Friday 8th February – Press Release No.73
JULES VERNE TROPHY
(CREWED ROUND THE WORLD VIA THE THREE CAPES)
STOWAWAY
The loss of miles in relation to the reference time over the past three days has
finally been stopped since sunrise and Groupama 3 has been stabilising the gap,
despite some still difficult sea conditions. A welcome addition to the crew has
come in the form of an albatross, which has spent a few hours aboard resting!
Since the passage of the equator, the distance between the virtual position of
Orange II and the actual position of Groupama 3 has yoyoed: from 60 miles at the
Canaries, the lead stretched to over 200 miles at Cape Verde, 400 miles at the
equator and 650 miles off Brazil, then dropping to less than 400 miles at the
Cape of Good Hope, barely over 300 miles yesterday and only 200 miles this
Friday morning! As is the case at the casino, it is easier to lose than to win
and with this weather lottery, the roulette wheel has certainly been spinning in
the wrong direction… However, the crew aboard the giant trimaran are dealing
well with the situation and, though they will have to remain patience for a good
half day yet, they are remaining confident about the coming conditions. These
should enable the boat to slip along on a long W'ly swell of the Indian Ocean in
a fine downwind breeze from this weekend! The haemorrhage has therefore been
limited and it hasn't dampened the spirits of the crew, which were surprised
last night by the landing of a stowaway!
“We're making headway in seas, which are still big, but they're calming a
little. We're still in this swell for 24 hours, but it's better than yesterday.
There was a stowaway in the night: an albatross… It probably landed in the
darkness and we didn't spot it: it stayed until this morning! We threw it into
the air so that it would take off again. He wasn't very big, with a fine yellow
beak and bright white feathers. Maybe he landed because he was tired or maybe he
got caught up on a shroud. He couldn't take off all on his own… It’s very wild
and very rare to see them land, but we didn’t have the time to ring it!”
remarked Franck Cammas at today’s radio session.
Crozet bound
Already to the North of the Prince Edward and Marion Islands (47° South – 36°
East), Groupama 3 is continuing to sail abeam of the wind in a fine twenty knots
or so of S'ly, which is easing gently. At the Eastern edge of a zone of high
pressure, Franck Cammas and his nine crew are witnessing the progressive
improvement of the sailing conditions and they have building W'ly winds in store
for them this weekend. Still situated at 39° South this Friday afternoon, the
giant trimaran will finally be able to bend its route in towards the SE to
plunge between Crozet Island and the Kerguelen Islands and reposition itself at
45° South. The distance gained over the course will therefore quickly be shorter
since you can circle the Earth in a few seconds at the poles, whilst you need a
lot more time at the equator!
“The wind is complicated at the moment with 15 to 25 knots in the gusts. We are
sailing with two reefs in the mainsail and staysail… We’re making 28 knots on
one wave and at the bottom we're only making 15 knots! The wind will become a
little bit more stable during the day and we’re beginning to slip along a little
further South. The W’ly wind will kick in again from tomorrow, as far as the
Kerguelen Islands where we’ll be able to gybe… It is pretty unusual nonetheless
to have wind on the beam for 50 hours in the Indian Ocean…” confirmed the
skipper of Groupama 3.
In this way, the rhythm will pick up again for a fair while as the circulation
of the depression systems along 45° South, seem to be continuous over the next
few days. Of course the temperature of the air will drop, of course we’ll have
to be more careful at the helm to negotiate the more abrupt waves, of course
we’ll have to play the wind rotations well to cover the minimum number of miles
around Antarctica. However, after this unexpected section in the Indian Ocean,
the crew will really enter into the Deep South, where they'll remain until Cape
Horn… A change of life, a change of atmosphere, a change of sky and above all a
change of gear! Containing its 200 mile lead, Groupama 3 should in this way
reconstruct its cushion of advance as Orange II wasn’t as quick three years ago,
till she entered the Pacific…
A day in the circumnavigation
Franck Cammas: "In terms of comfort and sea state, the situation is improving
but remains difficult. We have to attach ourselves on as there's water on the
deck and it's very difficult to hold on. This is the problem with these sailing
conditions. They make both the crew and the structure of the boat suffer [...]"
Franck Cammas: "It is very rare to be able to approach an albatross. It had a
fine yellow beak and a superb body, which was totally white. It was amazing to
see it react like a carrier pigeon that you can sometimes find in the Channel."
Interview with Jacques Caraës
“What a surprise last night at our change of watch to discover that an albatross
had landed in the cockpit of Groupama 3...It was pitch black. The bird wasn’t
frightened and spent the night with us. This morning at first light, we were
able to approach it and stroke it. The albatross didn't mind. He wasn't scared
of us, but we were a bit frightened of him because the length of our mascot's
beak didn't encourage us to approach him without a certain degree of restraint.
At daybreak, Fred took him in his hands and threw him into the air so he could
find his playmates again. What a magical moment. It’s so rare to approach such a
bird. For this moment alone it’s been worthwhile making the journey. To be
honest, we were a little sad to see our mascot go, even if he was more majestic
in the air than on the deck of Groupama 3.”
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.
All about the circumnavigation Passage into the Indian Ocean
*Passage at the longitude of Cape Agulhas by Groupama 3: Wednesday 6th February
at 1637’ UT
*From Ushant to Cape Agulhas: 13 d 08 hr and 47 min (Groupama 3)
*Lead over the reference time established by Orange II in 2005 (14d 08h 18’): 23
hr 30’
*From the equator to Cape Agulhas: 7 d 02 h 22’ (Groupama 3)
*Lead over the reference time established by Orange II in 2005 (7d 05h 19’): 2
hr 57’
Today’s figures
Start on 24th January at 07h50’17’’ UT
Arrival before Saturday 15th March 2008 at 00h09'21'' UT
Day 15 at 0800’ UT
* Distance covered on the water in 24 hours: 531.2 miles
* Distance covered since the start: 7,906 miles
* Distance to the finish: 16,624 miles
* Average on day 15: 22.1 knots
* Average since the start: 21.96 knots
* Lead in relation to Orange II: 204.8 miles
Reference time * Jules Verne Trophy: 50d 16h 20’ (Orange II in 2005) * Ushant to
the equator: 6d 6h 24’ (Groupama 3 in 2008)
* Equator – Cape Agulhas: 7d 02h 22’ (Groupama 3-2008) * Ushant – Cape Agulhas:
13d 08h 47’ (Groupama 3-2008) * Cape Agulhas - Tasmania: 9d 11h 04’ (Orange II
in 2005)
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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