The progress of the six sailors on IDEC SPORT towards Cape Horn slowed during the night as they passed through a small area of low pressure. But the wind got up again around lunchtime today, so Francis Joyon and his men should be within the time set by Banque Populaire V, which means rounding the Horn before 0020hrs UTC tonight.
At 1530hrs UTC this afternoon (Tuesday), IDEC SPORT was 130 miles from Cape Horn, with the wind returning for Francis Joyon and his crew. After 24 tricky hours, a NW’ly air stream has now returned propelling the boat forward. “The wind’s a bit over twenty knots now, as opposed to just ten this morning,” explained the German sailor, Boris Herrmann. “It wasn’t good for our nerves last night, but things are better now. We’re making good headway and the mood has improved, as the wind has strengthened.” The router Marcel van Triest confirmed this ETA for the Horn at “around 2200hrs UTC.”
At the Horn within the record
Francis Joyon remains philosophical. “The return of the wind has cheered us up. We are back to peak speeds of 32 or 33 knots. But it could drop off again as we reach the cape. Let’s just say we are aiming to stay ahead of the time set by Banque Populaire V. I think that is possible.” We will be watching the numbers closely this evening. Let’s not forget that before the start, the men on IDEC SPORT said they would be happy with a draw at the Horn.
