Grands Records - Good First Day For Geronimo
27 February 16:15

The Cap Gemini and Schneider Electric trimaran covered 495 nautical miles on the first full day of her Jules Verne Trophy attempt, at an average speed of 20.65 knots. This was a good start for Olivier de Kersauson and his crew, proving better than Day 1 of the 2002 Record. The northerly wind varied from 15 to 25 knots in strength over this first 24 hours, allowing Geronimo to maintain an average speed in excess of 20 knots.

The eleven men on board Geronimo can also congratulate themselves on having increased their lead over the 15-man crew of Orange 2, despite the difference in size between the two boats. At 08:00 (GMT) this morning, the real-time gap between the two boats was over 210 nautical miles, confirming that the trimaran is succeeding in holding off her rival in comparable conditions. The pace picked up spectacularly early this afternoon, with Geronimo clocking up over 29 knots at times.

The immediate future is now looking rather more complex: “Following the coast of Spain and passing between the forecast north-northwesterlies and northeasterlies. We expect this to happen somewhere south of Cape St. Vincent and North of the Canaries”, said the skipper. The eastern edge of the anticyclone seems likely to make its presence felt and considerably slow down the Bretons’ rate of progress south.

This could prove to be a real red light for Geronimo, whose crew would have a variable length of time in which to scan the horizon for their pursuers and hope to get away before them. But Geronimo will be able to rely on her abilities in light winds to lose the minimum amount of time...

DAY 1
Position of GERONIMO (Cap Gemini - Schneider Electric)
41°14N – 10°39W
495.65 nautical miles in 24 hours at an average speed of 20.65 knots.

2002 Record
42°12N – 11°11W
456.51 nautical miles in 24 hours at an average speed of 19.02 knots.

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