Blue skies, sunshine, mild temperatures… It was a quiet fifth Sunday for the crew of the IDEC SPORT Maxi Trimaran, which they used to get some rest and carry out a few odd jobs. It was slow sailing in an area of light winds off the South of Brazil, but Joyon’s men also needed to remain vigilant and react quickly to any wind shifts. It was in fact a welcome rest after the physically demanding conditions in the violent southern low, which has taken the multihull from the Southern Ocean to the warmth of Brazil in just three days. Clément Surtel, Gwénolé Gahinet, Bernard Stamm, Sébastien Audigane, Alex Pella and Francis Joyon were able to take care of the boat and get some rest in a much more relaxed atmosphere than that they have experienced in the days of high speed sailing. A much appreciated break, but they hoped it would not last too long.
The men on IDEC SPORT are looking ahead to the Equator and the final stretch home. The countdown has begun and they can see each mile being clocked up. Back up to around twenty knots, IDEC SPORT is now moving slightly more to the east trying to find the SE’ly trade winds, which should take them to the Equator. The red and grey trimaran has just completed the 31st day of racing. During their winning attempt in 2012, at this point in their race, Loïck Peyron and his crew on the maxi trimaran Banque Populaire V were just rounding Cape Horn.
