Westbound Circumnavigation

A remarkable performance, as Guirec was forced to head far north in the Pacific, sailing nearly 10,000 nautical miles (about 18,500 km) more than his predecessor. As a result, the trimaran passed well to port of Tahiti. The skipper even took advantage of a few stretches in the lee of some paradise islands to enjoy the scenery… and carry out a few repairs.

“I still took 36 days to cross the Pacific!” Guirec explains. “It was a bit long, I won’t lie to you… I went very far north, close to the Equator, and seeing that you’re lengthening your route for 15 days, moving away from your goal, knowing it’s not the right heading at all… well, it’s not exactly encouraging! Overall, it hasn’t been easy (laughs)! You have to stay extremely vigilant. Before Cape Leeuwin, I was hit by a small depression, with quite a heavy sea - waves built up to almost 6 meters, 5.80 m to be precise if I’m not mistaken - and 40 knots of wind. Everything creaks in every direction; with each wave, you feel like the boat is going to break apart! I’m lucky because I have a very strong boat, very well prepared, and I take good care of it. The crossing of the Indian Ocean is looking good… Right now, I’m averaging 25 knots over four hours. I’m still right on schedule!”

After Cape Leeuwin, the trimaran’s course should edge slightly farther north than Jean-Luc Van Den Heede’s before the next and final mandatory waypoint: the Cape of Good Hope…