Ahead of record again

Geronimo pulls back from the brink - but dicey conditions ahead leave record in the balance

Day 61	Position	24hr run	Av speed	DTF
Geronimo	38°08N 30°14W	431nm	17.96	1,259nm
Orange	40°31N 35°11W	354	14.73	1,364nm

Geronimo's position at 15:00 GMT today: 39°22N 27°11W
Distance travelled in 12 hours : 160 nautical miles
Average speed over the last 12 hours: 13.40 knots

On Day 61 of her record attempt, Geronimo has been reeling in the miles again, with a faster daily run and sailing a more direct course to the finish line than Orange. As a result de Kersauson's big tri is effectively 105 miles further down the course than Orange was at this stage in her voyage.

While the latest forecast looks like she can expect to storm across the finish line on starboard in a reasonable southeasterly, there is a still some extremely light conditions she must pass through first.

By the end of this morning, the wind had fallen to 5 knots and Geronimo was making just 9 knots between the Azores. However, the average speed over the last 12 hours remains 13.40 knots, raising the average required to cross the finish line before 11:38:03 GMT on Sunday to 15.97 knots.

Not surprisingly, the atmosphere among the crew on board is tense and all communications are focused on weather analysis. Similarly, the organisation of watches is suffering, with both the Cap Gemini and Schneider Electric watches being either on deck or with their eyes riveted on the instruments below. Sleep is proving difficult to come by as everything rests on what happens in the coming few hours.

Forecasts are beginning to predict low wind speeds of between 2 and 15 knots for the next 700 nautical miles, thanks to an oscillating high pressure region currently sitting right over their route home. The final 300 nautical miles are promising around 15 knots of wind from the south-east. In these conditions, Geronimo could make over 20 knots on a flat sea, but will it be enough?