Francis Joyon more than 400 nm ahead of reference time on the Cadiz to San Salvador Discovery Route

Francis Joyon well ahead of reference time on the Cadiz to San Salvador Discovery Route:

The tracker for the attempt is here:

http://www.trimaran-idec.com/multimedia_cartographie.asp

The original article (in French) is here.

http://www.trimaran-idec.com/actualite_article.asp?id=213

below is a rough Google translate of the article:

400 MILES AHEAD TO 1000 MILES OF PURPOSE

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Francis Joyon perfectly negotiated the first of three challenges that presented themselves before the bows of the maxi trimaran IDEC: front with 35 knots of wind, it remains a big swell northwest who manhandles the boat. IDEC is fast but still: he that Tuesday afternoon 400 miles ahead of his time in 2008, a thousand miles from the finish in San Salvador. 

The cavalcade across the Atlantic continues to Francis Joyon, who chained days over 530 miles traveled. "I actually got right to the front I expected yesterday: a big cloud in which the bar is mounted wind at 35 knots. I cut three laugh a moment, but the boat has negotiated and I'm very glad I took a small lead (400,000 anyway, so) in anticipation of two difficulties remain: the positioning compared to the anticyclone is above me and the risk of calm on arrival, end of term, "says the skipper of IDEC.

 

Without ever losing his cool, as usual. A finish on Friday? Everything okay so for that Joyon completed in early afternoon on the 6th day of the attempt to improve the Record Route Discovery with over 2850 miles already covered since the start of Cadiz. Francis was now hopeful of actually winning a few hours of his time in 2008 or a little more. It remains very cautious on the subject "because I know the quiet end of may extend far and we slow copiously. But let's say the very optimistic scenario, taken with great care, would get me in a little less than 9 days. " That would mean IDEC could be on the line on Friday in the Bahamas. But caution: in 2008, only 200,000 had been covered in each of the last two days of racing, because of the famous calm. "This is a classic shot of the Bahamas, just need it does not last too long if you're annoyed.

 

" Francis Joyon therefore expected to be slowed by the arrival. We understand why he is "very happy" to have an advance that today is therefore only erroneously comfortable. Whether one or more hulls, or record fleet, it has long been known as the line is not crossed, there is never a foregone conclusion. For the moment "the boat works much in downwind conditions but with a big northwest swell. I'm a little unfortunate for him, but the side of the sea all goes well. " IDEC followed the rotation of the wind northeast, behind the front.

 

Side life on board, "I managed to find a rhythm that suits me sleep." And is that the Joyon is always happy on the water? IDEC driver for a spin this question: "Oh, yes! One imagines that life is spartan solo sailor and horrible, but there are also nice moments: when the boat glides well on the sea, there are beautiful lights on the water, the color of the ocean is beautiful, like right now ... In short, we will say that comfort level it is far from the truth, but an aesthetic point of view we approach still happiness through the beauty of the elements that surround us. "From Joyon in the text.