Change of scenery in the South Pacific. As the crew starts its 22nd day of racing in the Jules Verne Trophy, IDEC SPORT has moved away from the Southern low, which propelled the maxi-trimaran all the way across the Indian Ocean. After one long fast tack, Francis Joyon and his crew have carried out a series of gybes and manoeuvres in the past few hours during a welcome slowdown. Well ahead of the record pace (almost 800 miles this morning), they are starting the final stretch around Antarctica in milder weather, as Sébastien Audigane explains.
“We have just had our first sunny day for a long time. After gybing this morning, the weather improved with the sun offering us some warmth. No more getting drenched with water and getting whipped by the apparent wind. The helmet and neoprene balaclava have been replaced by sunglasses and a simple hat. It’s nice to get a breather. There’s still a long way to go to the Horn. We are sailing under gennaker in seas that are still quite heavy. The albatrosses are with us. Everything is fine on IDEC SPORT!”
