Joyon Heading for finish - ETA Sunday AM
by Event media (translation) on 19 Jan 2008
Francis Joyon on IDEC © Vincent Curutchet / DPPI / IDEC IDEC .
http://www.trimaran-idec.com/
Joyon Heading for finish - At 10:00 UTC, Fracis Joyon on IDEC2 was less than 250 nm from the finish of his Round the World sprint, at Brest, France.
With the wind abating, Joyon is racing across the Bay of Biscay taking advantage of the low pressure system hung north of the Azores. The gusts are over 25 knots and IDEC2 is making 20 knots towards the finish. His ETA is between 23:00hrs Saturday and 0200hrs Sunday morning.
On Starboard tack, Joyon is nursing the tired multihull home, the mast now refuses to rotate on the other tack but IDEC has managed to gain latitude to the tip of Brittany.
With the wind turning increasingly to the West, Joyon will now have to choose between direct route tailwind, a slower pace for a multihull, and realize a small contreboard to give a better angle for IDEC for the mouth of Brest.
Although IDEC is somewhat reluctant to manoeuvre. Joyon will lose a little time in the operation but should still arrive around midnight Saturday, after 57 days at sea. He is 14 days ahead of Ellen MacArthur's record at present.
Position at 10:00 hrs UTC Sat 19 Jan 2008 - DTF 249 nm - Speed 20,0 knots - Distance in 24 hrs 483,3 nm
To date the time of Francis Joyon on IDEC2 is 57 days, 1 hour, 18 minutes.
The record of Ellen MacArthur on Castorama is 71 days, 14 hours, 18 minutes and 33 seconds
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