Grant Dalton’s prediction that the west-east crossing of the north Atlantic aboard the giant catamaran Club Med would not result in him breaking Jet Services V‘s 10 year old record have come true.

After leaving New York at 1600 on 28 July, the giant catamaran was becalmed. In 12 hours this boat which only in June set a new 24 hour sailing record of 625 miles in a day failed to get above 5 knots boat speed.

In desperation Dalton got crewmen Nicolas Pichelin and Jason Carrington to go overboard to reattach the prop shafts and propellers. This took approximately two hours an operation which was made all the more exciting when the fin of a shark appeared in the water nearby causing the two divers to make a hasty scramble back on board.

Club Med at the time of writing was en route to Block Island to stock up on provisions both food and fuel. “If the conditions improve, we envisage coming back to pass the line at “Ambrose light”, said Grant Dalton from on board “but I’m waiting for the new weather reports before taking a decision.”

The Race organiser Bruno Peyron who was to have sailed on board Club Med decided to stay on shore prior to Club Medaborted Atlantic Crossing.