IN BRIEF : Sailor in Battered Craft Fails to Break N.Y.-to-S.F. Record

SAN FRANCISCO — A French stunt man failed to set a ‘round-the-Horn record today but slowly continued to work his way toward San Francisco in seeking to become the first solo sailor to make the 14,000-mile voyage from New York.

Philippe Monnet, 30, was unable to reach the Golden Gate before 7:42 a.m., leaving intact the record of 80 days, 20 hours set Feb. 12 by Warren Luhrs and crew in the 60-foot Thursday’s Child for sailing from New York to San Francisco around Cape Horn. The record had previously stood for more than a century.

Backers who were in radio contact with Monnet estimated that his 60-foot boat would make San Francisco later today.

Monnet set out from New York Jan. 8 at a record pace but suffered a series of mishaps this week. He was sailing with a jury-rigged forestay, which he refastened after it broke late Monday afternoon. To repair the wire line, he had to use a pulley and sling to hoist himself up the mast as it pitched back and forth. Monnet had no gloves to use, and suffered numerous cuts as he tried to re-rig his trimaran, his supporters said.