Record-Seeking Trimaran Is Forced to Slow Down by Broken Headstay

The trimaran Great American broke its headstay Thursday and was limping along off Mexico under reduced sail in its bid to break the record for sailing from New York to San Francisco around Cape Horn.

The headstay on the 60-foot craft is a half-inch wire running from the bow to the top of the mast. It snapped without warning “with a crash you could probably hear in Los Angeles,” skipper Georgs Kolesnikovs said via radiotelephone. “It scared the living daylights out of me.”

At the time, Kolesnikovs said, the boat was under no particular strain and was making almost 10 knots in about 15 knots of wind. Crew Steve Pettengill climbed the mast “in pretty terrifying conditions and secured the rig with five halyards,” Kolesnikovs said. “I’m still a little concerned about losing the rig.”

With a reefed main and a small staysail, the boat’s speed was down to 7 knots. Great American--still five days ahead of Thursday’s Child’s record, which comes due at 7:23 a.m., PDT, May 30--is 950 miles out to sea and in no position to put into port for repairs.

“Steve has looked at all the stuff we have on board and thinks . . . he may be able to rough something, but we have to wait for the (6- to 8-foot) seas to subside,” Kolesnikovs said.