Jules Verne Trophy - Blasting ahead of the record

by Spindrift racing on 21 Dec 2015 Jules Verne Trophy - Air and water temperature: four degrees Celsius. 33-knot south-westerlies blowing directly off Antarctica. The Southern Ocean atmosphere is back! In just 36 hours since Saturday morning, Spindrift 2 has closed her 473-mile deficit on the world record pace (her largest deficit since reaching the Pacific).

Now, on Sunday evening, he is more than 100 nautical miles ahead of the current record pace, so he has gained nearly 600 miles on Banque Populaire V since Saturday morning, in what was one of the slowest phases of the circumnavigation four years ago for the current record holder. Spindrift 2’s bows are entering a cold and choppy sea at almost 60 degrees south. That means he is five degrees further south than Cape Horn, the legendary rock at the southern tip of Chili that the crew should round on Tuesday morning.

Now experiencing perpetual daylight at these latitudes, the crew are kitted out like astronauts and take turns at the helm and on deck, working hard to get the most out of their boat, which has finally latched onto some wind again. The crew's current speed is like a festive gift: more than 33 knots over the past four hours, after a week of slow sailing on an almost smooth ocean.

Day 29 – 16h30 GMT

• 111.36 nm ahead the current record holder Banque Populaire V
• Distance covered from the start: 18,517.1 nm
• Average speed over 24 hours: 30.9 knots
• Distance over 24 hours: 741.4 nm