The weather forecasts confirm that not only is deliverance from the 35-40 knot gusts and big seas due by Friday early afternoon, but then strategic decisions need to be taken over the following 24 hours which could have a lasting effect on positions up the Mediterranean.

Perennial leader Estrella Damm has a lead of just over 30 miles, and they still have no options but to press on flat out. Both teams well know that the miles up the Mediterranean are likely to be in light to moderate, variable headwinds and that in those conditions, the tables could be turned and W Hotels is acknowledged by most as having the potential speed edge.

 As Estrella Damm’s vastly experience Project Manager Jan Santana (ESP) noted after this afternoon’s live audio and video conference with the boats, Pepe Ribes, Alex Pella and Stan Schreyer recognize that over three or four days from Gibraltar even a small speed deficit can quickly consume their 30 miles lead. Add to that the fact that some compression is inevitable, where the chasing boat stays with the better breeze when the lead boat has emerged into lighter going, and all predictions are for this remaining a close challenge.

  On board both boats spirits are reported to be high, in spite of the challenging conditions.  W Hotels could not be contacted, but Estrella Damm’s Alex Pella remarked that the thought of being so close to what will feel like the homeward stretch feels especially good.

Pella, Ribes and Schreyer are not having any significant problems except for routine small things that are an occupational hazard in the robust conditions, which they have been dealing with. On W Hotels the situation is similar although they had their hands slightly full when the videoconference was taking place this afternoon, as they were undertaking a repair to the compression bar and the part of the blade control mechanism of the windward rudder after it was damaged by a wave.

 The W Hotels trio has had to throttle back to make the repairs, but the three co-skippers were confident in their ability to make good a relatively routine, but nonetheless annoying repair. The repair time was estimated to be around three or four hours which should allow W Hotels to return to optimum speed in five or six hours.

 Boat speeds through last night and today have been impressive, averaging just under 20 knots and swallowing miles to the south of the Azores, rapidly approaching the improving conditions.

 And then, probably on Saturday morning, comes the decision when to gybe, probably between 0800hrs and midday. Certainly for the Spanish crews that will feel like the turn for home.

 

 

  Quotes

 Pachi Rivero (ESP), Co-skipper W Hotels (ESP):  “Approximately 1 hour ago we got a damage in the windward rudder of the boat. I was on deck and a wave shook the boat completely and covered it in water. Once out of the wave I noticed a noise at the stern and it was the rudder hanging. Anyway after evaluating the damage (we have dismounted the rudder) we are already fixing it. We are still in the Record” in an e-mail to Record Control HQ.

 Alex Pella (ESP) Co-skipper Estrella Damm (ESP):  “We are going very well, with 20-30-32 knots of wind and so the work is still hard, we are happy, but it is reefs in and out because the wind is up and down and quite shifty. We are very concentrated and looking forward to when to gybe. The mood is up and we have no large jobs for the shore team when we get back, just small things and we have generally dealt with them as they happen.”

 Jan Santana, Project Manager, Estrella Damm (ESP):  “They (Estrella Damm) are pushing as hard as they can because they want to gain as much as possible now, because they know that when they pass Gibraltar the winds will be lighter.”

 “You know that you have to prepare for different conditions and our boat is very good like that and upwind and for strong winds. If we are now at 30 miles in front of them, we know only too well that in 24 hours we can lose 20 miles. Now the forecast says that in three or four days the wind will be from the NE, very variable and light, between eight and 12 knots.”

  “Both crews are working very hard, the skippers are very high level and the boats are pretty similar and so I expected it to be so close. The options are all pretty similar, and we have run the routings maybe ten times, sometimes with different programmes, and most of them have given exactly the same course that they have done. They don’t want to gybe too early because they go back into the low, and too late and the wind will be too close wind in 12 hours time. When they pass to the east of the centre of the low pressure the wind will change quickly.”

 Stu McLachlan boat captain W Hotels (ESP):  “I have been really impressed with how close it has been, clearly both teams are working very hard, Pachi, Toño and Peter have being going really well. Both Pachi and Toño have sailed together a lot in the past but they clearly have good chemistry and they have been able to make the boat go fast. Our job is to build in reliability and we have made good progress since last year with the boat. That reliability needs to be completely across the board and in all weathers, it is possible to have gear failures in light winds as well as big winds.”

 

Standings at 1300hrs GMT Thursday.

 

1. Estrella Damm (ESP), Ribes, Pella, Schreyer:  1272 miles to finish

2. W Hotels (ESP), Rivero, Piris, Becker:  1303.2  miles to finish (+ 31.2miles)

 The two IMOCA Open 60’s pass into their second week of the New York to Barcelona Transoceanic Record Sailing Challenge battling with the toughest conditions of the passage so far. 

