JV Jumble–Geronimo in the South: Well, one of the two French multihulls finally made it across the Equator without having to turn back for repairs or more fois gras. Geronimo crossed The Line yesterday, 7 days, 22 hours and 13 minutes after she set out. That was a touch slower than Orange 2002’s time (13 minutes, to be exact), but 8 hours faster than Cheyenne. Olivier De K and his crew can take some comfort from that fact….which they need because they are still going slow. Only 254.5 miles yesterday, their slowest run to date, and the band of light air straddling the Equator looks as if it will keep them in its clutches late into today. After that they’ll catch the southeast trade winds and starting looking ahead to the next tactical challenge: how to get around the South Atlantic High and into the Southern Ocean.

Down Under Australia, Cheyenne slowed a bit too, but not much, logging 507 miles yesterday as the cold front she has been racing finally caught her and dumped some squalls on Fossett and his crew. The wind has shifted to the west, putting Cape Horn dead downwind for the moment, which will force the big cat to start gybing and slow her headlong sprint toward the Pacific. Even so, Cheyenne has now streteched her lead over Orange 2002 to 1688 miles (chart here). Just another day at the office….



Geronimo Grinding: “Holy Merde, Olivier, this thing is so narrow all I get is a snootful of unwashed Gallic armpit….Medic!”