Nelson, when he received a second-hand report of Villeneuve's whereabouts, had been fretting at the absence of news for about 12 days. Villeneuve meanwhile had obtained information of the position of the Victory (off Sardinia) and hadbeen able to avoid her, sailing past Gibralter by April 8. By April 18 Nelson had resolved to follow him into the Atlantic but once again was held back by unfavourable winds, until finally in May he made his remarkable dash to the West Indies in pursuit of the French.