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It is two months before the start of the first regatta of the 2010 Audi MedCup Circuit season, the Portugal Trophy which will take place on the testing Atlantic waters and winds off Cascais, raising the curtain on what promises to be a fascinating and exciting year for the world’s leading regatta circuit.

The Audi MedCup Circuit is the world’s leading regatta circuit.
The Circuit is made up of five events that take place over five months in four countries over southern Europe.

Event 1:  Cascais (Portugal) 11 – 16 May
Event 2:  Marseille (France) 15 – 20 June
Event 3:  Barcelona (Spain) 20 – 25 July
Event 4:  Cartagena (Spain) 24 – 29 August
Event 5:  Cagliari (Italy) 20 – 25 September
       
  
Activity throughout the TP52 fleet has been building up progressively over recent months. Small changes to the TP52 Class Box Rule mean that all of the teams which plan to compete at this season’s five Audi MedCup Circuit regattas or the TP52 World Championships in October are required to have made the prescribed modifications to their existing boats: adding 150kgs of weight to the keel to compensate for the reduction in crew weight, moving to a ‘square-top’ mainsail with twin backstays and increasing spinnaker area and adopting bowsprits.

The Circuit organisers World Sailing Management, a division of Grupo Santa Monica Sports, are expecting to welcome the same number as 2009, or perhaps one more TP52 to the arena this season. Two new America’s Cup teams are well into their preparations.

“ We expect 10 to 13 boats in the TP52 class and five or six in the GP42 class, all in all a good line up considering the economic climate.” Comments World Sailing Management’s Nacho Postigo (ESP), Audi MedCup Circuit’s Technical Director.

“ The TP52 class has gone through the winter modifications without major problems.” 

Great Britain’s TeamOrigin have their new Juan Kouyoumdjian (ARG) designed boat nearing completion at Salthouse Boats in Auckland. Theirs is the only new build TP52 this winter and they are due to ship the boat directly to Portugal.

Mike Sanderson (NZL), CEO of TeamOrigin said: “The schedule was always going to be tight but we are on time. The boat is due to leave New Zealand in the middle of March.
We have it booked on a fruit ship which means it is pretty reliable because if it gets late then the fruit goes rotten. We will ship it directly to somewhere close to the venue and do its final measurement there and will sail it there for the first time. It is not optimum for how we would have loved to have done it, but we always knew that, we knew that that’s what the schedule was going to be before started building it, so we are just going to have to hope that we can get it on the pace as quickly as possible. We are really looking forward to it. It is going to be an amazing year. We really can wait.”

Current Audi MedCup champions Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL) completed their modifications in-house and have been trial sailing the new configuration on the waters off Auckland in excellent conditions. Otherwise, explains CEO Grant Dalton, the only change to their winning set up is the new paint job. They will sail with exactly the same core sailing team, with the exception of the reduced crew number.

2008 Audi MedCup champions Quantum Racing (USA) who finished overall runners-up are believed to have taken the opportunity to update their deck profile and have made a bigger winter refit. Torbjorn Tornqvist’s (SWE) 2007 champions Artemis (SWE), third overall in 2009 have a busy sailing season planned and will be back to challenge hard.  Alberto Roemmers’ (ARG) team of Matador (ARG) start training on March 19th as a build up to the Palma Vela regatta, where up to five teams will race including Artemis, Cristabella (GBR) Matador and Synergy (RUS) are expected to take part.

Spain’s Palma based Bribón (ESP) has undergone some minor modifications along with the class rule modifications. They have changed to tiller steering, removing the twin wheels, changed the mainsheet system and extended the deckline to the vertical at the back of the boat, in line with all the other newer TP52’s. They will sail with an almost all Spanish crew with helm Gonzalo Araujo (ESP) taking on the role he completed so well at the TP52 World Championships in Palma last year. Great Britain’s double Olympic silver medallist Ian Walker (GBR) will serve as tactician. 

Ignasi Triay (ESP), project manager and trimmer Bribón (ESP) concludes: “It will be difficult for us I am sure with our boat in its fourth season. It will be really tough for us to get a top five finish with teams like Quantum Racing, TeamOrigin and Emirates Team New Zealand fighting it out for the top spots, and then the two Russian boats and Bigamist (POR) going so well now, but we will be really trying our hardest. The World Championships really proved to us that in flat water and lighter winds the boat can be competitive. Dean Barker said last year that if we sail a perfect race we can finish top three. They have a boat that they can get back into contention in a race even if they don’t make a great start, and that – for us – is the big difference.”

Also based out of Palma is John Cook’s British flagged Cristabella which has a new rig and will have some crew changes with round the world Racing winning bowman Justin Slattery (IRL) joining at the sharp end, and round the world and America’s Cup navigator Simon ‘SiFi’ Fisher (GBR) joining the team again. 

