailing Speed Record Council (WSSRC) record book (www.sailspeedrecords.com) are held by Fossett - including the amazing new RTW at 58 days 9 hours on the 125' maxi-cat Cheyenne - and the 2001 New York - UK TransAtlantic rocket ride of 4 days 17 hours (aboard the same boat, then known as PlayStation). "It has been an exciting - and very fulfilling - 11 years. In the past we've defended our records by re-taking 4 of them when broken: the 24 Hours (twice), Round Britain & Ireland, and Isle of Wight - but I don't want to make a program of that. My mind is on aviation projects right now. I should sell Cheyenne to someone who wants to do the Oryx Cup RTW Race - or maybe even try to break some of our records." Some Comparisons, Facts Tell The Story 
By comparison: 9 Race Records: Superceded World Records: For more info visit: www.fossett-challenge.com |