Sidney Gavignet to join Majan’s crew in Cape Town and sail the final three stages of the Indian Ocean 5 Capes Race Direct Link
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Indian Ocean 5 Capes Race: Sidney Gavignet joins Majan @ Sail World UK
Benefiting from a continuation of the favourable weather conditions, Groupama 3 is still powering across the Indian Ocean at an average of over 30 knots and surfing in big seas, Franck Cammas and crew are reducing the deficit which separates them from the Jules Verne Trophy holder. Direct Link
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Groupama 3: Carching up with the clock @ Yachte.com.au
Aboard Groupama 3 – 16/02/2010 – © Team GroupamaThe miles have been streaming by since Thursday lunchtime: 763.4 miles across the water in 24 hours at an average of 31.8 knots! The stable W to NW’ly wind is enabling Groupama 3 to maintain a constant speed thanks to a sea, which remains manageable for a thirty metre long trimaran. The deficit in relation to the reference time has shrunk away to less than 240 miles…Time is ticking by! After amassing a deficit of over 430 miles following 18 days at sea at 1400 UTC on Thursday, the time spent in the Indian Ocean was beginning to drag for Franck Cammas and his nine crew. However, having now succeeded in getting ahead of the front circulating around the Roaring Forties as it shifts quickly across towards Tasmania, Groupama 3 has finally clawed back some miles this Friday. And as this wind-fuelled boost of speed is set to continue as far as the Pacific, the deficit on Orange 2 will be recovered over the course of the weekend, transforming into a lead at the start of the third ocean… However the sailing conditions are particularly wet for now…“We’re going to unfurl the heavy gennaker as the NW’ly wind is easing off a little. In fact we’re switching between the solent jib when there’s 30-35 knots and the small gennaker when there’s no more than 27-32 knots of breeze. We’re really copping it at the helm… It’s raining a lot and there are big seas. That’s why we’re avoiding sending anyone up to the foredeck. I prefer a helmet but some of the others are wearing ski masks to stand up to the spray as it slaps against your face. Fortunately the water isn’t cold…â€? stated Fréd Le Peutrec, at the 1130 UTC radio link-up with Groupama’s Race HQ in Paris.Constant speedThe current script for this round the world sprint began at midday on Thursday and is continuing to record some incredible average speeds for a ‘normal’ sailor: 32, 33, 34, or even 36, 37 knots. Such a pace doesn’t seem to be unsettling the crew of Groupama 3 who are confident in the boat’s structure, which isn’t suffering impact from the sea. Furthermore this tempo with over 700 mile days across the water should last the whole weekend, or even longer! Indeed from Sunday evening, the giant trimaran should pass the longitude of Cape Leeuwin (SW Australia), and by Tuesday Tasmania will already be in their wake… A crossing of the Indian Ocean in a little more than eight days in prospect then! Should this prove to be the case, the crew will have a good handful of miles on the reference time and look set to explode the WSSRC record between Cape Agulhas and Southern Tasmania, set by Orange 2 in a time of 9d 11h 04′…“We look to be on target to maintain this pace as far as Tasmania, or even as far as New Zealand. We may have to … Direct Link
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Groupama 3: Shooting across the Indian @ Sail Karma
Jules Verne Trophy. Though Groupama 3 has paid a heavy price at the entry to the Southern Ocean, she should soon get paid dividends from her investment in the Indian front… The very straight trajectory announced as far as the longitude of Tasmania is particularly favourable, not solely for making up her deficit on the reference time, but above all amassing a fair bit of credit at the beginning of the Pacific. Direct Link
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Better days for Groupama3 @ Sailtube
Foto copyright Team GroupamaFuente info GroupamaPress release of the 2010/02/172010/02/17 – 17h07Stemming the haemorrhage of milesJules Verne TrophyThe time spent dipping into the red seems to be over now: Groupama 3 is making supersonic average speeds again, a situation which should last throughout her crossing of the Indian Ocean, as long as the front maintains the same eastward pace. With Orange 2 not being particularly quick over this section of the Jules Verne Trophy, Franck Cammas and his men are beginning to claw back their deficit…Relative worry has given way to moderate optimism now… Such is life at sea with its share of stresses and up and downs at the mercy of the barometric yo-yoing. The situation for Groupama 3 hasn’t been very favourable for nearly 48 hours now, with a front dictating the every changing pace, leading to a succession of course changes to try to break through it. Attempts proved to be in vain, but in return a steadier breeze has finally kicked in prior to another shift to the NW…”We’re lacking a bit of wind, but we’re very hopeful for a change in situation tonight. The boat hasn’t been under pressure, despite the fairly lively conditions yesterday, and the crew know the region well! This Wednesday lunchtime we have a moderate S’ly wind, due to being at the back of the front; a front we’re not managing to traverse. We’ve had to gybe and as we’ve become separated from the front, a 14-15 knot breeze has been pushing us along due East. If everything goes to plan the front is likely to come to a standstill this evening, at which point we should finally hook onto a NW’ly wind! As such we’ll be able to make good speed again on course to Cape Leeuwin…” explained Franck Cammas at the 1130 UTC radio link-up with Groupama’s Race HQ in Paris, in the presence of Norbert Métairie, mayor of the giant trimaran’s home port of Lorient. Also on the line was Thierry Fouchier, crew on BMW Oracle, the recent winner of the 33rd America’s Cup and loyal crew to Franck on Groupama 2 and Groupama 40.A favourable systemIndeed the wind will shift round to the NW from Thursday morning, a breeze which could push Groupama 3 all the way to the exit from the Indian Ocean! However, given that this particular phenomenon is moving very swiftly, Franck Cammas and his nine crew will have to keep up an average speed bordering on 32 knots for several days… The separation in relation to the reference time, which had dipped to an all time low of around 400 miles over the course of Tuesday night, is now beginning to shrink again: Orange 2 wasn’t very quick at this stage of the Jules Verne Trophy, even having to deal with a very slow transition phase…”The weather systems are leading us on a fairly N’ly trajectory, but that’s not such a bad thing if we are to avoid the icebergs situated next to … Direct Link
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Update del Groupama 3 y su intento de record @ Juanpa Cadario
