Catching up

Geronimo returns to being within 1,000 miles of Cheyenne's equivalent position but tricky weather ahead

Day 36
Position at 2317GMT: 54°50S 132°32W
24 hour run: 465 miles
Average speed: 19.37 knots

With a large area of high pressure blocking her path to Cape Horn, still some 2,150 miles away, Olivier de Kersauson and the crew of Geronimo have continues to forge south over the last 24 hours, back into the depths of the Southern Ocean and today are back down to almost 55degS.

Day 36 has seen Geronimo cover a respectible 465 miles and she has now diminished Cheyenne's lead to 979 miles. At this time in their voyage Cheyenne were also struggling to get to Cape Horn and it is likely that Geronimo will further reduce their lead over the next two days - assuming that the French trimaran crew can sidestep the area of high pressure that lies to their east. They are still more than 1,100 mile ahead of Orange's 2002 Jules Verne record pace.

Ahead the forecast is still not looking great. A fast moving depression will track in a northeasterlies direction across their bows over the course of today and over the weekend will establish itself to the northwest of Cape Horn with a massive area of high pressure developing to the south at the exact moment Geronimo will be attempting to tackle this area. The only way out of jail it seems will be to drive south, possibly as far as the Screaming 60s... Watch this space.