Into the South

Francis Joyon takes on first Southern Ocean depression

Position at 07:58: 33deg 14.60' S 4deg 33.68' W
Distance from start: 6300.28
Speed: Course 16.73 knots / 95°

Francis Joyon's rather fast singlehanded passage around the Globe will take on a new turn today as he feels the effects of his first Southern Ocean depression (see above). The last 24 hours have seen him rack up another good day - this time covering 385 miles.

To give some indication of how far ahead Joyon is over Michel Desjoyeaux's existing record - on day 17 of the 2000 Vendee Globe PRB was at 10deg 45S 28deg 56W some 1,900 miles away as the crow flies - this is to the east of where Joyon was on 3 December - six days ago!

A depression this morning centred at 51degS 18degW is tracking due east and will be at 1degW. Over the course of today Joyon looks set to experience a signficant wind shift to the southwest.

However the forecast for 48 hour time looks quite lively... By this stage forecast charts show the depression to be centred at 47degS 19degE, and being compressed by a high pressure system to the west of South Africa. At present Joyon appears to be staying north to avoid the worst of the weather, but by Thursday-Friday he will have to duck south of the Cape of Good Hope and the notorious Agulhas Plateau, where the relatively shallow water can kick up terrible seas at which time he will be experiencing westerly winds constantly in the 30s.