Another caning

Olivier de Kersauson and the crew of Geronimo endure 60 knot ice winds

Now over two thirds of the way through her attempt on the record for sailing non-stop around Australia, Geronimo is in the grip of midwinter in the Southern seas. The sea is rough and on the beam sea, while the wind is icy and gusting up to 65 knots.

“The wind is cold and strong, and the sea brutal. It's dark for half the day and the crew is enduring a good dose of unremitting fatigue”, described Olivier de Kersauson this morning. “It's squally weather, which means lots of manoeuvres and great application. Since Yves Pouillaude is the navigator for this campaign, I can spend a lot more time on deck and at the helm. The forecasts have been remarkably accurate, and although we have been able to keep on a southerly heading until this point, we're now in a configuration where we're getting at least 10 knots more than we were advised”.

Geronimo is now heading for the southern tip of Tasmania, and the forecast holds out little hope of any respite for the Capgemini/Schneider Electric-sponsored crew.

“ Geronimo is going well, and I'm pleased to say she's coping well with this appalling sea; in fact, she's behaving remarkably," continued de Kersauson. "If the wind wasn't so strong and the sea was a bit kinder, we'd be making more speed. Unfortunately, we still have another 48 hours of this weather. I hope that things will be a bit calmer when we turn left after Tasmania. 3-day forecasts don't mean much here. If there's worse to come, will it spare us?”.

Once they have turned left, there will be 700 miles left to run into Sydney. Of the course ahead Olivier de Kersauson said: “This is a coastal course of some 6,500 miles, and coastal equals demanding and intense. It's an exciting thing to circle a continent that does so much to disturb the winds. We couldn't shorten it by getting closer to the coast. If we'd done that, it would have become a game of poker. We had to stay well offshore where the terrestrial wind mixes with the sea air. The course is the equivalent in length to one third of the way around the world, and concentrates all the pitfalls you would meet on a circumnavigation. It's a long way removed from a summer cruise around the coast of Brittany, but it's enthralling. Here, there's something happening all the time”.

Distance covered in the last 24 hours: 400 miles.