02.02.2010
JULES VERNE TROPHY
(CREWED ROUND THE WORLD VIA THE THREE CAPES)
Time to beat: 50 days 16 hours 20 minutes and 4 seconds
Tuesday 2nd February – Press release
Groupama
To the West of Madeira
Groupama 3 has already made up the deficit she accumulated during the first
day in relation to the reference time. In less than twenty hours, the 120
miles differential off Portugal had already been devoured as Franck Cammas
and his crew were making headway to the West of Madeira at an average speed
in excess of thirty knots…
Flat out in the depression! This Tuesday afternoon, Groupama 3 was
negotiating a course to the West of the low pressure settled over the
archipelago of Madeira, in order to benefit from a steady NE’ly wind, which
is set to back round to the N in the late afternoon as it eases. With these
great downwind conditions and a relatively manageable sea, Franck Cammas and
his nine crew have been able to rack up 560 miles in the past 24 hours and
since leaving Ushant on Sunday at 13h 55’ 53’’ (UTC), the giant trimaran
already has 1,060 miles in her wake… An average of 22 knots of boat speed
then, which has enabled the crew to quickly make up her deficit on rounding
Cape Finisterre. Furthermore, they are now dramatically picking up the pace,
which should enable them to rake in a lead over Orange 2’s reference time
during the coming days.
Happy birthday!
This 2nd February, Lionel Lemonchois was once again celebrating his birthday
at sea, as he did five years ago aboard Orange 2… At fifty years of age, the
winner of the last Route du Rhum was delighted to be at sea again at this
turning point in his life. Indeed he was in great spirits during the radio
link-up this Tuesday lunchtime when he spoke to Groupama’s Race HQ in Paris:
“We have twenty-five to twenty-eight knots and we’re picking our way along
nicely! We’re sailing along the edge of the low over Madeira and the
temperatures are considerably milder than yesterday… It’s rather grey, but
it’s beginning to turn out nice. Added to that, to be able to celebrate your
half-century aboard Groupama 3 on another round the world, I couldn’t wish
for better! I’ll be able to avoid the hangover too…"
Attention remains key though as they prepare to tackle the wind shift due to
take place this afternoon: the N’ly wind will give way to a NW’ly breeze,
which will drop off to the South of the Canaries. Once again a barrier of
high pressure will move across and it is imperative that Groupama 3 quickly
locates the NE’ly tradewinds, which are reorganising themselves offshore of
the Mauritanian coast.
“We’re already back into our rhythm without taking any chances with the
boat: we’re here to effortlessly and calmly manage a circumnavigation of the
planet… We’re in the process of unfurling the heavy airs gennaker, as we’ve
been making twenty-eight to thirty knots under solent jib and one reef in
the mainsail up till now. The sea isn’t very organised, but over the coming
hours, we’re likely to have got through the strongest wind. Five years ago,
we weren’t very quick on Orange 2. I was with Ronan Le Goff and Jacques
Caraës at the time. Maybe in five years time I’ll be here again!” enthused
Lionel Lemonchois before sampling the meal prepared specially for him by
Frédéric Le Peutrec. There are now just 2,000 miles to go to reach the
equator…
The crew aboard Groupama 3:
* Franck Cammas, Loïc Le Mignon, Jacques Caraës, Stève Ravussin,
Thomas Coville, Bruno Jeanjean, Fred Le Peutrec, Lionel Lemonchois, Ronan Le
Goff.
* Stan Honey, navigator, off watch
Find all the latest about the Groupama trimarans on:
www.cammas-groupama.com
Translated by Kate Jennings – Expression
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