Geronimo speeding north, off Sydney Heads just after 8pm

by Al Constable on 9 Jul 2005 Slow progress for Oliver de Kersuason’s Geronimo on the home run in her Round Australia circumnavigation this afternoon. But now the supermaxi trimaran is flying towards Sydney and the Opera House finish line at 25-30 knots.

At 4:30pm local the 34 metre giant was still averaging 14 knots, as she has for the last three hours, as she pushes into the strong northwesterly, abeam of Jervis Bay.

Probably the toughest day of the whole 17 day voyage for the combined French-Australian crew. Heavy rain early, then the brief 70 knot squall and all afternoon a 20-30 knot northwester right on the nose as she closed on the coast.

She has now gybed inside the current line and accelerate up past Kiama and Wollongong, inside the south flowing East Australian current and with reduced fetch, she has found the best conditions of the day. Its pedal to the metal with 25-30 knots SOG.

With 70 nautical miles to sail, Geronimo is expected to appear from the darkness in a cloud of spray and mist and round into Sydney Harbour as early as 8:00pm tonight and push up the harbour with a fleet of welcoming vessels to the Opera House, the official finishing line for The Challenge.

Follow the action on www.sail-world.com/geronimo