Sail-World.com : Sodeb'O accelerates towards the equator

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Sail-World.com : Sodeb'O accelerates towards the equator

Sodeb'O accelerates towards the equator

'Thomas Coville, Sodeb’O (Photo Jacques Vapillon / DPPI )' Sodebo-voile

After an incredible week sprinting along the coast of Argentina and Uruguay, during which Thomas Coville was bordering exhaustion, exploiting every stormy squall to ultimately make up over four days on the record time, the Maxi trimaran Sodeb'O is today making headway close on the wind in very, very uncomfortable conditions.

The N’ly wind - force 6 to 7 with 25 to 33 knots of breeze – is picking up a short sea on the nose, which is causing both the sailor and the boat to suffer. Thomas Coville is currently etching out a ‘seagull wing’ shape wake as he has been making easting since yesterday in order to line himself up favourably in relation to the tradewind. Midway through the course of tonight the skipper is likely to change tack and adopt a N’ly course, which may well enable him to begin clawing back more miles on the record holder. It should be pointed out that on rounding Cape Horn last Sunday Sodeb'O had a deficit of nearly five days on Francis Joyon.

Opportunists, Thomas and his routing unit didn’t waver on rounding the last cape in this solo circumnavigation of the globe aboard a multihull. Indeed, they actually took the inside track by daring to go through Le Maire Strait 'which has enabled us to envisage a shorter course to the west. As such we were also able to benefit from two weather systems which took us to the Rio gateway on a virtual single tack, the main bonus of which was the high speed' highlighted Richard Silvani from Météo France this morning. 'Right now all that’s needed is to reposition ourselves to the East in order to hunt down the famous tradewind'.

Climbing due North from tomorrow, Thomas is likely to accelerate progressively and make up even more miles. He will be able to ease his sheets slightly and get onto a more comfortable point of sail, which will be gentler for the sailor and the boat alike. Yesterday evening the skipper had to carry out repairs on a stubborn engine which was refusing to start. He spent the majority of the night upside down getting his hands dirty in some rather unenviable conditions.

The weather forecasts for the coming week will carry the Maxi Sodeb'O along at good speed as far as the equator, which she is set to reach on Wednesday 7th January. As for the Doldrums, situated at 6 or 7 degrees North, these don’t appear today to be very active. This may change however! Of note is the fact that there is still some uncertainty between the American and European models as regards the Azores High, which is the last strategic transition in this express round the world. It is worth pointing out that in order to beat the record set by Francis Joyon last year, the Maxi Sodeb'O will have to cross the finish line in Brest prior to 15th January, 03h27'20' UTC.

www.sodebo-voile.com

by Kate Jennings

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10:34 PM Sun 4 Jan 2009 GMT

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