Coville on track for record

A new solo west to east transatlantic crossing time is in the offing

At present due west of Ireland, this morning Thomas Coville and his maxi-trimaran Sodebo have just 336 miles to go before they reach the Lizard. Barring disaster, if Coville can maintain Sodebo's present pace of around 404 miles/day this will see the French sailor cross the finish line of his attempt on the solo west to east transatlantic record at around dawn tomorrow, comfortably within the present record time. To break Francis Joyon's time of 6 days 4 hours 1 minutes and 37 seconds, Coville must reach the Lizard before 1747 tomorrow evening.

The last part of this passage is always the trickest. So often those attempting W-E transat records run out of breeze by the time they enter the Western Approaches. There was considerable potential for this scenario for Coville. With no depressions currently in the northeasterly Atlantic area (hence the good weather in the UK at the moment...) the Azores high has been able to encroach north and the forecast for 24 hours time shows this suddenly doubling in size as it merges with a giant ridge currently off Newfoundland.

So Coville has been working with his routers to avoid falling into the clutches of the high and hence over the last 24 hours has taken a 300 miles detour north via a series of gybes. This has cost him dearly in terms of progress towards Land's End and on to the Lizard, but has been worth it as it has allowed him to stay in the breeze. At 0915 GMT Coville has just made his last gybe and is set to shave the SW corner of Ireland, broad reaching southeast in 20-25 knot westerlies.

Anyway, it is not over until it is over, but all being well the solo west to east transat record could have a new owner within the next 24 hours.