Mark Featherstone and Steve Fossett
seized the transatlantic record in 4
and a half days. The night before the
day of sail testing, Mark was invited to
join the boat for the Round the Island
Race (Isle of Wight). Mid-race, there
was a hydraulic explosion. Fortunately,
Mark knew where the filters were...
An attempt on the Fastnet record was
planned for the next day- Mark was
asked to come along.
Coming into Plymouth after successfully
securing the record, running before a
front in the dark, on a lee shore with the
wind picking up, the starboard engine
wouldn’t start. The engine seacock had
not been closed properly. The engine
was flooded and would not start. Steve
was on the nav station computer doing
A picture that give an impression of just how large Playstation is. Pic by DPPI
a million-dollar deal, while Mark drained
the sump, added more oil, applied
own right; from Plymouth to La Rochelle; from Marseille > Carthage, the trans-
some WD40 in the right places and
Mediterranean record which was only successful on a later third attempt. (During
managed to get the engine started first
the first, the cap shroud terminal came undone. The second was impeded by the
time. Meanwhile, Boat Captain Scully
weather.) Equally, the progression from the starting block of the initial brief to what
had been hit by the boom and broken
was learnt and developed in the course of the boat’s history, is interesting and
his nose. When they got ashore Mark
voluminous enough for separate features. ‘The boat was a great tribute to what
called Clare Bailey a medic friend who
Gino (Morrelli), Pete (Melvin), Ben Wright and Brian Thompson had achieved.’
had sailed with Tracey Edwards. She
looked into his nose and he looked
A return to England followed, to reclaim the Round Britain & Ireland record set
into her eyes and the two of them have
by Tracy Edward’s on her 110 foot Ollier-designed maxi-cat ‘Maiden’ (ex-Club
been together ever since!
Med). With that taken, back to La Ciotat, Playstation finally claimed the Marseille >
Carthage record with an average speed of 24.38 knots which was unbelievable at
Steve later commented to Mark:
the time! Cadiz > San Salvador and the ‘Route du Discovery’ came next achieved
‘Thanks very much Mark. I had mentally
in the comfort of shorts and T-shirts! Staying in the Bahamas for a respite, the
prepared myself to loose the boat.’ The
boat and crew then moved on to St. Marten of the Caribbean Windward islands to
challenge the Round the Island record. This was the first time
“
meanwhile, Boat Captain
the boat had ever been round the cans, needing a crew of 24
Scully had been hit by the
including Richard Branson.
boom and broken his nose
The Antigua > Newport record run was cut short in Norfolk,
Virginia, where two attempts at the 24 hour record were
made instead. But while these records were mini victories, the
experience was exactly what Mark had
ultimate prize remained the Jules Verne trophy and an attempt on the Round The
been trained for in the RNLI. Scully:
World recor
”
d. Steve still couldn’t get sponsorship, the boat needed a refit and so it
‘Steve would like you to stay on.’ So
appeared that the programme was beginning to draw to a close.
began what Mark refers to as ‘the most
amazing journey of my life.’
On December 12th 2002, the boat crossed back to the UK. Steve had decided to
There followed a succession of record
self-fund an attempt on the Jules Verne and the boat went on standby. A battled
attempts worthy of an article in their
ensued with the Jules Verne governing body, who wanted double the French fee
24  MULTIHULL REVIEW : JULY 2009
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