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Thursday 12th November – Press release No.9
JULES VERNE TROPHY (CREWED ROUND THE WORLD VIA THE THREE CAPES)
Time to beat: 50 days 16 hours 20 minutes and 4 seconds
The front in their sights>BR>
Off Salvador de Bahia this Friday afternoon, Groupama 3 is continuing her
southward descent in search of a stormy depression system forming over
Brazil. At an average speed of over twenty-five knots, Franck Cammas and his
crew have a 680 mile lead over the reference time.
The videoconference organised at Groupama’s Race HQ in Paris wasn’t able to
go ahead for technical reasons related to the faulty Inmarsat transmission,
but Franck Cammas was able to participate in the radio session hosted by
Stanislas Grenapin in the company of celebrated French weatherman Laurent
Cabrol. Anticyclones, Doldrums, tradewinds, depressions… the skipper of
Groupama 3 was able to explain the situation through which they have been
navigating since crossing the equator in 5 days fifteen hours.
“It’s fine weather with a few cumulus reminiscent of the good conditions,
with slightly shifty tradewinds on the beam. We’re having to manœuvre fairly
frequently, switching between the staysail and solent as the wind varies
from 14 to 22 knots... We’re being forced to sail right around the outside
of the Saint Helena High: we’re going to sail along the Brazilian coast for
two days to gain southing in order to hook onto a depression, which is
currently forming over the South American continent. This will then quickly
push us eastwards… However, it’s important we don’t miss the ride as there
aren’t any more after that! The encounter is scheduled for lunchtime on
Saturday: after that we’re going to power away… For the time being, the
weather sequence is pretty favourable with an anticyclone ahead of us, which
the depression will push along. We’re going to have flat seas with downwind
conditions! reported the skipper of Groupama 3.
Southbound
Whilst Jacques Caraës had a chance to show his fellow crew members where he
lived (Aber Wrac’h) as they passed close to shore before setting off from
Ushant, it’s now the turn of Ronan Le Goff to pass in front of his Brazilian
home in the bay of Bahia… Indeed the giant trimaran is following a course
which is parallel to the coast, even putting a little SW’ly into their route
in order to drop down to 22° South as quickly as possible. In fact, due to a
different weather situation, Groupama 3 is positioned around 200 miles
further West than the Jules Verne Trophy holder. This differential is linked
to a passage across the equator which was further West (30° W compared with
26° for Orange 2) as well as the fact that the current priority is not to
sail as close to the direct course as possible, but rather to position
themselves ahead of the cold front originating in Brazil.
In fact the routes of the two multihulls, with four years’ separation, have
been fairly similar since the Doldrums. Added to this the speeds are
identical, which has served to maintain the stability of Groupama 3’s lead
(680 miles) over the past two days. In view of the forecast weather
conditions, Franck Cammas and his nine crew will bend their course in
towards the Cape of Good Hope at approximately the same latitude as Bruno
Peyron in 2005 (22° South). This big curve towards the Indian Ocean will
above all determine at what latitude the long surfs around the Antarctic
will begin. From that point there are over 9,000 miles to cover in the
Roaring Forties!
The crew and organisation aboard Groupama 3:
* Watch No.1: Franck Cammas / Loïc Le Mignon / Jacques Caraës
* Watch No.2: Stève Ravussin / Thomas Coville / Bruno Jeanjean
* Watch No.3: Fred Le Peutrec / Lionel Lemonchois / Ronan Le Goff
* Off watch navigator: Stan Honey goes up on deck for manoeuvres
* Each watch lasts three hours
* One watch system on deck, one watch on stand-by ready to help
manœuvre, one watch totally resting
The record to beat
Currently held by Bruno Peyron on Orange 2 since 2005 with a time of 50 days
16 hours 20 minutes at an average of 17.89 knots. Lionel Lemonchois, Ronan
Le Goff and Jacques Caraës were aboard at the time.
Race HQ, 21 Bld Malesherbes, 75008 Paris
Open to the public from 0930 to 1900 hours
Daily telephone link-up from 1130 to 1200 hours
Weekly videoconference on Thursdays from 1230 to 1330 hours
Find all the latest about the Groupama trimarans on:
www.cammas-groupama.com
Translated by Kate Jennings – Expression
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