Spindrift 2 crossed the Equator this Friday, November 27 at 1 h 31' GMT (2 h 31', French time). Yann Guichard's trimaran has thus beaten Loïck Peyron's five-day record on Banque Populaire V, set in 2011 (5 d 14 h 55').
Spindrift 2 left on November 22, 2009 and took 4 days, 21 hours and 29 minutes to complete the first leg of the course. From now on, they will have to negotiate the trade winds in the southern hemisphere, en route to the Cape of Good Hope.
Spindrift 2 - Day 5
Even if for Yann Guichard, it was the 5th e passage of the Equator, for others it was their 15 e when some were passing it for the first time. So the crew had planned a half bottle of champagne to celebrate, but also to make an offering to Neptune, a sailor tradition.
Atlantic shower on Spindrift 2 - Day 5
3 hours 32 minutes and 28 seconds behind Spindrift 2, at the Equator, for Idec Sport
Just behind, Idec Sport crossed the Equator this Friday, November 27, 2015 at 03 hours 03 minutes 52 seconds Universal Time, or 04 hours 03 minutes 52 seconds French time. Francis Joyon and his crew will therefore have taken 5 days 01 hour 52 seconds to reach the separation line of the two hemispheres, more than half a day ahead of the time to beat. But 1 hour 32 minutes after Spindrift 2, leaving the latter in the lead. The red trimaran is now out of the doldrums and sailing in the South Atlantic.
Ecuador for Idec Sport
On this descent between Ushant Island and the Equator, the two trimarans benefited from exceptional weather conditions.
Yann Guichard on Spindrift 2
To follow the evolution of the boats on the same map in this map, follow the link at the bottom of the page, you can see the course of Banque Populaire V, the defending Jules Verne Trophy holder and that of Spindrift 2 and Idec Sport. It is a cartography specialist, whose name we do not know, who designed this map to have a clearer visibility of the trajectory and the advance of the boats.
For Idec Sport, there are two arrowheads, the second corresponding to the T-2 H for a more objective comparison with Spindrift 2.
Francis Joyon at the helm on a full moon night
