Forging north

Joyon rounds Recife and heads for the equator

Position at 08:00: 04deg 34.00S 33deg 15.00W
Distance from start: 23322.07 nautical miles
Speed/course: 10.46 knots /359°

A slightly better day today for Francis Joyon who is out of the clutches of Recife and now heading north for the equator. In the last 22 hours Joyon has covered 227 miles, which although short of the record demolishing pace he is used to is nonetheless a respectible number of miles in the right direction. All being well we can expect to see recross the equator tomorrow afternoon.

The forecast charts showing the gradient wind still indicate that Joyon should enjoy at least another day of beam reaching in light to moderate conditions. However the local effects of squalls in this area are such that he will have to remain vigilant and avoid getting parked in a giant hole beneath a cloud which is busy hoovering wind upwards.

Satellite radar wind charts, to be relied on more than the forecasts, are already showing that Joyon has been headed slightly with the wind coming from the northeast at anything from 10-25 knots.

Yesterday as he was rounding Recife, Joyon said that he was seeing many cargo ships. This and the squalls was making it hard for him to get any sleep.