Monday 18th February – Press Release No.83
JULES VERNE TROPHY
(CREWED ROUND THE WORLD VIA THE THREE CAPES)
Capsize off New Zealand
Whilst sailing off New Zealand, Groupama 3 capsized following the breakage of
her port float. The ten men were very quickly airlifted via helicopter by the
New Zealand rescue services and taken to Dunedin (South Island). They will do
everything they can to salvage the trimaran once the conditions on zone have
improved.
At 2343 UT on Sunday night, the giant trimaran turned over 80 miles to the East
of the New Zealand town of Dunedin (South Island), the crew having gybed two
hours earlier in a thirty knot SW’ly breeze on big seas. Groupama 3 had around a
day’s lead over the round the world reference time set by Orange II and had
begun its entry into the Pacific Ocean over the weekend… The crew was unable to
do anything to prevent their capsize and was very rapidly picked up by the New
Zealand rescue services, which rushed three helicopters onto the zone. Franck
Cammas looks back at how the accident occurred.
“This Monday morning (late Sunday night UT), we gybed very close to the New
Zealand coast by adopting a tack, which was designed to distance us from the
worst of the low that was ahead of us. We set off on starboard tack, due East
with 25-30 knots of wind: we were making good speed at over thirty knots on
seas, which had calmed down. At the helm Franck Proffit was on watch with Fred
Le Peutrec and Jan Dekker. The leeward float broke just aft of the forward beam.
There was a very quick chain reaction and within ten seconds the float had taken
the beam with it and that too broke.
I was on rest watch up forward, when I heard the shouts on deck: “Gybe!” and I
felt the boat heel over… I had reached the hood when everyone starting hurrying
to come inside: we capsized in the space of ten seconds. It was broad daylight,
which enabled us to see what had happened.
There was nothing left to leeward and Franck immediately tried to gybe, but the
manœuvre became impossible as the float instantly filled with water: without any
support downwind, Groupama 3 capsized relatively slowly onto the side with the
flooded, broken float to port. The crew who were on deck, since the standby
watch immediately went up top to make an emergency gybe, all had time to go
below, Franck last. It was necessary for the whole crew to be inside the boat as
it turned over so as to limit the risk…
We immediately saw the damage and straightaway alerted our team on shore of the
accident and began to prepare for the repatriation over the coming days. The New
Zealand rescue services, alerted by our distress beacon being set off, were on
the scene four hours later: we saw three helicopters, which did a fantastic job
airlifting us off. Everything was performed in an orderly fashion and at a quick
pace since each helicopter was able to take four people. The rescue was pretty
tough with six metre waves. The helicopter couldn't take us whilst we were on
the boat so we had to jump into the water to track down the diver as the
trimaran was drifting at three knots. Our rescuers were very fast as we were all
onboard helicopters within an hour.
Right now we are at Dunedin, where we’ve been very warmly welcomed by the local
population. We are relieved that nobody is injured as a capsize on this size
boat, could really be dangerous. The crew reacted very well: everyone kept a
clear head.
We have nothing to reproach ourselves for since this breakage has nothing at all
to do with mishandling or a failed manœuvre…
Groupama 3 had been suffering violent impacting in beam seas in the Indian Ocean
for the past week.
The source of the breakage may stem from the previous night where we had beam
seas with forty knot winds: there was some particularly violent impacting,
especially on the leeward float to port in fact… This could have damaged the
float without us seeing and two hours of sailing may have been enough to break
it in conditions, which were becoming mild again, without the possibility to
react.
I was down below on rest watch and I didn’t even hear the cracking. My first
reaction was that the boat had dismasted when I heard Franck’s cries on deck,
who was trying to make an emergency manœuvre with the trimaran heeled over.
Sébastien and I even had time to get as far as the hood, but Franck told us to
go back below when the boat began to heel over… Fortunately it wasn't overly
violent, but it's always quick!
Groupama 3 is salvageable, even though the port float is highly damaged: we'll
need the weather forecast to become milder as there were six to seven metre
waves at the time. Conditions will improve and we’ll go to the zone with a diver
to free as many of the parts as possible, which are loading down the platform,
prior to righting the boat and bringing her back to the coast, which is only 80
miles away. It's feasible! Dunedin is the town where the helicopters brought us
back to, which houses 150,000 inhabitants who welcomed us with open arms. We
were stood there with our hands in our pockets as all we had was our sailing
clothes. We’re going to arrange for the boat to be picked up from tomorrow
morning.
It’s hard to take it all in! We’ve sailed on this boat a lot and some of the
crew were surprised at the impact she was absorbing, especially in the Indian
Ocean, but we were beginning the ‘simplest’ section in what were improving
conditions and we had a 24 hour lead…
We were very lucky in our misfortune: if it had happened 40 hours earlier, it
would have been at 55° South with the water at 3°C! It was the only point in a
circumnavigation of the globe, other than Cape Verde, where we could pass within
fifty miles of a coast… We were pretty lucky!
