Oliver de Kersauson and crew aboard the 110ft trimaran Geronimo crossed the longitude of the Cape of Good Hope last night and are now 19 hours, 42 minutes ahead of Orange I’s 2002 record time at this stage of the Jules Verne Challenge.

They now have 526 sea miles in hand at the end of their 17th day at sea and are currently on a course of 45°48 S 24°05 E – six degrees further south than Orange I.

Although team Geronimo is likely to increase the tempo by heading nearer Antarctica, De Kersauson is however, aware of the risks of the deep south commenting: “There is always this kind of torment between wanting to go faster and the need to protect the equipment so that we arrive at Cape Horn in a boat that’s still fit to race.”