Mast Climb by Skipper Szabolcs WEORES on NEW EUROPE

November 14 Morning Update:

At dawn today the Hungarian skipper Szabolcs WEORES aboard NEW EUROPE took much needed opportunity to unwrap his damaged A7, small gennaker headsail which was round his forestay. In calmer conditions he climbed 22 metres up the mast to the forestay attachment point and worked free the tangled sail.
There was a window of relatively calm weather arrived and the skipper of NEW EUROPE took it when he was still positioned about 220 miles northeast of the island, close to the centre of a low pressure system which allowed Weöres a few hours to undertake this challenging and risky job.

He successfully brought down the top part of the damaged sail, stabilizing the forestay and significantly reducing the risk of losing the mast due to major flogging and vibrations. However, the lower part of the A7 sail remains tightly wrapped around both the forestay and the J2 upwind sail. After nearly an hour up the mast and additional hours on deck cutting away sections of the damaged sail, the six times Ironman finisher is exhausted and will need time to recover before tackling the remaining work.

To fully inspect the forestay and J2 headsail, and to try and effect mainsail repairs, NEW EUROPE will need to anchor in a sheltered area. Originally, Madeira was the intended location for these repairs, but current depression conditions and what is forecast make the islands unsuitable. Weöres is now assessing alternative options, preparing for an extended period of challenging sailing to find a safe and effective repair location.

Further updates will follow as the situation develops.