Grands
Records - The Howling Fifties
27
March 16:05
After
a day of struggle, Geronimo finds herself at the
centre of a storm which has been intensifying
since last night. She cannot go further north,
where the sea state is even worse, nor can she
go south, because of the threat of ice. The 11-man
crew are trying to escape to the east-northeast,
with over 50 knots of wind howling at their heels.
Even in these damaging and dangerous conditions,
the Cap Gemini and Schneider Electric trimaran
is still managing to average 19.5 knots.
Due
to its low temperature (4.5°C at midday today),
the air is very dense, and combined with 50 knots
of wind, has quickly raised a sea that is very
difficult, not to say impossible, for multihulls.
Together with her special design, the exceptional
level of crew involvement at every stage of the
trimaran's design and construction has resulted
in a boat made by sailors for sailors. This boat
is capable of holding off catamarans 20% longer
and more powerful than herself, but is also, and
crucially so, a boat designed for the high seas.
That's the trademark of this crew led by Olivier
de Kersauson, Didier Ragot and Yves Pouillaude:
the development of exceptional racing craft, built
for speed, even in the worst possible conditions.
In the tradition of Sport-Elec, loaned to Francis
Joyon this winter for his round-the-world record
voyage, it is now Geronimo's turn to step up and
prove her exemplary qualities.
The
fact remains that these conditions are more damaging
to men and machine than conducive to pure speed.
The crew can hardly wait for the end of this punishing
day in which the elements will inevitably have
the final word...
DAY
30
GERONIMO
(Cap Gemini / Schneider Electric)
53°47S - 158°18E
317 nautical miles in 24 hours, at an average
point-to-point speed of 13.21 knots.
Distance to the antimeridian: 766 nautical miles
Record
50°32S- 124°11E
452 nautical miles in 24 hours, at an average
speed of 18.83 knots
Distance to the antimeridian: 2,077 nautical miles
Geronimo's
latest news are on http://www.trimaran-geronimo.com