Brendan Darrer (IRL/GBR) project manager Cristabella (GBR) said: “It is going to be difficult for us this season for sure. Each year we say it will be harder and it does get harder. But it will be a cracking year and we are really looking forward to it. Most of all we want to see a realistic improvement in our own performance, and if we can see that we will be happy.”

Home hopes for the opening regatta will be with Pedro Mendonça’s Bigamist who have been winter training hard off their native Cascais. Their prolonged training together was the foundations for a very successful 2009, and so on their own local waters, the Portuguese team have a good chance of starting the 2010 Audi MedCup season on a high note.

The GP42 fleet is taking shape presently with at least one boat which is new to the Circuit, stepping up after enjoying their participation at the 2009 GP42 World Championships.

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With a little over 5,000 miles left before reaching Ushant, the virtual separation between Groupama 3 and Orange 2 has been yo-yoing for the past three days. The giant trimaran has picked up her average speed since escaping the zone of high pressure, whilst five years ago the maxi-catamaran was just beginning to make laboured headway close to the Brazilian coast… 

The crew had a hundred mile lead on rounding Cape Horn, a 190 mile deficit off Uruguay as Franck Cammas and his men began their beat in the high pressure, and finally were 360 miles off the pace at 0700 UTC this Tuesday… Yet since Groupama 3 has made it back into some powerful E’ly winds, the deficit has been decreasing slowly but surely with 30 miles made up in the space of seven hours.

“It was a rough night, with heavy seas, even though the wind was less violent than forecast. We had thirty knots of E to NE’ly with some good four metre waves… We’re all anxious about the idea of breaking gear, so we’re being very careful. We’ve got two reefs in the mainsail and I think they’ve just dumped the heavy airs jib on deck! Down below we’re finding it hard to hang on. It’s more testing for the men rather than the boat, as she’s seen conditions such as these before!” indicated Fred Le Peutrec at the 1130 UTC radio link-up with Groupama’s Race HQ in Paris. 

 

Staying in the corridor of breeze…
These conditions have had an effect on the downtime for the crew, who haven’t really been able to sleep over the past few hours, to the extent that Bruno Jeanjean has gone all night without sleep… Furthermore, the heat is becoming a little suffocating down below with 28° and a tepid shower up top.
However, the weather situation is in the process of changing with the wind set to switch back round to the N before nightfall. As such a series of tacks will be on the menu again…

“We’re in a squall and it’s very stormy! We’re going to make it through to some N’ly winds again soon as we hit a Brazilian depression: the seas shouldn’t be too heavy there as the air flow has only just kicked in, but we’re going to have to keep an eye out for squalls… It’s likely we’ll be on a beat in this N’ly system so as we don’t distance ourselves too much from the direct course and escape these headwinds as quickly as possible. There isn’t too much breeze to our West and it’s very unstable. As a result we’re going to avoid getting tangled up in these erratic airs, but we will have to climb as far as 25°S to find the steadier wind.” 

 

…so as not to get stuck
Therefore the strategy will comprise remaining in a corridor of breeze about a hundred miles wide, to get as far as the latitude of Rio de Janeiro where the E’ly tradewinds will kick in again. If she were to get too close to the Brazilian coast, Groupama 3 would fall into a barometric swamp without a lot of breeze, whilst the offshore option would put Franck Cammas and his nine crew back into a rather unfavourable NE’ly air flow. The tropical stage of this trip is still a good day away then! Following on from that though, the giant trimaran will once again be able to lengthen her stride and will very likely make up part of her deficit on Orange 2, which wasn’t very quick during her climb along the Brazilian coast.

“Physically we’re really worn out: the environment is constantly drawing on our energies at the moment and I can barely talk due to the extent to which we’ve been bracing ourselves… We’re less talkative and highly concentrated on ourselves and on the noises the boat makes, which are very familiar to us now. We’ll only be able to relax once we’ve reached the SE’ly tradewinds! We’re on the same latitude as the Canaries and though the temperatures are already milder, the colours are more reminiscent of Ushant with a grey sky and rain! We’re going to wait a little longer before we have a wash but it’s beginning to smell quite ripe around here…” 

 

