Gitana 13 in a holding pattern off the coast of Tierra del Fuego
On 16 January, Lionel Lemonchois and his nine-man crew set out on their attempt to break the record on the Route de l'Or: New York to San Francisco via Cape Horn. But the ten sailors onboard the maxi-catamaran fitted out by Baron Benjamin de Rothschild have been held up since Saturday evening by the tumult common at the tip of South America.

The rounding of the famous rock has been postponed because of storms. Yesterday, the course tracked out by the 33-meter catamaran suggests that Gitana 13 had finally gotten some calm weather to have a go at Cape Horn. In reality, Lionel Lemonchois and his men did a short out and back toward the famous promontory in an effort to protect itself as much as possible from successive low-pressure systems. To top things off, high winds buffeting Tierra del Fuego make mooring difficult if not impossible.

Despite this setback and the uncomfortable situation, the mood onboard Gitana 13 remains excellent. The ten sailors are taking advantage of the waiting game to inspect all the boat's nooks and crannies. Such a detailed inspection is a good idea after 7,000 miles already covered and almost as much lying ahead.

The latest weather reports indicate an improvement in conditions during the day Wednesday.

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