Jules Verne Trophy - Orange II - Geronimo - Cheyenne zur Übersicht 09.04.2004 The Geronimo trimaran newsletter n° 52 Jules Verne Trophy Due North. The Cap Gemini and Schneider Electric trimaran is heading due north at an average speed of over 18 knots. An area of high pressure that has slowed the 11-man French crew a little today should move off east this evening. Temperatures are climbing visibly, the data transmission and navigation systems are coming back to life and bodies are mending. It's as if, having been on the defensive for so long, Geronimo is finally stretching out. Now 144 nautical miles ahead of the Jules Verne Trophy holder, but 546 miles behind the new record time set by Cheyenne, the task looks immense and a lot of luck will be required. As they wait for that luck, which has so far eluded the Bretons, they will have no choice but to sail even faster, more consistently and on an even shorter course. The good weather forecasts were slightly over-optimistic yesterday evening, but the position had stabilised by this morning. Geronimo's latest news are on http://www.trimaran-geronimo.com Positions - DAY 43 GERONIMO (Cap Gemini / Schneider Electric) 48°41S - 60°58W 442 nautical miles covered in 24 hours, at an average speed of 18.46 knots Distance to the Equator GERONIMO: 3,331 nautical miles to 30°West Jules Verne Trophy record 2002: 3,475 nautical miles Cheyenne record 2004: 2,785 nautical miles Transition ahead 09 April 19:30 At 18:00 French time today (9 April), Geronimo’s router Pierre Lasnier had this to say about the weather situation in which Olivier de Kersauson and his crew find themselves in the first section of their homeward leg through the South Atlantic. “Currently, we are at 45°S, 57°30W and we’re going through a transition phase, which means that we will have a rather tricky area to pass through, in which the wind will gradually change from being a westerly of around 15 knots to a north-westerly freshening to 20 knots by tomorrow evening, which should take us past the 35th parallel”. “We have left behind the disturbance that pushed us this far and are hooking up with another depression which should generate established westerlies and strengthen, but not until the end of tomorrow morning”. “At the same time, we are just ahead of what is called the sub-tropical convergence, which marks the division between an area of disturbed currents with a relatively cold sea of 11-12°C, and the subtropical zone itself, which is much warmer. Here, the sea temperature should rise by 4 to 5°C during tomorrow alone”. “This will also contribute to strengthening the northwesterly winds, which means that at the end of Day 10, throughout Day 11 and into part of Day 12, we should have good surfing days with northwesterlies of around 25 knots”. “We are therefore at a very specific stage, marked by this geographical transition between the disturbed zone and the subtropical zone. Another significant issue at the moment is that the wind is shifting from southwest to west and northwest. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen a northwesterly wind…”. Copyright © Cap Gemini Ernst & Young | Schneider Electric Copyright © 1996-2016 - SEGEL.DE