Sunday 10th February – Press Release No.75
JULES VERNE TROPHY
(CREWED ROUND THE WORLD VIA THE THREE CAPES)
TOUT SCHUSS!
The weather conditions and above all the sea state have become sufficiently
manageable again for Groupama 3 to lengthen its stride downwind whilst remaining
along 42° South. At an average of over thirty knots over the past few hours, her
lead over the reference time has increased considerably…
Five knots better than Orange II over the past few hours, Groupama 3 is racing
at full tilt again to the North of the Kerguelen Island, since the wind has
shifted to the NW and filled in to over 25 knots... On port tack, the giant
trimaran has been making headway since midday at over thirty knots on an E'ly
heading, which will enable her to maintain a quick pace with temperatures still
mild. “We gybed shortly before midday: we’re beginning to escape the ‘hell hole’
of the past three days and it’s the first time in a week that we’ve been able
to slip along whilst being pushed by the waves. Beforehand, the gear was taking
a real battering and it was hard for the crew too! The seas are now coming from
the West and we have the right wind angle to be able to tackle it" announced
Stève Ravussin at the radio session.
The forecasts for the next few days are rather encouraging since Franck Cammas
and his nine crew will once again be able to reconcile a more ‘normal' life
aboard with regular speeds in excess of thirty knots… This should be enough to
enable them to quickly regain over a day’s room for manoeuvre on the record,
like that Groupama 3 acquired prior to the Cape of Good Hope. The only glitch in
this more attractive setting: the presence of two cyclones, between Madagascar
and Australia, which may change course at any moment and plunge southwards!
Sylvain Mondon (Météo France), the onshore weather expert for Groupama 3, shares
his views with us as regards this situation: “For the next few days, the waves
will slow the boat down less. It is on port tack that Franck Cammas and his crew
are continuing their course towards a steady N to NW’ly air flow generated by
the disturbance, which is preceding them (low situated 400 miles to the East on
Sunday morning). It is only midway between the Kerguelen Islands and Cape
Leeuwin that Groupama 3 will catch up with this air flow, synonymous with faster
progress and even less penalising waves. However, we’ll have to watch what
happens in the tropical Indian Ocean as the cyclones (IVAN and HONDO) have been
developing there for several days. At any moment, these systems may take a
southern trajectory and combine with the disturbed air flow, which the maxi
trimaran is currently sailing in. In this type of scenario, vigilance is
imperative since the gusts which accompany such systems exceed 100 knots!
Fortunately for us, the forecasts don’t seem to be panning out this way for the
time being..."
As a result, 400 miles to the North of the Kerguelen Islands this Sunday
afternoon, Groupama 3 will have to wait a little longer to bend its course
towards the SE, which will enable her to reduce the number of miles to cover in
order to circumnavigate the Antarctic. And at around 2,000 miles from the
longitude of Cape Leeuwin (SW Australia), the giant trimaran is set to improve
on the reference time established by Orange II between Cape Agulhas and the
Australian promontory… In any event, it should pass this second historic cape
less than three weeks after the start of the record attempt!
Today’s interview
Interview from Stève Ravussin, watch leader and helmsman
“The freeze dried food is good and for the time being it’s very conclusive.
We're trying to make up some little aperitifs with the crew from pieces of
gruyere cheese and thinly sliced dried beef, but last Thursday the seas were
so big that we weren't able to have our little reunion. The past few days we
haven’t even been able to sleep as conditions were making things so bumpy in the
bunks and we had to lie down so as not to get thrown about by the impact of the
waves. We’ve really been copping it for the past three days with seas like Raz
Blanchard back home! Right now, we have cloudy skies with some sun and it is
doing us the world of good. It’s still very wet outside so we stay below for as
long as possible to read and listen to music. The seas change quickly here and
we knew that a trimaran was going to be less at ease with chaotic seas like the
ones we’ve had of late. We also knew we were going to lose some ground but we're
not doing too badly. We’re going to have to stretch out our lead again over the
coming hours...”
http://www.windreportmedia.com/sailing/groupama/sr100208b_fr_e.mp3
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
Today’s figures
Start on 24th January at 07h50’17’’ UT
Arrival before Saturday 15th March 2008 at 00h09'21'' UT
Day 17 at 0800’ UT
*Distance covered on the water in 24 hours: 577.4 miles
*Distance covered since the start: 8,930 miles
*Distance to the finish: 15,600 miles
*Average on day 17: 24.06 knots
*Average since the start: 21.89 knots
*Lead in relation to Orange II: 353.5 miles
Find a detailed cartography at: http://cammas-groupama.geovoile.com/julesverne
* Ushant to the equator: 6d 6h 24’ (Groupama 3 in 2008)
* Equator – Cape Agulhas: 7d 02h 22’ (Groupama 3 in 2008) * Ushant – Cape
Agulhas: 13d 08h 47’ (Groupama 3 in 2008)
Kate Jennings
Expression.
P.O. Box 26,
Dartmouth,
DEVON.
TQ6 0YG
United Kingdom
+44 (0)7795 116699
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