and no main.

Although if he was still beating south to pick up the trade winds he was right to turn around. That is usually a rough trip and I wouldn't want to be worried about a gooseneck failure.

The trip starts out with a beat south to pick up the trades and then it is downwind all the way. One very popular sail config is double poled out jibs - using two poles or one pole and the boom swung out - called the poor man's double head rig.

If he was close, he could have stopped in the Cap Verdes for repairs too.