Olivier de Kersauson and team aboard the 110ft trimaran Geronimo crossed the longitude of Cape Leeuwin (Australia) at 1050 GMT today but were unable to break the Ushant to Cape Leeuwin speed record.

Their time of 26 days, 11 hours, 33 minutes for the passage from Ushant to Cape Leeuwin is slightly slower than de Kersauson’s own record time of 26 days, 4 hours, 53 minutes, 13 seconds, set on his Jules Verne Trophy attempt last year.

Geronimo has been squashed between two low pressure areas for the last two days as she tries to move from the one that propelled her through the Indian Ocean and catch up with the other, now centred over New Zealand, which she hopes will carry her well into the Pacific. Her current position is 49°44 S 115°20 E.

Having left Ushant at 2317 GMT on 25 February, Kersauson is attempting to win back the Jules Verne Trophy currently held by fellow Frenchman Bruno Peyron with the giant catamaran Orange and a time of 64 days, 8 hours, 37 minutes, 24 seconds. Cheyenne, the giant catamaran sailed by US record-hunter Steve Fossett, covered the distance from Ushant to Cape Leeuwin in 25 days, 14 hours, 8 minutes on her current attempt to beat the round-the-world crewed record outside the Jules Verne Trophy regulations. For an update on Cheyenne’s world speed record attempt click here.