Disappointed, but relieved -- that is how Michael Reppy characterizes his state of mind. Disappointed because his bid for a single-handed trans-Pacific sailing record fell short, but relieved to have survived and be in Japan working to free five killer whales captured last February.
On May 23, after 30 days at sea, and with just 400 km remaining of the 8,000-km San Francisco-Japan voyage, Michael Reppy's custom-made trimaran capsized. Approximately seven to eight hours after sending out a distress signal, he was recovered from his life raft by a ship transporting cars to Japan. "I am glad to be alive, but sorry I don't have the record," said the leathery-tanned 52-year-old physical therapist at a recent gathering in Tokyo organized by the Japan Environmental Exchange and the Dolphin and Whale Action Network.
Only about two days shy of his destination, Reppy decided to take a brief rest and inadvertently dozed off. When he awoke an hour later, the winds had picked up and he realized he needed to quickly douse his spinnaker or risk capsizing. He wasn't in time.