Geronimo
flat out
Since yesterday, the Cap Gemini and Schneider
Electric trimaran has been back up to speed, covering
405 nautical miles on her 60th day at sea; an
average of 16.90 knots. She is currently making
the most of the southerly winds that are driving
her at over 20 knots and almost directly towards
Ushant. It's a weather situation that seems set
to last until midday tomorrow..
"By tomorrow midday, we'll be about 1050
miles from Ushant. That will leave us 71 hours
to cover the distance, which in turn means we'll
have to average 14 knots to cross the line in
time, but we're far from certain of being able
to achieve that. Nevertheless, the boat can do
it. Despite everything we've put up with so far,
all we need is a little bit of air, but for the
moment, we don't know exactly what we're going
to get. At the moment, the weather for these last
few miles of the course seems poor and rather
variable", explains Olivier de Kersauson.
Geronimo is currently heading for the Azores under
full main and gennaker.
The trimaran is reaching peak speeds of 27 to
28 knots despite a small residual swell from the
north.
"For nearly 12 hours, we've had really good
gliding conditions. Tonight we should pass between
Flores and Fayal - about fifty miles off Fayal
to avoid the relatively large wind shadow created
by the height of the island. Whilst there's nothing
for us in the north - which is currently the case
- the shortest route is clearly the one to take".
www.grandsrecords.com
Geronimo's position : Day 60
Geronimo's position at 03:00 GMT
