Nevertheless, Olivier de Kersauson and his crew continue to clock up the miles (459 nautical miles on day 29, at an average speed of 19.13 knots point-to-point), but at 45° South. The trimaran is currently in the Tasman Sea, that part of the Pacific Ocean between Australia and New Zealand.

The next few hours will be very important for the record attempt, since Geronimo has no alternative other than to track further south around New Zealand and therefore return into the Howling Fifties. Everyone on board is hoping that sea conditions will allow them to return to the latitudes enjoyed by the current Jules Verne Trophy holder on his record-breaking circumnavigation of last year: at this longitude, Bruno Peyron and Orange were at 54° south.

The Indian Ocean has therefore been a very difficult stage of this record attempt, having forced the crew to extend the trimaran's route significantly. The 11-man crew has now travelled more than 13,000 nautical miles since leaving Brest on 11 January.

Their thoughts now turn towards the largest ocean on earth: the Pacific covers 180 million km2, almost one third of the world's surface.