Branson Forced to Abandon Record Trans-Atlantic Sail
by Allie Comeau on October 24, 2008 
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Richard Branson, adventurer and businessman, has been itching for another world record (he set his last record in 1986 in a speedboat across the Atlantic). This week was supposed to be his shot at a new one as he attempted to sail his mono-hull sailboat, The Virgin Money, across the Atlantic Ocean in record time.
This post was supposed to be about the excitement surrounding Branson’s latest world record attempt, but I just received word that Branson and crew were forced to abandon the Trans-atlantic record bid due to a brutal overnight storm.
Sadly, it looks like Branson won’t be setting a world record any time this week. Ocean swells of 40+ feet and Gale Force 9 winds have damaged the Virgin Money so extensively the 99-foot sailboat will be practically limping to shore. In his own words…
”We have pushed Virgin Money to its limits – I now fear over her limits. Virgin Money was struck by a massive wave from behind – washing one of our life rafts overboard, damaging the spinnaker and devastatingly tearing a massive hole in our mainsail.
The last two days have felt like a lifetime. We knew when we set out this late in the season that we were going to be faced with some horrific weather conditions, but none of us could have predicted the huge storm systems.
Luckily, all of the crew were harnessed in and no one was swept overboard, which is all that matters at the end of the day.”
The record Branson and crew were attempting to beat is 6 days, 17 hours, 39 minutes, and 52 seconds. That record, set in 2003, belongs to the Mari Cha IV and skipper Mike Sanderson.
The Virgin Money crew, which includes Branson’s son, Sam, and his daughter, Holly, is made up almost entirely of Britain’s best sailors – Team Origin, America’s Cup Challengers, and other sailing stand-outs.
After reading about the “stormy night of hell”, crew member and Olympic medalist Ben Ainslie’s earlier words seem almost like foreshadowing…
“The boat’s more than capable of breaking the record,” said Ben Ainslie, crew member and Olympic medalist, in this New York Times article. “It just comes down to making sure we don’t break the boat — backing off at the right times and bringing the boat back in one piece.”
The ocean conditions – the nastiest the crew has ever faced – proved too much for the Virgin Money. Though high wind speeds were crucial to the success of the mission, they also led to its demise.
In a New York Times interview before he set sail, Branson said, “It’s going to be pretty unpleasant. I suspect most people will be thoroughly, thoroughly ill throughout most of the journey.”
He had no idea then just how unpleasant it was going to get.
The boat left North Cove Marina in Battery Park City, NY early Wednesday morning, October 22, at 2:12 am to take full advantage of the weather and wind forecast. The plan was to make landfall at Lizard Point, the most southwesterly point of Britain, by October 28th.
Check out Branson’s Virgin Money blog for details as they become available. (There are no further details as of this morning as to what exactly what wrong last night, but I’m sure there will be.)
While Branson’s latest record attempt was ultimately a failure, what matters is that he went for it. Better to try and fail than never try at all. I’m sure his late buddy Steve Fossett, who Branson was sailing in honor of, would have wholeheartedly agreed.
