No win situation

Weather situation looking less than ideal for de Kersauson to get south

Position at 19:00: 42°12N 11°11W

Olivier de Kersauson and his crew on the maxi-trimaran Geronimo have made a fast passage across the Bay of Biscay since crossing the Jules Verne Trophy start line last night.

After starting in a 10-15 knot northerly, the maxi-tri has since been enjoying 15 knots of easterly breeze increasing to 20 knots during the course of the day and is expected to pass Cape Finistere this evening. At lunchtime today they had made 18.57 knots average since starting.

However nothing is certain and the weather situation ahead is looking far from ideal. The problem is that the weather information available is showing conflicting information.

The present scenario shows a giant high pressure system over central Europe while a equally impressive low is dominating the weather in the Atlantic. The UK Met Office charts show the high pulling north east by Wednesday that could see Geronimo tackling powerful heads from a lengthy cold front associated with the Atlantic depression. If the high pressure holds then he could be faced with light winds as he attempts to pass the latitude of Gibraltar.

This kind of problem does not really faze De Kersauson. He says if his Cap Gemini and Schneider Electric-sponsored trimaran makes it to the Trade Winds in good enough time they will continue. If not, they will return and await a better weather window.

Despite this after months of preparation and being on stand-by awaiting the right weather the crew are relieved to be underway finally.

For de Kersauson this is the seventh time he has set out on the Jules Verne Trophy. Among her crew are Rodolphe Jacq, who later this year will skipper a Figaro in the Transat AG2R. It is also the 52nd birthday of de Kersauson's long term watch leader Didier Ragot.

Of the crew who sailed on their attempt in 2003 are Olivier de Kersauson, Didier Ragot, Yves Pouillaude, Pierre Corriveaud, Franck Ferey, Pascal Blouin, Rodolphe Jacq and Antoine Deru. The new ones are: Philipe Laot, Armand Coursaudon and Xavier Briaud.