Groupama 3′s log (departure on 31st January at 13h 55′ 53” UTC)
Day 1 (1st February 1400 UTC): 500 miles (deficit = 94 miles)
Day 2 (2nd February 1400 UTC): 560 miles (lead = 3.5 miles)
Day 3 (3rd February 1400 UTC): 535 miles (lead = 170 miles)
Day 4 (4th February 1400 UTC): 565 miles (lead = 245 miles)
Day 5 (5th February 1400 UTC): 656 miles (lead = 562 miles)
Day 6 (6th February 1400 UTC): 456 miles (lead = 620 miles)
Day 7 (7th February 1400 UTC): 430 miles (lead = 539 miles)
Day 8 (8th February 1400 UTC): 305 miles (lead = 456 miles)
Day 9 (9th February 1400 UTC): 436 miles (lead = 393 miles)
Day 10 (10th February 1400 UTC): 355 miles (lead = 272 miles)
Day 11 (11th February 1400 UTC): 267 miles (deficit = 30 miles)
Day 12 (12th February 1400 UTC): 247 miles (deficit = 385 miles)
Day 13 (13th February 1400 UTC): 719 miles (deficit = 347 miles)
Day 14 (14th February 1400 UTC): 680 miles (deficit = 288 miles)
Day 15 (15th February 1400 UTC): 651 miles (deficit = 203 miles)
Day 16 (16th February 1400 UTC): 322 miles (deficit = 376 miles)
Day 17 (17th February 1400 UTC): 425 miles (deficit = 338 miles)
Day 18 (18th February 1400 UTC): 362 miles (deficit = 433 miles)
Day 19 (19th February 1400 UTC): 726 miles (deficit = 234 miles)
Day 20 (20th February 1400 UTC): 672 miles (deficit = 211 miles)
Day 21 (21th February 1400 UTC): 584 miles (deficit = 124 miles)
Day 22 (22nd February 1400 UTC): 607 miles (deficit = 137 miles)
Day 23 (23rd February 1400 UTC): 702 miles (lead = 60 miles)
Day 24 (24th February 1400 UTC): 638 miles (lead = 208 miles)
Day 25 (25th February 1400 UTC): 712 miles (lead = 371 miles)
Day 26 (26th February 1400 UTC): 687 miles (lead = 430 miles)
Day 27 (27th February 1400 UTC): 797 miles (lead = 560 miles)
Day 27 (27th February 1400 UTC): 560 miles (lead = 517 miles)
Day 29 (1st March 1400 UTC): 434 miles (lead = 268 miles)
Day 30 (2nd March 1400 UTC): 575 miles (lead = 184 miles)
Day 31 (3rd March 1400 UTC): 617 miles (lead = 291 miles)
Day 32 (4th March 1400 UTC): 492 miles (lead = 248 miles)
Day 33 (5th March 1400 UTC): 445 miles (lead = 150 miles)
Day 34 (6th March 1400 UTC): 461 miles (lead = 58 miles)
Day 35 (7th March 1400 UTC): 382 miles (deficit = 100 miles)
Day 36 (8th March 1400 UTC): 317 miles (deficit = 326 miles)
Day 37 (9th March 1400 UTC): 506 miles (deficit = 331 miles)

WSSRC record from equator to equator
Orange 2 (2005): 33d 16h 06′

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Still in the high pressure which is stagnating off Argentina, Groupama 3 is trying to make as much headway as possible to the North. In order to do this, Franck Cammas and his men are having to tack in line with every shift to exploit these transitions: seven tack changes have been made since Sunday afternoon. 

Very attentive to the slightest wind shift since this weekend, Franck Cammas and navigator Stan Honey are remaining concentrated to exploit these rotations. Right now it’s very much like a virtual race against Orange 2 with five years separation, and the giant trimaran is rather at ease since she has been designed for these light to moderate headwinds. However, the crew of Groupama 3 is having to react very quickly all the same, which isn’t always easy at night, beneath an overcast sky and a waning moon. As such they’re zigzagging their way northward.

“In high pressure conditions such as these, there is always a discrepancy between the grib files and the actual situation on the water: at the moment, we’ve fallen into a zone of light winds, probably due to a big squall to our right… The breeze should pick up radically at sunset to pump out 30-40 knots of E’ly on our beam: as such we’re going to have to reduce the sail area and even set the heavy airs jib! We’ve got some work on our hands because the wind isn’t as steady as all that… However, we’ve recovered well from the fatigue we’d amassed in the Deep South” indicated Franck Cammas at the 1130 UTC radio link-up with Groupama’s Race HQ in Paris. 

 

Kissing the sea
With the central hull just kissing the surface of the water, the helmsmen are taking it in turns to keep the giant trimaran making headway on a single leeward float and at around 0900 UTC, Groupama 3 had put in her final tack change of the day. Indeed the wind had clocked round to the N and was gradually shifting round to the NE early this afternoon: the average speed was increasing to in excess of twenty knots again and the separation between her and Orange 2 was beginning to stabilise at 325 miles…

“The boat is really light and highly responsive, which makes it easy to tack since we don’t need to do any stacking (shifting of moveable ballast). Furthermore, Groupama 3 is less heavy than when she left Ushant and you can really feel the difference because we’ve consumed a good hundred kilos or so of diesel and food… It’s the first time we’ve been on a beat since 31st January. We’re back on a route taking us almost due North until Tuesday morning, at which point we’ll have to put in some more tacks to reach the tradewinds, which are still some 700 miles ahead of our bows. The temperatures are already milder, with overcast skies, but we’re still sporting our foulies on deck!”

