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JOYON is expected to pass the first of the three Great Capes, the Cape of Good Hope sometime during Saturday night/Sunday morning, approximately 15 and a half days since his start. That would put him almost four days ahead of the current record pace of Ellen MACARTHUR (GBR), who reached the Cape of Good Hope in 19 days, 9 hours, 46 minutes. The outright record holder Orange II did it in 14 days, 8 hours and 19 minutes (with a crew of 14).

JOYON is aiming to maximize his current speed as he is currently between the St Helena anticyclone to his north and a hollow depression which is gradually catching him up from the west. Because of his JOYON is aiming to go further South, down to 44 degrees. "The 20 to 22 knots of wind from the northern sector of which I now in enable me to glide smoothly at high speed, 25-26 knots at all times, because the sea is quite smooth and the boat is sailing beautiful," said JOYON. "When the low pressure centre changing to my west catches up with me, the combination of the northerly wind and southern swell will create a confused sea in which it will be less easy to move very quickly "…

At his current speed, JOYON is presenting a threat to the solo 24-hour distance record of Brossard (610.45nm at 25.76 knots), but he's more focussed on the voyage ahead.

"I'm trying to preserve the boat and pass the Cape of Good Hope," he said. "I will then navigate in a rather more conservative way, because I will be in areas where it is never pleasant to have to make repairs.."

The Record To Beat

Record: Round the World, non-stop, singlehanded
Yacht: B&Q
Skipper: Ellen MACATHUR (GBR)
Dates: 28 November 2004-7 February 2005
Elapsed time: 71 days, 14 hours, 18 minutes and 33 seconds
Distance: 21,760 nm
Average Speed: 12.66 knots

Trimaran IDEC - www.trimaran-idec.com
World Sailing Speed Record Council - www.sailspeedrecords.com