Across the Equator

Francis Joyon on to the home straight. 76 day record possible

Position at 10:15: 00deg 23.00N 32deg 54.00W
Distance from start: 23622.77 nautical miles
Speed/course: 10.9 knots/010°

Francis Joyon has just crossed the Equator and is now effectively on the home straight back towards France, albeit still some 3,200 miles away as the crow flies.

Despite the light conditions Joyon has been making better progress today and over the last 27 hours has covered 297 miles. He will soon be into the Doldrums properly but bearing in mind his westerly route through this area combined with some carefully routing, the Doldrums should not present him with too much of a problem.

The question remains - how long will it take Joyon to get from here to the finish line?

Geronimo last year on her slow passage up the Atlantic took a pedestrian 14 days. The present Jules Verne Trophy record holder, Orange sailed by Bruno Peyron and his team took 11 days. In the last Vendee Globe Michel Desjoyeaux took 13 days to reach Les Sables d'Olonne from the Equator.

Joyon is currently on day 62 of his voyage so barring disaster a worst case scenario - 14 days - will see him arriving back in France having made a circumnavigation of around 76 days. If Mother Nature continues to smile on him then the record could be as little as 74 days.

Either way Joyon deserves a medal, the Legion d'Honneur, a ticker tape parade through the streets of Paris, dinner with the French premier and unlimited sponsorship to go off and do whatever he wants to do next.