Sticky South Atlantic

Geronimo continues to make slow progress along the Brazilian coast

Day 50	Position	24hr run	Av speed	Rel position
Geronimo	18°59S 37°27W	190	7.92	574miles*
Orange	26°27S 15°42W	254	10.28	-

*this is fairly inaccurate as there is so much separation between the two boats' longitude.

Geronimo's position at 11:00 GMT today 17°21S 37°13W
Distance travelled in 8 hours : 99 nautical miles
Average speed over the last 8 hours: 12,36 knots

Geronimo continues her laborious progress north through the South Atlantic, hugging its western edge. The last 24 hours have been extremely trying, with very little wind and stifling heat. Even the storms have brought nothing more than occasional breezes of around 8 to 12 knots.

In these very calm conditions, the Cap Gemini and Schneider Electric sponsored trimaran has once again proved her exceptional talent for consistently sailing faster than the wind. But this laborious progress, which involves shortcuts that bring Geronimo very close to the Brazilian coast, is exhausting both physically and mentally. All day yesterday was spent close-hauled against the current in a sea that was hardly breaking at all.

This option has certainly enabled the crew to retain a healthy lead over the current record time: they were still over 400 nautical miles this morning. However, days 51 and 52 saw Orange making very fast progress last year, covering over 500 sea miles a day in 25 knots of wind. The trade winds forecast for Geronimo are showing a maximum speed of between 10 and 15 knots for tomorrow and the day after. It is therefore clear that the lead she has held ever since the start and has guarded jealously all the way is now threatened by this absence of sustained trade winds.

There's no doubt though that this course was the only possible choice, since the eastern side of the Atlantic was completely closed to Geronimo and would have involved a much longer route. That´s what makes the Jules Verne Trophy such a gripping sports event. You have to be able to go quickly in all weathers and be able to choose an alternative course when the weather turns against you: it´s never over until you reach the finishing line, as Olivier de Kersauson has stressed so often. Look after the crew, look after the boat and only then look after the record. This final objective, which remains the third on the list, is still within Geronimo's grasp, despite the fact that her advantage over the current record holder is reducing as the hours tick by.

This year, the fight will continue right up to the line, between an exceptional existing performance and the Cap Gemini and Schneider Electric crew.

Present weather



Forecast chart for Tuesday showing a little more pressure and a good angle...