Franck Cammas estimated that he couldn’t have a deficit of more than a day on crossing the equator! As such the pressure’s really on over this phase of the course. Indeed Orange 2 only began to slow as she approached the latitude of Rio de Janeiro, but then her climb up to Recife proved to be fairly laboured. In fact it’s becoming an increasingly established fact that bagging the Jules Verne Trophy record is still uncertain and everything will depend on their progress off Brazil… 

 

Multiple manoeuvres
As a result the aim of Franck Cammas and his men is to progress northward as quickly as possible, but there’s not really any alternative in terms of the general strategy: Groupama 3 will have to close on the coast of South America, without getting too close to the shores of Brazil, where some stormy lows generating variable winds are in the process of forming… Therefore the next phase will involve a great deal of activity in the cockpit of the giant trimaran as the crew will have to link together multiple manoeuvres.

“Groupama 3 is exiting the anticyclone in winds of around twenty knots, which are increasing in strength as they begin to veer: this will enable her to bend her course round from this afternoon, whilst simultaneously picking up the pace. However, from Tuesday evening and through until Thursday, the crew will have to negotiate a stormy zone along the shores of Brazil…” explained Sylvain Mondon from Météo France. 

 

Groupama 3′s log (departure on 31st January at 13h 55′ 53” UTC)
Day 1 (1st February 1400 UTC): 500 miles (deficit = 94 miles)
Day 2 (2nd February 1400 UTC): 560 miles (lead = 3.5 miles)
Day 3 (3rd February 1400 UTC): 535 miles (lead = 170 miles)
Day 4 (4th February 1400 UTC): 565 miles (lead = 245 miles)
Day 5 (5th February 1400 UTC): 656 miles (lead = 562 miles)
Day 6 (6th February 1400 UTC): 456 miles (lead = 620 miles)
Day 7 (7th February 1400 UTC): 430 miles (lead = 539 miles)
Day 8 (8th February 1400 UTC): 305 miles (lead = 456 miles)
Day 9 (9th February 1400 UTC): 436 miles (lead = 393 miles)
Day 10 (10th February 1400 UTC): 355 miles (lead = 272 miles)
Day 11 (11th February 1400 UTC): 267 miles (deficit = 30 miles)
Day 12 (12th February 1400 UTC): 247 miles (deficit = 385 miles)
Day 13 (13th February 1400 UTC): 719 miles (deficit = 347 miles)
Day 14 (14th February 1400 UTC): 680 miles (deficit = 288 miles)
Day 15 (15th February 1400 UTC): 651 miles (deficit = 203 miles)
Day 16 (16th February 1400 UTC): 322 miles (deficit = 376 miles)
Day 17 (17th February 1400 UTC): 425 miles (deficit = 338 miles)
Day 18 (18th February 1400 UTC): 362 miles (deficit = 433 miles)
Day 19 (19th February 1400 UTC): 726 miles (deficit = 234 miles)
Day 20 (20th February 1400 UTC): 672 miles (deficit = 211 miles)
Day 21 (21th February 1400 UTC): 584 miles (deficit = 124 miles)
Day 22 (22nd February 1400 UTC): 607 miles (deficit = 137 miles)
Day 23 (23rd February 1400 UTC): 702 miles (lead = 60 miles)
Day 24 (24th February 1400 UTC): 638 miles (lead = 208 miles)
Day 25 (25th February 1400 UTC): 712 miles (lead = 371 miles)
Day 26 (26th February 1400 UTC): 687 miles (lead = 430 miles)
Day 27 (27th February 1400 UTC): 797 miles (lead = 560 miles)
Day 27 (27th February 1400 UTC): 560 miles (lead = 517 miles)
Day 29 (1st March 1400 UTC): 434 miles (lead = 268 miles)
Day 30 (2nd March 1400 UTC): 575 miles (lead = 184 miles)
Day 31 (3rd March 1400 UTC): 617 miles (lead = 291 miles)
Day 32 (4th March 1400 UTC): 492 miles (lead = 248 miles)
Day 33 (5th March 1400 UTC): 445 miles (lead = 150 miles)
Day 34 (6th March 1400 UTC): 461 miles (lead = 58 miles)
Day 35 (7th March 1400 UTC): 382 miles (deficit = 100 miles)
Day 36 (8th March 1400 UTC): 317 miles (deficit = 326 miles)

WSSRC record from equator to equator
Orange 2 (2005): 33d 16h 06′

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On a perfectly rectilinear course since rounding Cape Horn, Groupama 3 is continuing her ascent of the Southern Atlantic by cleverly limiting the haemorrhage of miles lost in relation to the Jules Verne Trophy champion. Furthermore, they are in no way losing sight of the fact that they will have to battle all the way to the end and that they must remain in great shape to do so. 

