Friday night saw the Jules Verne challenger facing winds of 45-55 knots in the Indian Ocean with all sails down but still making 20 knots towards the Kerguelen Islands, 1300 miles distant.

Bruno Peyron reported that the experience of riding a 34-metre boat under bare poles whilst “big dipper” waves submerged the cockpit was a strange one, even for those who had competed in The Race last year.

“We can see the wave coming about 500-700 metres off,” said Peyron. “We take avoiding action, which turns out not to work and we find ourselves at the foot of a wall of water. Speed, no speed, go through it, cut across it ? You have to make your mind up quickly. Once you have decided what you’re going to do, there’s no going back on it. You’re generally in for a wet, violent downhill ride. With no guarantee as to how you’re going to land.”

Fortunately reported damage is limited to a liferaft torn away from the aft beam. The wind has now dropped to SW 30 knots and Orange now has two reefs in the main and a staysail up.

Gilles Chiorri commented, “I don’t think the situation is going to change much. We’re now in the tail end of the low. We mustn’t be overtaken by it – we have to get away from this system. This should take us east towards the Kerguelen Islands.”