Jules Verne Trophy - In pole position around Antarctica
by IDEC Sport Sailing on 7 Jan 2017
Jules Verne Trophy - IDEC Sport maxi-trimaran IDEC Sport
After a gybe, they’re off again. After a day of being significantly slowed, IDEC Sport is now on the northern edge of a Southern low with more favourable winds allowing them to step up the pace towards Cape Horn.
They now have less than 10,000 miles left to sail and Francis Joyon and his crew are back at high speeds in the South Pacific. This morning at 55°S, they are 950 miles ahead of the record pace in the Jules Verne Trophy and this lead is continuing to increase.
With a NW’ly wind gusting up to 40 knots on waves that are not as nasty, everything is in place for the red and grey trimaran to sail at speed on the port tack. “We have just gybed. The seas are still a bit confused, but we’re sailing well. The boat is making 30-35 knots without us pushing too hard. The seas will improve as time goes by,” said Francis Joyon at dawn 2700 miles from the Horn.
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