As announced a few days ago by weather adviser Sylvain Mondon, the medium NNW’ly wind is reigning implacably over what is a much calmer ocean. Sailing on just a single hull, the central hull just kissing the water, Groupama 3 is really showing off her versatility under the leadership of a crew which doesn’t have a minute to lose. And though, over the past twenty four hours, Franck Cammas and his band have conceded 170 miles to Orange and are now positioned 100 miles behind her, the mindset remains, more than ever before, a conquering one.

“We haven’t tacked for a very long time and, from this evening, we’ll be making two or three changes of tack to gently make headway to the North. It’s at that point that we’ll lose the greatest distance in relation to Orange, but we’re left with no other alternative if we are to locate a system which is more favourable to our progress. The fact that things are very tight as regards the record time is highly motivating and we know we’ve got a real battle on our hands! The general atmosphere is as great as ever and that’s what makes this crew so good. The “Bar des Sports” is just one of the opportunities onboard, where everyone has a chance to get together. We’re all really driven to do better and finish this record with flying colours so we can be proud on our arrival off Ushant! Yesterday evening we had a great time at the Bar des Sports and were treated to two duck breasts that Loïc had stashed away with two tiny little bottles of red wine. It was a delicious, unforgettable moment!” enthused Jacques Caraës during the daily radio link-up with Groupama’s Jules Verne HQ. 

 

Snag-free
At the risk of sounding like a famous football coach, it’s clear that on both a tactical and technical level, Groupama 3′s crew are coming out of the orangey-red zone with a view to finding a more `chlorophyll freshness’:

“I was dozing in my bunk on stand-by watch and as it was time to wake up, so it’s a good moment to talk to you. That way I’ll be wide awake to go up on deck. The water is now 15° this morning, so it’s beginning to get up to a nice temperature! We’re making headway close on the wind with a 14 knot breeze on very comfortable seas. Life is completely different today and it’s done us a world of good. It’s affected everyone as we’ve all fallen into a very deep sleep. We were all in need of it as we were very fatigued after the sailing conditions in the Pacific. We’ve all recovered well in readiness for tackling the Atlantic, with a boat that’s in equally fine fettle, which augurs well for the next stage!” concludes Jacques. 

 

The perfect solution
Tonight, just to have a change from the routine which they’re slowly slipping into aboard, the succession of helmsmen will alter course to the left and then, a few hours later, to the right, thanks to the wind variations along the western edge of the zone of high pressure. As such the wind strength and direction, as well as the barometric pressure will be navigator Stan Honey’s principle points of reference in trying to limit the extra distance to travel as much as possible… 

 

Groupama 3′s log (departure on 31st January at 13h 55′ 53” UTC)
Day 1 (1st February 1400 UTC): 500 miles (deficit = 94 miles)
Day 2 (2nd February 1400 UTC): 560 miles (lead = 3.5 miles)
Day 3 (3rd February 1400 UTC): 535 miles (lead = 170 miles)
Day 4 (4th February 1400 UTC): 565 miles (lead = 245 miles)
Day 5 (5th February 1400 UTC): 656 miles (lead = 562 miles)
Day 6 (6th February 1400 UTC): 456 miles (lead = 620 miles)
Day 7 (7th February 1400 UTC): 430 miles (lead = 539 miles)
Day 8 (8th February 1400 UTC): 305 miles (lead = 456 miles)
Day 9 (9th February 1400 UTC): 436 miles (lead = 393 miles)
Day 10 (10th February 1400 UTC): 355 miles (lead = 272 miles)
Day 11 (11th February 1400 UTC): 267 miles (deficit = 30 miles)
Day 12 (12th February 1400 UTC): 247 miles (deficit = 385 miles)
Day 13 (13th February 1400 UTC): 719 miles (deficit = 347 miles)
Day 14 (14th February 1400 UTC): 680 miles (deficit = 288 miles)
Day 15 (15th February 1400 UTC): 651 miles (deficit = 203 miles)
Day 16 (16th February 1400 UTC): 322 miles (deficit = 376 miles)
Day 17 (17th February 1400 UTC): 425 miles (deficit = 338 miles)
Day 18 (18th February 1400 UTC): 362 miles (deficit = 433 miles)
Day 19 (19th February 1400 UTC): 726 miles (deficit = 234 miles)
Day 20 (20th February 1400 UTC): 672 miles (deficit = 211 miles)
Day 21 (21th February 1400 UTC): 584 miles (deficit = 124 miles)
Day 22 (22nd February 1400 UTC): 607 miles (deficit = 137 miles)
Day 23 (23rd February 1400 UTC): 702 miles (lead = 60 miles)
Day 24 (24th February 1400 UTC): 638 miles (lead = 208 miles)
Day 25 (25th February 1400 UTC): 712 miles (lead = 371 miles)
Day 26 (26th February 1400 UTC): 687 miles (lead = 430 miles)
Day 27 (27th February 1400 UTC): 797 miles (lead = 560 miles)
Day 27 (27th February 1400 UTC): 560 miles (lead = 517 miles)
Day 29 (1st March 1400 UTC): 434 miles (lead = 268 miles)
Day 30 (2nd March 1400 UTC): 575 miles (lead = 184 miles)
Day 31 (3rd March 1400 UTC): 617 miles (lead = 291 miles)
Day 32 (4th March 1400 UTC): 492 miles (lead = 248 miles)
Day 33 (5th March 1400 UTC): 445 miles (lead = 150 miles)
Day 34 (6th March 1400 UTC): 461 miles (lead = 58 miles)
Day 35 (7th March 1400 UTC): 382 miles (deficit = 100 miles)

