ACCELERATING OFF BRAZIL

The IDEC SPORT Maxi-Trimaran has been sailing off Brazil since the middle of the night. The SE’ly trade winds are gradually backing to the east as they dive south, allowing the trimaran to accelerate. Joyon and his men are back up to speeds above 24 knots this morning, which is the ideal way to make up for the ground lost since the Doldrums, which slowed their voyage to the Equator. This morning off Recife they are 150 miles behind the title-holder but more or less equal as the virtual rival, the maxi trimaran Banque Populaire V, was at this point in 2012 off Salvador da Bahia, but much further west. The strategy and positioning are key in this stretch of the South Atlantic with all its uncertainties. The St. Helena high appears to be swelling right across to Rio, and getting around it looks complicated. IDEC SPORT has been sailing under dark clouds since the Cape Verde Islands, but this should soon be replaced by sunshine. Time to get out the sun cream, T-shirts and hats on the scorching deck of the maxi trimaran.