Press Release No.37
Wednesday 5th November – 1530 hrs
Gitana Eighty - The final days on land
In four days those skippers participating in the Vendée Globe 2008-2009 will
one by one adopt the channel out of Les Sables d’Olonne. This will form part
of a ceremony much anticipated by the public, who are still out in force
along the pontoons, as well as the solo sailors who take to the sea. Back in
the Vendée town since Monday, Loïck Peyron has rapidly got into the swing of
things again with a series of organisation briefings, sailing and media
engagements. On Sunday at 1302 hours the first of a long line of Gitanas
will take the start of the reference solo round the world event: the hour
draws ever closer!
With 4 days to go, headlines conjuring up images of ‘the pressure mounting
on the pontoons of Port Olona’ abound. However, despite his status as race
favourite conferring a busy schedule on him in these final days on land, the
skipper of Gitana Eighty hasn’t lost his customary calm. The days still
separating him from the start of his 3rd Vendée Globe roll briskly by; a
pace which perfectly conforms with Loïck Peyron’s personality. Despite
everything – and experience does the talking – the time is skilfully divided
up so that the slots for relaxation and work sessions with his team can
harmoniously blend. As such, from tomorrow onwards, the meetings with
Sylvain Mondon (Météo France) will intensify so as to prepare for the
weather conditions at the start as well as the first days at sea: “we’re
beginning to look at the weather in more detail now but between now and
Monday there may still be a lot of developments. For the time being, the
trend is for an upwind start in SW’ly winds of between 20 and 25 knots. Then
the wind should freshen in the evening to reach an average of 30-35 knots.
This unsettled air flow will be accompanied by big seas; perhaps 2 to 3
metres as we cross the line. It’ll be a selective introduction!” forecasts
the Gitana Team’s weather adviser (it is worth pointing out that the Vendée
Globe is a race where weather assistance is forbidden. However the solo
sailors may take on the expertise of specialists prior to the start).
Yesterday the skipper of Gitana Eighty and his team benefited from the still
mild weather conditions to escape for a few hours offshore of Les Sables
d’Olonne; an ultimate sail trial which will have provided Loïck with an
opportunity to run through the basics one last time: “I consider that it’s
important to indextain the contact with the boat, especially a few days from
the start. Furthermore I wanted to share a final sail with the members of
Gitana Team who have taken care of Gitana Eighty and prepared her so well
over the past months.”
Unbeaten for ten months on the Imoca circuit, the Loïck Peyron – Gitana
Eighty duo is in better shape than ever. The shore crew, directed by William
Fabulet, has left nothing to chance in providing its skipper with a more
reliable and high performance steed. For his part, the sailor cannot conceal
his desire for the allotted hour to come: “We’re already in our race – or at
the very least we’re gradually entering into it – and yet we’re still right
in the thick of our life on land… it’s ambiguous and not very comfortable!
The desire to cast off is much in evidence!” concluded Loïck.
ICM around the world with Gitana Eighty
The Gitana Team and Loïck Peyron have opted to join forces with what is
already a considerable amount of support from the Institut du Cerveau et de
la Moelle épinière (Brain and Spinal Cord Institute). As such, with the
institute’s colours adorning the foot of the mast, the ICM will set off on
the Vendée Globe 2008-2009 adventure with the monohull equipped by Baron
Benjamin de Rothschild.
ICM, presentation
Alzheimer, Parkinson, Multiple Sclerosis, depression, CVA, paraplegia…
neurological and psychiatric illnesses affect 1 in 8 people. The Institut du
Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière - ICM is an international research centre
which will bring together 600 researchers from 2010, at the heart of the
Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital in Paris, where 100,000 patients in the neurology
department are examined each year. The world’s top researchers come to work
in the 22,000 m2 of laboratories. This proximity of the
sick/doctors/researchers represents inestimable hope and richness, enabling
more effective treatment to be developed more quickly, to the great benefit
of the sick. We are very lucky to witness the creation of this Institute in
Paris.
www.icm-institute.org
Photo credits: Yvan Zedda / Gitana SA
Translated by Kate Jennings – Expression
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