It was at exactly 0859 GMT on Tuesday that Hydroptère set out on the Discovery Route, linking Cadiz with San Salvador in the Bahamas.
Initially planning a departure the previous Saturday, the trimaran's pilot Alain Thébault, held out for a more favourable weather window providing him with the best possible conditions for a fast Atlantic crossing. Over the initial stages of the course leading Thébault's crew (Jean-Mathieu Bourgeon, François Brillant, François Cazala and Jacques Vincent) as far as the Canaries, the trimaran will be racing downwind against the clock in average conditions and 10 to 15 knots of breeze. Once past the archipelago, the weather is likely to improve with the wind filling in to 20-25 knots.
