Heading for Brazil

Warmer conditions allow Joyon to make repairs and dry out the contents of his maxi-trimaran

Position at 05:58: 35deg 16.08'S 43deg 47.60' W
Miles from the start: 21239.24 nautical miles
Speed/course: 12.72 knots /358°

Over the last 24 hours Francis Joyon has covered a, by his standards, pedestrial 282 miles compared to his usual 400.

"I am not anxious - the wind goes up and I accelerate. There was 5 knots at daybreak, now there's 14 knots and I am just about to hoist my Solent which I have just finished repairing," he said yesterday. His Solent jib ripped a week ago when it fell in the water despite the sail cloth being so thick that it requires an electric drill rather than the sailmaker's needle to repair. Joyon has patched up the Solent by stick Spectra loops around the furler.

The areas of calm have in some ways been welcome as the boat is no longer bucking like a wild horse, although Joyon says he finds the light conditions more stressful than when the weather is bad. He wants to maintain his speed and his 90ft trimaran is heavy and relatively sluggish he says when she is under canvassed.

Since rounding the Horn last Saturday the conditions have been becoming ever warmer. "The water temperature was 6°C at Cape Horn, it went up to 9° the following day, and now it is 15°C," said Joyon. "I have mountains of things to dry and make conditions on board more livable."

Strategically rather than head out into the South Atlantic and risk the headwinds from the St Helena high he is going to head towards the South American coast for the next 800-1000 miles. While this is likely to leave him sailing in relatively light conditions a high pressure system is building over the mouth of the river Plate which should provide him with favourable winds. Inevitably in about two or three days time he will be faced with headwinds but these should gradually free as he heads towards Recife.