The IDEC SPORT Maxi Trimaran moved to code amber today, meaning that an attempt at the Jules Verne Trophy, the outright round the world record, may begin in the next 72 hours.
Francis Joyon and his Dutch weather router, Marcel van Triest have been talking things through over the past few hours as they eye up the possibility ahead. The north Atlantic is being whipped up by severe gales and seas are nasty this weekend in particular in the trade winds around the Canaries. The Doldrums, as some of the Vendée Globe sailors have experiences, have tretched out in latitude. But the South Atlantic, which was holding back Joyon and his men on their last moves to Code Amber appears to be more favourable.
Consequently, Francis Joyon has called up his troops, the German Boris Herrmann, the Spaniard Alex Pella, the Swiss sailor Bernard Stamm and the Frenchmen, Clément Surtel and Gwénolé Gahinet, to clean the boat up and stow supplies aboard for a possible start on Monday morning (21st November).
More info to follow on Sunday morning.
