Lionel Lemonchois and his 12-man team including Loïck Peyron set off yesterday on the Route de la Découverte Cadix-Salvador (Discovery Route Cadiz – San Salvador) aboard the record-breaking 33m catamaran Gitana 13 (formerly Innovation Explorer/Orange).

Lemonchois – winner of the 2006 Route du Rhumb – and team aiming to crack the current 9 days, 13 h, 30 m, 18 s record set in 2003 by the American Steve Fossett, on Playstation, crossed the start line at 9 hours 7 minutes and 8 seconds UT yesterday morning.

The course from Cadiz to San Salvador was the route Christopher Columbus followed from August to October 1492, when he was trying to reach Asia by going west (the existence of America was not yet known) without having to go around Africa or cross the territory of the Turks.

Yesterday’s forecast showed that after a fairly light start the breeze was due to freshen with the winds from the Straits of Gibraltar up to 23/26 knots. The wind is then due to drop to 15/20 knots on the approach to the Canaries.