sailing

Geronimo’s first Pacific campaign between Los Angeles and Honolulu was carried out at an exceptional average speed varying between 19 and 24.29 knots. The trimaran thus managed to beat the Transpacific record, which had been held by Bruno Peyron since 1997, who had set it with a time of 5 days, 9 hours 18 minutes and 26 seconds, at what was already an amazing average speed of 17.21 knots. This performance allowed Olivier de Kersauson and his crew to take Geronimo across the finish line practically half a day ahead of Bruno Peyron, which on a five-day route is quite an achievement. The return leg from Honolulu to San Diego was also carried out at a record speed.

San Francisco/Yokohama.
Steve Fossett covered the distance from between San Francisco-Yokohama in 19 days 15 hours 18 minutes 09 seconds in May 1996. To begin with, at the end of March, the CapGemini/Schneider Electric team will be tackling this record. The journey is 4525 miles long (8400 kilometres) and should take place in the first days of spring to avoid the deep winter lows. This campaign is the equivalent of crossing the Atlantic upwind, but is much longer.

Yokohama/Hong Kong.
Before setting out on the return leg across the Pacific, Geronimo will be establishing a new record route in Asia. Yokohama is the main port and marine gateway to Tokyo, Japan’s nerve centre. As for Hong Kong, it is the gateway to China, a crossroads, which is expanding at an unheard of rate of growth. Invited by the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, many members of which are keen sailors, the French trimaran will stay for a few days in the bay before heading off to Japan.

Yokohama/San Francisco.
Following that, Geronimo will make an attempt at the record set in 1998 by the crew of Explorer between Yokohama and San Francisco in 14 days, 17 hours, 22 minutes and 50 seconds. The latter had improved by one day, 23 hours, 58 minutes and 29 seconds on the record of 16 days, 17 hours, 21 minutes and 19 seconds held since August 1995 by the American Steve Fossett. They will have to leave the Western Pacific before the summer to avoid the very specific weather systems that develop in this area.

General overhaul.
During the month, Geronimo will go in for work in San Diego, for her annual service. Since the spring of 2005, the boat has sailed around Australia, crossed the Pacific and done a return journey to Hawaii without being taken out of the water. Apart from the repair work and modifications to the canted mast that were carried out in Polynesia, Geronimo has shown herself to be extremely reliable, but the fittings have arrived at the end of their lifespan. Six members of the team will be flying off to California to carry out these operations. They have scheduled a check-up, the replacement of deck fittings, painting and applying antifouling, getting some new sails and carrying out trials with them. The trimaran’s relaunch is due to take place in March and she will be on stand by from the end of that month.