Tuesday 12th February – Press Release No.77
JULES VERNE TROPHY
(CREWED ROUND THE WORLD VIA THE THREE CAPES)
Crossroads in the Indian Ocean
Whilst the situation is improving along 48° South, Groupama 3 is likely to cut
across the virtual course of Orange II late this Tuesday afternoon, providing a
precise indication of the giant trimaran’s lead over the reference time. Indeed,
in real terms this day’s separation remains stable despite the rather
unfavourable weather conditions…
All routes lead to the Horn, but some are easier than others! And no matter what
the trajectory, the essential ingredient on the menu is speed! Indeed, Groupama
3 is wondering just what this Deep South is all about as conditions have not
been very favourable and after three days of swell on the beam, a day of
transition and a good 24 hours of slipping along nicely, here the giant trimaran
has found itself under a front, which it is unable to overtake… Of course, the
speeds are surprising in these breezes, which don’t exceed twenty-five knots.
Franck Cammas and his men are making headway all the same, but without being
able to express the boat's true potential… As they pass the longitude of Cape
Leeuwin tomorrow, Wednesday, they can but hope that the situation improves!
“We’re not managing to catch up with the front, which is just 160 miles ahead of
us and, between it and the breezes behind, there is a zone of relatively light
winds. We’ll have to get ahead of it to get going but, unfortunately, we can't
get past it straightaway… As a result we’re being forced to zigzag.”
Still inside the time
Whilst the time difference is beginning to make its presence felt between Race
HQ in Paris and the trimaran, which “enters into the cover of darkness’ at
around 1400 UT and bathes in the full austral summer with just six hours of
nightfall, the sailing conditions remain quite bearable for the crew, who have
yet to experience the icy winds of the Antarctic! Nevertheless, Groupama 3 is
currently positioned at 48° South, around 800 miles to the E of the Kerguelen
Islands and over 1,200 miles to the SW of Cape Leeuwin. A manageable sea but a
shifty wind, mean that a steady speed isn’t feasible, though in relation to
Orange II, their lead remains stable…
“We have one reef in the mainsail and staysail in 25 knots of W to SW’ly winds
on starboard tack. The aim is to position ourselves in readiness for the next
stage of the course, but we know we won't save many miles on this course. We
have a problem with a low, which is being created to our North, which will
generate some very strong winds: we’ll have to avoid this zone and in order to
do this, it’s best to let it get ahead of us. We’re trying to weave our way
through, but it's not evident. On a positive note, the seas remain manageable.”
Now making a 'cruising' speed of over 22 knots, Franck Cammas and his nine crew
have been able to recuperate after the difficult days they’ve had to endure
since the Cape of Good Hope. The impact due to the beam swell has eased and the
minimum of comfort for sleeping has been regained… The giant trimaran is still
at 100% of its potential as the bulkhead on the beam has been repaired. The ten
men are rested and have been toughened up by nearly three weeks at sea! Of
course, they will still be champing at the bit prior to slipping along on the
big S'ly swell, but within the next couple of days, Groupama 3’s lead should
extend by hundreds of miles at a time! The latter part of the Indian is shaping
up to be a cowboy ride… the horse power letting itself loose.
All about the tour
*From Ushant to Cape Agulhas: 13d 08h 47’ (Groupama 3-2008)
*Lead over the reference time established by Orange II in 2005 (14d 08h 18’):
23hr30’
Today’s interview
Interview from Franck Cammas
“We’ve made a lot of use of the information from the sailors who have preceded
us in the Deep South this winter. We know we won't have any icebergs at the
moment, but we'll have to climb level with New Zealand in the Pacific. Right
now, we’re keeping a radar and visual watch, but the aim above all is to avoid
this zone of ice. At the moment, it’s rather wet aboard: nothing dries! We’ll
have to wait till three days after Cape Horn before we can have dry clothes...
The nights last around six hours but they are moonless: there is one watch,
which sails totally in the dark! All in all, it’s rather cloudy just now and
there isn’t a lot of activity in this neck of the woods… No mammals and fewer
birds: we are really a long way from any land! When you look on a map, you can
see that we’re very isolated but the waves remain the same: we're really getting
a sense of the particular atmosphere of this spatial separation …”
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 Cape Agulhas to Tasmania: 9 days 11 hours 4 minutes (Orange II
in 2005)
Today’s figures
Start on 24th January at 07h50’17’’ UT
Arrival before Saturday 15th March 2008 at 00h09'21'' UT
Day 19 at 0800’ UT
*Distance covered on the water in 24 hours: 535.7 miles
*Distance covered since the start: 10,081 miles
*Distance to the finish: 14,449 miles
*Average on day 19: 22.32 knots
*Average since the start: 22.11 knots
*Lead in relation to Orange II: 520.6 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
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