Geronimo
still close on the wind
The
Cap Gemini and Schneider Electric trimaran is
still making good headway north, despite having
to contend with lazy trade winds blowing at around
12 knots. Making an average speed of over 15 knots,
Geronimo passed 15° North at the end of last
night and should reach 20° North some time
tonight. This faster progress puts her back ahead
of Orange, her rival of last year. But the crew
continues to take a realistic view, since Bruno
Peyron and his crew had excellent conditions on
days 58, 59 and 60 (covering 411, 518 and 496
nautical miles respectively), which will not be
the case this year on this part of course.
The weather outlook for Geronimo remains very
confused. After the windless high pressure area
covering the ocean between 20° and 25°
North, there are now three distinct weather systems
in the North Atlantic, with two fairly inactive
depressions enclosing an anticyclone. The result
is very spasmodic wind, highly variable in direction,
backing from due north to due south and predicted
to be a strong easterly by the time Geronimo is
likely to be approaching Brittany. In short, the
worst conditions possible. Earlier this morning,
Olivier de Kersauson analysed the situation this
way: “If things continue like this, we’ll
be within half an hour of the target time. We
haven’t had a single day of proper “gliding”
since we rounded Cape Horn. We’ve been close
on the wind all the time and we still are. It’s
unbelievable. It’s very hard on the nerves
when there’s no improvement forecast”.
In this type of weather situation, the only hope
is that the complexity involved makes forecasting
difficult, since dramatic changes can occur in
either direction. But whatever happens, the return
leg through the North Atlantic looks like being
a real labour of love for the Cap Gemini and Schneider
Electric crew, because it now looks as if they
will have to tack all the way. There are two key
reasons why Geronimo can remain in contention.
The first is her general condition. After 57 days
at sea, the boat is still able to race faster
than the wind, even though some issues require
close supervision. The fact that she remains in
such good condition is thanks to careful way the
crew managed equipment wear and failure risks
in the Southern Ocean. The second reason is that
the trimaran’s design allows her to sail
very close to the wind, making the most of even
the slightest breath of air. As her skipper says:
“If Geronimo were a catamaran, and with
the wind conditions we’ve had since Cape
Horn, we wouldn’t be passed the Equator
yet!”
www.grandsrecords.com
Geronimo´s position : Day 57
Geronimo´s position at 03:00 GMT
