760 miles to go

Tuesday arrival expected for Francis Joyon

Position at: 10:00 41deg 18.00N 19deg 51.00W
Distance sailed: 26364.9 nautical miles
DTF: 760 miles
Speed/course: 17.89 knots / 55 °

It is the homestraight for Francis Joyon. This morning at 1000 the Frenchman had 760 miles left to sail having cover 400 miles over the last 24 hours.

The conditions indicate that there is no reason why Joyon shouldn't be able to maintain this pace until he finishes, so we would anticipate him arriving sometime around breakfast time on Tuesday.

With wind currently blowing at 25-30 knots from the SSW, Joyon appears to be on starboard gybe sailing slightly high of his course. This will take him slightly further east. Tommorrow the wind is expected to pipe up to 35-40 knots and to back and there appears to be slightly less wind to the east.

"The boat is making 18 knots under one-reefed main and small storm gennaker in good conditions. My heading will take me between Sao Miguel and the most northerly situated island… With a bit of luck I’ll be able to see something green!" said Joyon during a radio press conference yesterday.

"I had a night with a lot of swell and fairly reasonable winds and the conditions are mild. I still haven’t managed to hoist my gennaker back up that I had to shove messily into the sail locker yesterday. I’ll have to make the most of a moment of calms to hoist it and roll it up well as it takes up an enormous amount of space. I can barely get into the locker to get the other sails out."

On deck it is perilous: "There’s a big north-westerly swell. Yesterday I crossed a cargo ship making a course against this swell and I’ve taken some images of it to give an idea of the scale. I passed within 100 or 200 metres of it…"

Meanwhile Joyon's family and friends are gearing up tto meet him when he arrives in Brest on Tuesday. "They can’t wait for me to get there - they’re counting the days. It’s been a long time for them too… I’ve recalculated the course in relation to the new weather forecast this morning and it’s still on for an ETA on Tuesday morning."

"I’m going to encounter bad weather on Sunday night but this system will finally veer off towards the British Isles and let me be for the finish in Brittany. To finish in total survival
mode may make some beautiful images but I can do without it… The wind is coming from the west but I was expecting it to be colder than it is. I haven’t added any layers yet. This morning I’m feeling okay but some days ago I was suffering some small bouts of tiredness. I fell asleep for 10 minutes yesterday and was totally comatose on waking up. I’ve had a few momentary lapses nonetheless."

Translation of quotes by Kate Jennings.