WSSRC record from equator to equator
Orange 2 (2005): 33d 16h 06′

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 On rounding Cape Horn at 1830 UTC this Thursday 4th March, Franck Cammas and his men have retained a lead of 175 miles over the reference time, which equates to 8 hours 55 minutes. However, the beginning of this final stage of the round the world will be complicated for the giant trimaran to negotiate, at least for the first few hours of this Atlantic ascent … 

The rather peculiar conditions, which have been reigning over the Pacific, have not enabled Groupama 3 to beat the WSSRC record for traversing the largest ocean in the world. For sure there was wind, but too much, to the extent that the crew was forced to make a big detour to the North to avoid the worst of the seas generated by a nasty low. However, it proved necessary for Franck Cammas and his men to negotiate a rather light transition zone prior to approaching the coast of Chile… In the end, the crew devoured nearly 5,000 miles of the Pacific Ocean (Southern Tasmania to Cape Horn) in 8 days 19 hours 07 minutes, which amounts to just 59 additional minutes in relation to the reference time set by Orange 2 in 2005 (8d 18h 08′).

 

 

However, there is still 7,000 miles to go before they reach the finish line off Ushant: Bruno Peyron and his crew took over eighteen days to climb up the Atlantic. And even though Groupama 3 is still a few miles ahead of the reference time right now, she is set to lose the majority of this advantage over the coming days. The headwinds reigning over the East coast of Patagonia will make a serious dent in the giant trimaran’s capital.

 

 

Back in 2005 the champion Jules Verne Trophy catamaran had a superb climb to the equator (8d 05h 36′), but she struggled to make Ushant once she got into the northern hemisphere (9d 11h 15′). As such Groupama 3 is still on track to improve on the round the world record: fifty days is still within grasp…

Groupama 3′s time between Tasmania and Cape Horn
8d 19h 7′, or 59′ more than the WSSRC record set by Orange 2 in 2005

Reference time between Ushant and Cape Horn
Groupama 3 (2010): 32d 04h 34′
Lead over Orange 2′s time (32d 13h 29′ in 2005): 8h 55′

 

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The sailing conditions have become tougher over the past few hours as a low catches up with Groupama 3. Indeed the current aim for the giant trimaran is to try to stay at the front of this system until it rounds Cape Horn… To pull this off she will have to maintain a high speed to benefit from what is expected to be a NW’ly breeze as far as the Falkland Islands. 

Still faster than Orange 2, the giant trimaran is having to cover more ground to reach Cape Horn and hence her lead continues to yo-yo today… When Groupama 3 switches onto a NE’ly course, she distances herself from the direct route, and when she gybes, as she did on Sunday evening, she makes gains. The upshot of this is that her lead over the reference time changes according to the manoeuvres, with dramatic fluctuations from one hour to the next. Ultimately though, Franck Cammas and his men still have a lead of nearly a day over Bruno Peyron and his crew…

“Right now we’re pretty much on a SE’ly course, but we’re going to gybe again at lunchtime tomorrow, and then again to get onto a direct course towards the Horn… We’ve had some choppy seas over the past few hours, but they’re gradually becoming more regular now” explained Loïc Le Mignon at the 1130 UTC radio link-up with Groupama’s Race HQ in Paris. 

 

On the look-out for ice
The crew aboard Groupama 3 have been eating a lot more over the past few days due to the persistent cold reigning over the Pacific Ocean. The consumption of calories is considerably larger the longer you’re at sea (one month on the water already) and the more the temperatures drop to close to zero degrees Celsius.

“As a member of both the technical crew and the sailing team, I consider that the trajectory is being well managed: we can make very fast headway without having big seas. We’re not cutting the corner but it’s still very agreeable. Right now it’s rather cold: the gloves are out and we’re keen to round Cape Horn to dry things out… We’re eating a lot more and we aren’t lacking in food as we have been during other attempts. We’ve run out of our special Lannilis bread already though…”

There is still some ice to watch out for too as the water temperature has dipped below 6°C. The ice isn’t far off, but the satellite images confirm that the actual icebergs are further South… The crew is nevertheless remaining very attentive both on the radar and on watch on deck. Not surprisingly fatigue is beginning to set in onboard. 

