Out into the Atlantic

Taxing hours for Thomas Coville as he crosses the Grand Banks

After just two days into his attempt on the solo west to east transatlantic record, Thomas Coville and the maxi trimaran Sodebo have covered 1,140 miles at an average speed of 23.3 knots. At this pace, his current lead over Francis Joyon’s record stands at 326 miles (603 km).

This afternoon, the red tri and her skipper should escape the dense fog over the Grand Bank to the south of Newfoundland. "At the moment, the most important thing is to escape this treacle as quickly as possible," admitted Coville this morning.

This thick fog enveloping the Grand Banks to the extent that the French skipper has been unable to see the bows on his 100ft trimaran. Added to the stress of sailing blind is the wealth of fishing boats in the vicinity, which forced him to zigzag throughout the night, along with an announcement from the Canadian authorities indicating two enormous icebergs which have become detached from the ice shelf and are forming growlers. These large slabs of ice, which are mainly submerged, often invisble even to the keen eye but could seriously damage the hulls and the appendages of Sodebo. And as if all that isn’t enough to deal with, Coville has spotted some whales.

Though Coville haven’t been able to get any sleep, he has taken the time to eat and down some energy drinks. Fortunately the worst of these hazards are now behind him. He passed Cape Race, the southeasterly tip of Newfoudland this morning, so his route is now open as far as the Lizard. In order to break Francis Joyon's record, Sodebo will have to reach here before Tuesday 15 July at 1547 GMT.