Second fastest to the Equator

Groupama 3 surges into the southern hemisphere

Groupama 3 crossed the Equator this morning at 09:02:40' GMT - the second fastest time in the history of the Jules Verne Trophy... Their time from the start of 5 days 19 hours and 7 minutes was 1 day 7 hours 49 minutes better than Orange 2's reference time, but outside of their own record set last year of 5 days 15 hours and 23 minutes.

Overnight Groupama 3 encountered the Doldrums at around 4 degN. They then got into the southeasterly trades before they found themselves having to contend with another mass of storm clouds at around 2°N. This is why Groupama 3's pace dropped in the early hours of this morning.

At present the 105ft trimaran is on the wind sailing in 20 knots southeasterlies. Compared to what the forecast was indicating yesterday, Groupama 3 isn't headed as much as she might have been.

The forecast is still looking pretty volatile in the South Atlantic, but the southeasterlies should generally hold in until Monday when a relatively small area of high pressure forms about 700 miles ESE of Rio and Groupama 3 will have to skirt to the west of this in light winds. From here it looks like Cammas and his boys will be in good shape timing-wise to hook into a depression that will enable them to hang a left and head for the South Ocean at a high rate of knots.