1000 miles ahead again...

But tricky high pressure zone ahead to navigate for the Banque Populaire maxi-tri

Chart above courtesy of Expedition/Tasman Bay Navigation Systems and PredictWind

Banque Populaire have not been resting on their laurels over Christmas Day. The 40m trimaran has been making good progress north in the westerly winds to the west of a front associated with a Southern Ocean depression and this has taken her as far north (at the latest sched) as the latitude of the Uruguay/Brazil border. But perhaps the best news is that her lead over Jules Verne Trophy record holder Groupama 3, having falled to a low of 535 miles just three days ago, is now confortably back to over 1000 miles.

Unfortunately...the big blue tri is likely to have a tricky day ahead of her. At the latest sched her speed has dropped as she attempts to round the east side of the westernmost of two areas of high pressure, between them spanning the width of the South Atlantic. And as we mentioned on Christmas Eve, it is vital that she gets north as quickly as possible before these two highs merge tomorrow. At present it looks like they will succeed but even then the next 24 hours look awkward with a depression attempting to form over Rio de Janiero and a transition between the ESEerly winds to the north of the high and northeasterly trade further to the north.