Groupama 3 is a fantastic boat! We’re massively disappointed not so much on a
sporting level as we sailed a great course, but rather on an equipment level…
and it’s also a relief to have minimised the risks as, given the state of the
boat, it's the best place this could have happened! These boats are well laid
out but the source of the breakage is very limited across a metre, and the way
the sequence of damage occurred was very fast. The breakage was located on the
port float between the foil housing and the forward beam: with the twisting, the
float was bent 90° out of line and it therefore pulled out the forward beam and
then the aft one.
It all happened very quickly: had one piece of carbon remained to link the two
parts then it would have been enough for us to intervene. The reasons for this
are that despite the watch’s very rapid reaction on deck, nothing could be done!
I think the breakage is due to the excessive fatigue of the float, which was
previously to windward in breaking seas: it’s probably the result of the
impacting that this section yielded. The design is not in question, there’s
probably just an extra layer of carbon that needs adding… The carbon has a
‘memory’ and as a result of the repeated impacting, it is possible that there
was a weakness and then a crack... You can't have any doubts when you're sailing
on a boat like this. There were no symptoms beforehand. It was a zone, which had
already been strengthened last winter. There is nothing to reproach anyone for.
We are not despondent: we are all keen to continue hunting down this round the
world record…
I don’t feel that we’ve exceeded the boundaries; we remained in the sectors of
reasonable piloting. I remain frustrated about not having been able to exploit
the boat at 100% as we didn’t have favourable conditions. We’d gone through the
worst of it and, in the Pacific, we would have encountered a longer and less
trying swell for the boat.
I won’t see Cape Horn…”
Questioned on the subject of the construction of Groupama 3, her skipper
replied:
“You mustn’t put Nomex everywhere: we’re not looking for stiffness, but rather
lightness as this too is proof of safety. We are very different from 60 footers
and, in relation to Geronimo, we had less Nomex and more bulkheads… Our
philosophy was a good one!”
“Groupama 3 was 80 miles from the coast and there’s a good chance we'll be able
to get it back to shore. We'll have to right it before we can tow her in, but
the first thing we need to do is to clear everything that's under her (mast,
float…), which is currently damaging the platform. We'll also have to find a
cargo ship to bring her back to Europe. The crew is very happy to have sailed
aboard her and will do everything they can to bring her back home as quickly as
possible. Groupama 3 has provided us with some superb sensations for the past
two years and in this instance we were still within the timing to circle the
globe. It's the fastest multihull in the world over this type of course! We'd
really like to come back and vie for the Trophy again next winter if possible.
There's some work ahead, but we'll have to first assess the cause of the
breakage" concluded Franck Cammas.
“For the past 25 days and despite rather inclement weather, you have
accomplished what is a true exploit. An unfortunate incident brutally cut short
this adventure, but not the enthusiasm of the representatives and associates of
Groupama, who have keenly supported your endeavours. We are proud of you and
we’ll set off to conquer the Jules Verne Trophy just as soon as we can as proof
of our commitment and our determination” stated Frédérique Granado, Director of
External Communications for Groupama SA, bringing the noon radio session with
Franck Cammas and his crew to a close.
All about the circumnavigation
*Jules Verne Trophy: 50d 16h 20’ (Orange II in 2005)
*Ushant-equator: 6d 6h 24’ (Groupama 3 in 2008)
*Ushant-Cape Agulhas: 13d 08h 47’ (Groupama 3-2008)
*Ushant-Cape Leeuwin: 21d 02h 00’ (Groupama 3-2008)
*Ushant-Tasmania: 22d 20h 53’ (Groupama 3-2008)
*Lead over the reference time established by Orange II in 2005: 22h29’
The three watch systems of a circumnavigation
The crew of Groupama 3
Franck Cammas: skipper & watch leader 1
Franck Proffit: watch leader 2
Steve Ravussin: watch leader 3
Yves Parlier: navigator
Sébastien Audigane: 2nd helm
Loïc Le Mignon: 2nd helm
Frédéric Le Peutrec: 2nd helm
Jan Dekker: bowman
Ronan Le Goff: bowman
Jacques Caraës: bowman
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
Groupama and Franck Cammas: 100% trust!
Loyalty and commitment have characterised the partnership between Franck Cammas
and Groupama for the past ten years. Indeed, thanks to the constant, determined
support of the mutual benefit insurance company, Franck Cammas has built up an
impressive track record. Starting off with Groupama, the first of its name, back
in 1998, the adventure continued with Groupama 2 launched in 2004, then with
Groupama 3 in 2006. In 10 years, Franck has stood out in all forms of
competition, totalling 56 races, 49 in which he gained podium places and 28
victories.
Press Office: Welcome On Board
BP 30 241 - 56102 Lorient Cedex - bienvenue@welcomeonboard.fr
Tiphaine Combot-Seta + 33 6 30 73 30 41
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