After yet more repairs in Brest, Olivier de Kersauson’s giant trimaran Géronimo headed back out to sea yesterday. The boat was moored at her home base of Moulin Blanc marina on 9 June, after eight weeks of work to improve her rudder system and strengthen parts of the structure of the boat, when a single-handed sailor in a 30ft Bénéteau missed a tack and sailed straight into the starboard side, just abaft the beam, shattering part of the float.

Latitude shipyard in Brest have carried out repairs to the damaged area of the carbon hull and the boat was craned back into the water earlier this week. After final checks to the rig, de Kersauson and his crew sailed out into the Atlantic yesterday to begin testing the new rudder design. They need to make sure this works correctly before setting up for any of the record attempts they are planning.