Thursday 31st January – Press Release No.65
JULES VERNE TROPHY
(CREWED ROUND THE WORLD VIA THE THREE CAPES)
SKIRTING ROUND THE EDGE
The connection with the tradewinds of the Saint Helena High were timed to
perfection this Thursday lunchtime, and after a reduction in the pace due to the
Doldrums and the passage of the equator, Groupama 3 has kicked up her heels
again and is making nearly thirty knots! The objective of Franck Cammas and his
men now is to quickly make southing to catch hold of an Argentinean low…
The North-South transfer has gone rather well for the giant trimaran. Franck
Cammas’ crew didn't waste any time after the Doldrums, accelerating again at 4°
South to over twenty knots in around fifteen knots of SE’ly. However, the change
was even more radical from sunrise (7° South), when the breeze backed favourably
to the East. This enabled Groupama 3 to sail with the wind on the beam (and no
longer upwind) with an added intensity to the breeze, which rose to 18-20 knots.
All of a sudden, the average speeds surpassed thirty knots and their lead over
Orange II has shot up to over 500 miles… Given that the weather conditions are
forecast to be stable for at least two days, we can expect a lot of headway to
be marked out on the map as we approach the second weekend of sailing!
“In two days, we shall be quite far South to track down a front, which is
shifting to the West and will enable us to "take the corner" and close on the
Cape of Good Hope. It's almost an ideal scenario even though we’ll have to go
quite far South, and therefore a little outside Orange II’s course. We are lucky
to have a front, which will traverse the Saint Helena High level with Tristan da
Cunha…. We still have some leeway today to aim for the most favourable point to
hook onto the low, slipping along nicely for most of the time. The moment where
we hoist the gennaker to adjust the place where we will encounter the
Argentinean front will be important. We’re handling Groupama 3 with kid gloves
by lifting the foil a little and raising the daggerboard. Since the passage of
the equator, there haven't been too many manœuvres and the crew has been able to
rest, do a bit of washing, clean up the gear and tidy up a bit…” recounted
Franck Cammas at the noon radio session.
Hanging a left from Trinidad
This special Thursday radio session was the opportunity to visualise the living
and sailing conditions of the crew on Groupama 3, thanks to a live broadcast of
images films by Jacques Caraës and Steve Ravussin. It was also a chance for the
whole shore crew from the Lorient Base to come to Paris and see the boat after
the passage of the equator, as she negotiated a tropical squall. “Thank you to
the whole team as the boat has been well prepared and above all for the vast
amount of spares that you've provided us with in the event of problems. Our lead
of 480 miles over Orange II won't be easy to hang onto as they had some good
conditions around Saint Helena. It will be difficult not to lose a few hours
before we pass the longitude of the Cape of Good Hope…” detailed the skipper of
Groupama 3.
The crew showed themselves to be in great shape despite the equatorial heat and
don't seem to have suffered from the repeated manœuvres they’ve had to make to
get to the equator. Above all else, the increase in wind under a squall clearly
showed how Groupama 3 was able to accelerate effortlessly on very manageable
seas and that the boat wasn’t stressed after a week's sailing.
Indeed, navigator Yves Parlier will be able to bend in the trimaran's trajectory
as they make southing. In fact, the boat will follow the edge of the Saint
Helena High, from its NW to its SE on a single regular curve to round the centre
of the high pressure. Bruno Peyron and his crew took 7 days 5 hours 22 minutes
to cover the 3,500 miles separating the equator from the Cape of Good Hope: will
Franck Cammas and his nine men benefit from similar conditions so as not to lose
too much time?
All about the tour
*From Ushant to the equator: 6 days 6 hours 24 minutes (Groupama 3 in 2008)
*Lead over Orange II’s passage of the equator in 2005 (7d 02h 56'): 20 hours 32
minutes
Today’s interviews
Franck Cammas, skipper of Groupama 3: “We haven’t had a huge amount of wind for
the past 24 hours (10-14 knots) but we have been accelerating steadily since
this Thursday morning in a more regular breeze (18-20 knots) which is backing.
We're beginning to make good headway to the South at an average of nearly thirty
knots since noon, under full mainsail and solent jib. Steve Ravussin is at the
helm. We are off the Brazilian coast and the seas are flat as there isn’t much
wind in the East. Groupama 3 is still going very fast, even with the light airs.
There is a very big high to our left and the seas haven’t had time to build.
Conditions are ideal for enabling the boat to slip along. We're accumulating the
maximum of heat and calories for the next stage in our journey…”
http://www.windreportmedia.com/sailing/groupama/fc20080131_fr_a.mp3
Sylvain Mondon (Météo France), onshore weather expert for Groupama 3: “What we
imagined would happen at the start off Ushant has become a reality: high
pressure conditions up to Cape Finisterre, then a more complicated disturbed
passage around the Canaries and Cape Verde. The crew has had a fair number of
manœuvres to make in this system… For the Doldrums, we had no particular
expectation as it's impossible to make forecasts about this zone a week in
advance. Conversely, for the Southern Atlantic, we were targeting a favourable
configuration. And the expected scenario has been confirmed with the Saint
Helena High being pushed eastwards by a fairly active low, which is shifting
across the South Atlantic: the tradewinds are orientated more to the East as
they fill in. The situation will carry Groupama 3 to the roaring 40's fairly
rapidly… There is also a corridor of air which gives us some cause to hope for
an entry into the Indian Ocean at the start of next week! We have been pretty
surprised in the light airs as regards the trimaran’s performance: it is capable
of going twice as fast as the strength of the wind!”
http://www.windreportmedia.com/sailing/groupama/temp/sm20080131_fr_raw.mp3
Rights free interview for the press, available by simple request – broadcast via
ISDN line, telephone or email. Contact Corentin Duroselle - Windreport’
on +33 (0)6 63 02 80 71 - +33 (0)2 40 84 30 00 - cod@windreport.com
During the record, find Franck Cammas and his crew everyday at 1100 GMT live
from Groupama 3. For this nothing could be simpler: www.cammas-groupama.com or
connect to the Groupama 3 / WindReport platform and ask your questions, by
calling 0 825 15 30 70 (0.15 € / min).
References: Jules Verne Trophy
Time to beat: 50 days 16 hours 20 minutes and 4 seconds – Average speed: 17.89
knots
Record held by Bruno Peyron, aboard the maxi catamaran Orange II, since March
2005.
Time to beat from the equator - the Cape of Good Hope: 7 days 5 hours 22 minutes
(Orange II in 2005)
Start on 24th January at 07h50’17’’ UT
Arrival before Saturday 15th March 2008 at 00h09'21'' UT
Day 7 at 7h 45’ UT
*Distance covered on the water in 24 hours: 512.9 miles
*Distance covered since the start: 3,500 miles
*Distance to the finish: 21,030 miles
*Average on day 7: 21.37 knots
*Average since the start: 20.83 knots
*Lead in relation to Orange II: 436.6 miles
Find a detailed cartography at: http://cammas-groupama.geovoile.com/julesverne
Kate Jennings
Expression.
P.O. Box 26,
Dartmouth,
DEVON.
TQ6 0YG
United Kingdom
+44 (0)7795 116699
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