Sodebo Maxi trimaran update, Thomas Coville to pass Madeira tonight on his round the world solo record attempt

From the following press release (in Fremch) on the Sodebo Voile website:

http://www.sodebo.fr/voile/actualites/article/madere-soir

and the rough bing translate below:

Madeira tonight

The maxi-trimaran Sodebo departed Brest two days ago and a half. He was already on the latitude of Gibraltar this morning and will double Madeira tonight. Thomas Coville has succeeded brilliantly the first hurdle of this sail solo around the world. The headwinds, nor the succession of systems depressional unstable prevented the skipper of cavaler South and to be already back up to Francis Joyon, virtual opponent.

A frantic pace

Since his departure, the skipper has constantly maneuver to keep the schedule of this atypical round defined with its routers. In applied student, Sodebo broke this morning the first 1000 miles of his journey. Last night was yet rough along the Portugal with 40 knots in squalls but with an angle of announced more favourable wind. The breeze and the sea have aligned themselves with measure, which helped the skipper to lengthen the stride and maintain speeds above 22 knots.

The exit of the tunnel
"The hard part is behind us," lance Thierry Briend in binding permanently with the sailor. "In the morning, the wind fell below 25 nodes in a North-North West, forcing Thomas to canvas. Sodebo will come out gradually this low-pressure system and wind will continue to engage (turn right)" the dullness should finally fade and the skipper will finally be milder temperatures. "

Place downwind

 The time is in the slips under small then large gennaker for the first time in this round the world! Solitaire can finally relax a little before negotiating the passage in the evening in the West of Madeira. "Sodebo slides along the curvature of the anticyclone of the Azores," continues Thierry. "After Madeira, he will cross off the coast of the Canary Islands tomorrow evening, pushed by the beginnings of the Ne'ly Tradewinds."

Wednesday, he should pass off the coast of Dakar and let the islands of Cape Verde in its wake for his sixth day of navigation, there where a cruise ship would put several weeks!