1100 miles behind

Sodebo snagged in Atlantic-wide ridge

Image above courtesy of Expedition Navigation Systems and PredictWind.

Thomas Coville continues to lose miles against his virtual rival Francis Joyon and this morning finds Sodebo's deficit having increased 1100 miles. As the chart above amply demonstrates, Coville is attempting to round the west end of a giant area of high pressure and after tentatively turning his bows for home early has had to crack off again to the in order to the northwest to get some distance between himself and the light winds. Throughout yesteday Sodebo's speed remained sub-10 knots and it is only since 0500 this morning that Sodebo has finally started to get some pace on. At some point today Coville will come back on a course to the northeast and from here it looks set to be a fast run back to Brest.

"I inspected the boat that night because it was quieter and it seems quite structurally sound," Coville said yesterday. Since rounding the western side of the ridge Sodebo has flipped on to port tack and this means the damaged starboard bow is back in the water. "I don't know how it will react on port because I have not done much since the collision," Coville admits.

Coville is understandably disappointed in not having broken Francis Joyon's record, but he is philosophical. "I have a great opportunity to do what I do, being on the water with this boat and surrounded by this team. Technically, we learn more every time. A second time on a multihull round the world without stopping - even on monohulls, there are not many who manage to finish without stopping! Physically, I don't feel I have suffered. I was in control of my vessel despite the weather always being a little worse than expected and that does not allow one to get much sleep. I am also proud in the organisation and the quality of work of my routers. Their routing has been beautiful. Doing it is not the only driver for this, but do it properly is important, even if the ultimate reward is not there."