Maserati tackling the South Atlantic

Giovanni Soldini's crew back up to speed after being caught in a trough on her NY-San Fran attempt

Over the last 48 hours, after a very fast descent from New York to Rio de Janeiro, Maserati finally slowed down.

Standing as the gate to the Southern Ocean, Maserati has had to negotate a wide, unmoving cold front which had trapped the Italian modified VO70 in a zone with no wind, but occasional sudden squalls and wind shifts.

Happily at today’s 11.20 update, Maserati is once again back up to speed, back at 20 knots after hooking into a stable southeasterly breeze.

“Aboard Maserati everything is fine, but the last 48 hours were a nightmare," explains skipper Giovanni Soldini. "We've been fighting like mad against the weak winds and the sudden wind shifts, wasting our energy without gaining many miles. However, this is a long voyage and we are aware of the fact that we need to cross different climatic areas.

"The mild climate of the St Helena high has been replaced by a biting cold: it’s the door to the renowned Roaring Forties. We can't wait to be off Argentina with Buenos Aires on our right, en route on the Falkland Islands, then Tierra del Fuego and finally Cape Horn.”

Maserati is expected to round Cape Horn, still 2000 miles away, around 22 January.

Maserati has already sailed more than 5,000 of the 13225 miles between New York and San Francisco on the historical 'gold route'. They have managed this in just 15 days, at an average boat speed of 14.2 knots.