When they crossed the start line at Ushant last Sunday, Francis Joyon and his 5 crew members knew one thing: the start of their adventure was not going to be one smooth ride. After nearly 48 hours on a multifaceted sea, offering them both calmness and strong winds, the Idec Sport team has started to get into its stride.
“We were a little shaken up when we went through the center of the low about twelve hours after we left Ushant,” explained Francis Joyon this morning.“We went through many maneuvers that didn’t encourage high speeds, including a dozen or so sail changes. This was exhausting because there are only six of us on this big boat. So we didn’t get much sleep and drew on our reserves.”
The maxi-trimaran is currently heading southwest, sailing off the Moroccan coast. Thanks to strong northeasterly winds, the crew is advancing at a speed of about 28 knots. While they’re 215 miles behind Loïck Peyron’s record, Francis Joyon and his team remain confident about the strategy they have formed with Marcel van Triest, their router and meteorologist. Indeed, the aim is to reach the Equator in a “decent” time, before making it past the Cape of Good Hope in good time.
Remember that in 2012 Loïck Peyron passed the Equator in 5 days, 14 hours and 55 minutes, then the Cape of Good Hope after 11 days.
Isabelle Trancoen (article translated from French)
