Sodeb'O hits 28 knots in record attempt

by Kate Jennings translation on 13 Jul 2008 After a little over three days of racing against the clock and the finish is already shaping up for this coming Tuesday, Thomas admits that tackling the single-handed North Atlantic record is exhausting and a lot more tiring than it appeared from land. Indeed this record is like no other: it is an extended sprint over such a short space of time that any mistakes are out of the question. 'The one that wins is the one who doesn’t sleep' recalled the skipper of Sodeb'O prior to setting out from New York.

Since rounding Ambrose Light, on Tuesday at 1147 UT, the solo sailor has been pushing his trimaran along at an average of 23.3 knots. He has only had a few chunks of sleep involving 20 minute siestas, and no more than four of these in three days. Hoisting the large gennaker (350 m2), lowering it again, unfurling the solent, furling it in again to hoist the gennaker, taking a reef, each manœuvre is demanding. 'When you play with the sail areas, explains Thomas, your timing has to be spot on so as not to put yourself in danger.'

At the start of this afternoon, Sodeb'O hit a top speed of 28 knots a few times in choppy seas. He was sailing under mainsail and 1 reef and large gennaker in a freshening breeze in excess of twenty knots (at the top end of force 5). 'Strangely, he adds, the weather is still just as messy. Even though the visibility is a little better than at the Nantucket Banks of Newfoundland, it’s been three whole days that I’ve been sailing in the fog. Fortunately it’s beginning to get a little warmer now at around 15°C. One very positive aspect of this is that the maxi-Sodeb'O can string together nearly 600 mile days, in conditions which aren’t exceptional for a record. That said the boat’s potential has been lightened by nearly a ton this year.'

At 1330 this Saturday 12th July, Sodeb'O had a theoretical lead of 370 miles over the record held by Francis Joyon since 2005. Thomas Coville still has 1,270 miles to go until he crosses the finish line at Lizard Point however (2,987 miles on a direct course); that is a distance equivalent to a course from Brest-Marseilles, rounding Spain and Portugal.

View the video sent from onboard this Saturday click here

www.sodebo-voile.com