Jules Verne Trophy - Orange II - Geronimo - Cheyenne zur Übersicht 25.03.2004 Between calms and storms. The Cap Gemini and Schneider Electric trimaran continues her headlong dash south of Tasmania, clocking up 555 nautical miles point-to-point on Day 28. Nevertheless, speaking over an Iridium satellite phone link earlier today, Olivier de Kersauson sounded a note of caution about the weather conditions immediately ahead: “We’re between calms and storms, with the wind jumping about between 12 and 30 knots. We’re also between two depressions, with a tropical cyclone to the north. This makes for very gusty, unstable conditions, which means that we have to the fly the canvas to cope with 30 knots of wind so as to anticipate the worst. But it won’t last for ever; in the next six hours, we should have the westerlies back with us. Beyond that, I don’t know what we’re in for...” With the trimaran now below the 54th parallel, conditions are once again very cold. The sea is 5°C and the air 2°C, which means that this is almost certainly their southerly limit if they want to avoid any unwanted encounters. One man is on constant radar watch and night vision systems are in use. The cold is now getting right through to a crew already feeling the effects of 3 days of fighting to make way in light winds only to come suddenly back up to speed with icy ones. However, most of those on board can remember this time last year when Geronimo was squashed up tight just south of Tasmania by a very northerly depression and could make no real speed. The situation is very different this year, with a handy 3-day lead over the current record and the depressions centred much further south. “If the weather reindexs within the normal patterns for this time of year, we really are well-placed. If we come up against exceptional climatic conditions, we risk coming unstuck. That’s what makes this job so great: If it was nothing but monotonous surfing all the way, then any idiot could do it!” DAY 28 GERONIMO (Cap Gemini / Schneider Electric) 52°33S - 136°15E 555 nautical miles covered in 24 hours, at an average speed of 23 knots Distance to the antimeridian: 1686.21 nautical miles Record 47°35S - 102°38E 476 nautical miles covered in 24 hours, at an average speed of 19 knots Distance to the antimeridian: 2,961.85 nautical miles Press Relations RIVACOM Régis Rassouli Tel : +33 (0) 2 98 43 21 50 regis@rivacom.fr Copyright © 1996-2016 - SEGEL.DE