There is seemingly no stopping Olivier de Kersauson’s giant triamaran Geronimo on her Jules Verne Challenge. News from the boat last night confirmed she set another new record time from Ushant to Cape Horn. Despite the difficult time in the Southern Ocean with the continuous threat of icebergs on the approach to the Horn and the longer route north and lighter winds, she has improved by one and a half days on the time set by Bruno Peyron and his crew last year,

This recent achievement allowes the crew to add yet another record time to those already set for the passages to the Equator, the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Leeuwin, as well as the intermediate times to the Antimeridian (half way round the world) and the passage from the Equator to the Cape of Good Hope.

Olivier de Kersauson reported from the boat: “The Jules Verne Trophy course is magnificent, and Cape Horn is by no means a deliverance. Passing this rock is also a great moment in itself. We’ve been able to take care of the boat and the crew and we’ve just left a difficult southern passage in which the Indian and Pacific Oceans have both given us foul seas, with waves on our beam all the way and very poor potential for the boat to glide. We’ve had no choice but to sail a long way north to avoid violent low pressure areas, themselves much further north than is usual. It’s therefore been impossible for us to go for a classic southerly route. As well as that, we’ve encountered ice at unusually high latitudes. This Southern Ocean was neither enjoyable nor emotionally moving, and far from beautiful thanks to the fog and drizzle. There was none of the magic and grandeur that so often compensates for the extreme cold and isolation. I remember making the same passage a few years ago just as winter was descending, and there was a great feeling of being in a completely different and very magical world. This time, the only magnificent experience has been the sailing… As Didier Ragot said, “once you round the Horn, you know you’re not going to die and that whatever happens, you can cope.”‘

Position : Day 40

Latitude, Longitude, Distance in 24hr, Average speed

Geronimo, 55°18S, 75°51W, 495 nautical miles 20,66

Orange, 57°03S, 97°26W, 563 nautical miles, 23,44

The boat’s position at 15:00 GMT today (16:00 French time) 56°02S – 69°37W

Distance travelled in 12 hours : 216 nautical miles

Average speed over the last 12 hours: 18,00 knots