Having taken action on Sunday to avoid a major Category 4 storm – Hurricane Percy – which was moving towards the southern Pacific see news story here , Tony Bullimore and his crew aboard Daedalus, the 102ft maxi catamaran, are now back on track again at the rear of the Oryx Quest fleet.

Yesterday, while lying in a position 1,800 miles away from Cape Horn, Bullimore reported they are well and truly on course again, steering 120 T, doing around 18-20 Kts. Commenting in a radio interview he said: “We anticipate that we will get into a short period of light winds for a few hours and then get around 20kts of north-westerlies that should stay with us for most of the way to Cape Horn, if not, all the way.

“We have spent a little time checking over the on board systems and cleaning up the boat. This has not slowed us down. In the lighter conditions, it’s possible to do a little work around the boat, and drive her at maximum speeds.

“Nick Leggatt has been confirming with Lee Bruce, our shore based weather router, trying to get the best course possible to Cape Horn, to make up for some of the lost time. Dare l say it, but every little bit counts. Although we have unexpectedly fallen behind, it is our aim to not full further behind, and to make up on lost time, that is the name of the game.

“A friend of Nick Bubbs, Clemency Williams, is a meteorology student at Reading University and she was relieved to hear from Nick, after the near skirmish with Hurricane Percy in the Southern Ocean. Along with her tutors, she seems certain that the right decision was made to keep well clear of this horrendous storm.

“The boat is sailing beautifully. When we have the right wind, she wants to really go. The guys are looking forward to rounding Cape Horn, a great moment in there sailing career. I reckon at least half the crew will have there left ear pierced, to wear a gold earring, to tell the world that they have been round Cape Horn. It’s not everybody’s cup of tea to do this, but why not, it is a very old tradition.

“It was Goncalo’s turn to do the cooking and he laid on some Mountain House freeze dried chicken and mashed potatoes. It went down well. There is no doubt, the new range of Marine Cuisine from Mountain House is a long way from some of the early circa freeze dried food from days gone by. One thing for sure, the temperature has dropped down, it’s very cold, and the crew have their really warm thermals on. We have around 1,800 miles to get to Cape Horn, and when we go round the corner, it will, if the weather conditions are right, get warmer. And as l keep telling the guys, it will soon be t-shirt and shorts weather – it won’t be long.”