Going gets tough

Complex weather situation dogs Geronimo's progress

Day 25
Position at 2317GMT: 49°40S 103°35E
24 hour run: 349.25 miles
Average speed: 14.56 knots

While they were ahead of Cheyenne's record 24 hours ago, a slow run for Olivier de Kersausons' Geronimo and a correspondingly big run for the American maxi-catamaran has turned the tables once again with Cheyenne now 80 miles ahead.

At present Geronimo's progress is being held up by the ridge between the Southern Ocean depression to their southwest and a smaller secondary low that lies right in their path to the east. While this latter system is tracking south east, another secondary low to their northwest is just behind it and also moving south east. These secondary depressions look to merge over the next 24 hours leaving Geronimo wallowing in between. It looks like it won't be until tomorrow afternoon that Geronimo breaks back into the prevailing westerlies and can get back up to speed again.