 

Taking a low punch
A `nasty’ low is tailing Groupama 3, which must maintain a high pace to stay ahead of the system and benefit from the resulting downwind breeze. As such Franck Cammas and his men are going to be plagued by this depression until they make good their escape from the Southern Ocean.

“This pattern is rather reminiscent of when we rounded Cape Leeuwin: we have to stay ahead of a depression until the Horn, or beyond! However, this disturbed system is faster than us… We’re reckoning on three days to reach the cape! We’re into a good rhythm onboard as we’ve known each other a long time, though there is the usual friction too. Everyone’s taking care of each other. It’s a very good crew which is competent, competitive and kind. We really want this third attempt to be successful!” 

 Groupama 3′s log (departure on 31st January at 13h 55′ 53” UTC)
Day 1 (1st February 1400 UTC): 500 miles (deficit = 94 miles)
Day 2 (2nd February 1400 UTC): 560 miles (lead = 3.5 miles)
Day 3 (3rd February 1400 UTC): 535 miles (lead = 170 miles)
Day 4 (4th February 1400 UTC): 565 miles (lead = 245 miles)
Day 5 (5th February 1400 UTC): 656 miles (lead = 562 miles)
Day 6 (6th February 1400 UTC): 456 miles (lead = 620 miles)
Day 7 (7th February 1400 UTC): 430 miles (lead = 539 miles)
Day 8 (8th February 1400 UTC): 305 miles (lead = 456 miles)
Day 9 (9th February 1400 UTC): 436 miles (lead = 393 miles)
Day 10 (10th February 1400 UTC): 355 miles (lead = 272 miles)
Day 11 (11th February 1400 UTC): 267 miles (deficit = 30 miles)
Day 12 (12th February 1400 UTC): 247 miles (deficit = 385 miles)
Day 13 (13th February 1400 UTC): 719 miles (deficit = 347 miles)
Day 14 (14th February 1400 UTC): 680 miles (deficit = 288 miles)
Day 15 (15th February 1400 UTC): 651 miles (deficit = 203 miles)
Day 16 (16th February 1400 UTC): 322 miles (deficit = 376 miles)
Day 17 (17th February 1400 UTC): 425 miles (deficit = 338 miles)
Day 18 (18th February 1400 UTC): 362 miles (deficit = 433 miles)
Day 19 (19th February 1400 UTC): 726 miles (deficit = 234 miles)
Day 20 (20th February 1400 UTC): 672 miles (deficit = 211 miles)
Day 21 (21th February 1400 UTC): 584 miles (deficit = 124 miles)
Day 22 (22nd February 1400 UTC): 607 miles (deficit = 137 miles)
Day 23 (23rd February 1400 UTC): 702 miles (lead = 60 miles)
Day 24 (24th February 1400 UTC): 638 miles (lead = 208 miles)
Day 25 (25th February 1400 UTC): 712 miles (lead = 371 miles)
Day 26 (26th February 1400 UTC): 687 miles (lead = 430 miles)
Day 27 (27th February 1400 UTC): 797 miles (lead = 560 miles)
Day 27 (27th February 1400 UTC): 560 miles (lead = 517 miles)

WSSRC record for the Pacific Ocean crossing (from the South of Tasmania to Cape Horn)
Orange 2 (2005): 8d 18h 08′
  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
 One watch system on deck, one watch on stand-by ready to help manoeuvre, 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.

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Taking just 8 days 17 hours and 39 minutes to traverse the Indian Ocean, the maxi trimaran Groupama 3 skippered by Franck Cammas has snatched the record held by Orange 2 since 2005. 

It was at 2322 UTC on Tuesday 23rd February that Groupama 3 crossed the longitude of Tasmania, to the South of Australia, which marks the exit from the Indian Ocean and the entry to the Pacific Ocean.

Having rounded Cape Agulhas off South Africa 8 days and 17 hours beforehand, Franck Cammas and his nine crew participating in the Jules Verne Trophy have taken 17 hours and 25 minutes less than the crew of Bruno Peyron some five years ago.

With the Indian Ocean behind them, Groupama 3 is now attacking the largest ocean in the world, the Pacific; the exit from which is marked by the much renowned Cape Horn.

Departure from Ushant: on 31st January at 1355 UTC
Passage around the Agulhas Cape: on 15th February at 0543 UTC
Passage of Tasmania: on 23rd February at 2322 UTC

Race time from the start to Tasmania: 23 days 9 hours and 27 minutes
Indian Ocean crossing time: 8 days 17 hours and 39 minutes, that is 17 hours and 25 minutes faster than Orange.

This new record for the passage across the Indian Ocean is awaiting approval by the WSSRC, the international body responsible for sailing records.

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