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16 March 2003, 08:37 am

Day 64 - Close, But Not Close Enough

Jules Verne Trophy

Round the World

At 15:00 GMT on Day 64, the Cap Gemini and Schneider Electric trimaran was 683 nautical miles from her home port of Brest, having covered only 180 in the previous 24 hours: an average speed of just 7.5 knots.

"It's a meteorological nightmare! But despite everything, we're sailing just as we've been before, although the atmosphere is a little more relaxed now".

Having set sail with 60 days' of food (5 of them fresh food days), their supplies are beginning to let them down. "There's not a great deal to eat, but we still have our survival rations. It's not terrible... it could be worse!".

For the time being, Olivier de Kersauson and his 10-man crew are continuing their laborious progress towards Ushant and the finish line. "There are no tactics at the moment, because we can't get anywhere. There's a real feeling of impotence on board - there's nothing any of us can do about weather as ridiculous as this. It's so unusual! Even if we'd had a 3-day lead by the time we reached the Azores, we'd have lost it anyway. This weather system is really huge and totally surreal: in July or August, you might expect it, but in March ...It's really unbelievable!", concludes the skipper.

Grandsrecords.com/ISAF News Editor

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