Groupama 3 In Cape Town (Photo by Alain Paulhac / Welcome on Board)
Whilst she was set to leave South Africa this Friday morning, the Groupama 3 trimaran has now been forced to remain in the port of Cape Town temporarily after her generator failed.
“We were in the process of charging the batteries one last time when, all of a sudden, the alarm sounded in the engine compartment. After a thorough check by Yann Mérour, it has been deemed to be out of service. It’s annoying as we should already be at sea by now but that’s just the way it is” says Fred Le Peutrec. He continues: “It’s better that this problem occurred now rather than after we’d set sail because, without power, we can’t desalinate the seawater. As a result we would have been forced to make a stopover, which is never simple in such a large boat”.
Around the basin where Groupama 3 is tied up, cameras from all around the world are trained on the drawing of lots for the World Cup football tournament. However, the main focus for the Groupama Team is arranging a new Yanmar engine block to be sent down from France: “We’ve found an identical one to ours, which is a positive step. We just have to get it delivered to Cape Town, which isn’t easy. If everything goes smoothly at customs, we should receive the block on Sunday evening, assemble everything onto it on Monday and then head out to sea on Tuesday” explains Fred Le Peutrec.
Though it may seem surprising that a yacht is stuck in port with engine failure, it is worth pointing out that, without power, Groupama 3 is deprived of:
- Communication with land
- Weather information
- Lights and radar
- Electronic instruments showing the strength and direction of the wind
- Freshwater, which is essential for hydrating the crew and the freeze-dried food.
And even though Groupama 3 has a wind generator and solar panels, they are only back-up energy sources and hence not sufficient to cover the 6,000 miles (11,200 km) under satisfactory conditions of safety: “From our arrival in Cape Town, we decided that Groupama 3 had to leave South Africa in as close to perfect condition as possible in order to validate all the repair work on the return delivery trip. The same is true for the engine” adds Fred Le Peutrec, who concludes: “By leaving Cape Town on 8th December, we still have a chance of making Brest before the Christmas festivity. Indeed this is the latest challenge we have set ourselves as, together with the start of stand-by for the Jules Verne Trophy remaining set at 1st January, there will be little time left to share with our families”.
The organisation of Groupama 3′s crew between Cape Town and Brest:
Watch No.1: Fred Le Peutrec, Eric Lamy, Nick Legatt
Watch No.2: Lionel Lemonchois, Ludovic Aglaor, Clément Surtel
Watch No.3: Ronan Le Goff, Thierry Duprey du Vordent, Jacques Caraës
Off-watch navigator: François Salabert
Land-based weather adviser: Sylvain Mondon
Groupama 3 In Capetown Awaiting Departure (Photo by Alain Paulhac / Welcome OnBoard)
On stopover in Cape Town, South Africa since 21st November, after suffering damage during her Jules Verne Trophy attempt, the trimaran Groupama 3 will head back out to sea again tomorrow morning, Friday, bound for Brest. Having been repaired and reinforced by the team’s shore crew, the maxi trimaran is likely to take two to three weeks to cover the 6,000 miles (11,500 km) separating her from Brittany.
Of the ten men making up the Jules Verne Trophy crew four will be onboard to deliver Groupama 3 to Brest, where she will begin a new period of stand-by to tackle the Round the World record on 1st January: “The presence aboard of the entire Jules Verne crew wasn’t justified. As such, together with Lionel Lemonchois, Jacques Caraës, Ronan Le Goff and six new crew, we’ll be in a position to validate the reliability of the repairs carried out in Cape Town” explains Fred Le Peutrec, who will be shouldering the role of skipper during this climb up the Atlantic.
“We’re going to make the most of this delivery trip to give some members of the shore crew a chance to sail, as they know Groupama 3 very well. They will include Eric Lamy, Clément Surtel as well as François Salabert. We will also be playing host to some other multihull specialists: Thierry Duprey du Vorsent, Ludovic Aglaor as well as a South African who notably sailed aboard Cheyenne, Nick Legatt” adds Fred Le Peutrec.
In all, Groupama’s stopover in Cape Town will have lasted nearly two weeks: “Once we’d worked out where the damage was, it was necessary to bring in the architects and engineers to determine the cause so that we could be sure about what repairs and reinforcement were required on the beam-float joints. There was great understanding in the collaboration between the Groupama Team’s research department and the architects from VPLP and HDS. As such we’ll be setting off with complete trust in what is a more solid boat in tip-top condition. It was very important for the whole team to take the time to do things properly, without being overly hasty” continues Fred.
Determined to set off on a fresh attempt at the Jules Verne Trophy from 1st January 2010, the crew of Groupama 3 has managed to find the energy necessary for this new challenge, despite the inevitable disappointment caused by this damage: “We were really on the pace. Despite our retirement, we monitored the evolution of the weather system we’d been sailing in. It was excellent as far as Australia. That goes to prove the quality of the work carried out by Stan Honey, our navigator, as well as Sylvain Mondon, the weather adviser at Météo France. This augurs well for the next stage and the five weeks of stand-by we’ll have at our disposal between 1st January and 6th February for our new attempt” comments Franck Cammas.
Returning to France a few days ago with Bruno Jeanjean, Thomas Coville, Stève Ravussin and soon to be joined by Loïc Le Mignon, the skipper of Groupama 3 will be monitoring the return delivery trip very closely: “We chose to repair Groupama 3 in Cape Town in order to validate her reliability at sea. Calculations have their limitations. Nothing can beat offshore trials for testing the structure and I have complete trust in the crew onboard to achieve this”.
As regards the weather, conditions will be favourable for getting back into the Northern hemisphere: “We’ll be setting off in 15 to 20 knots of SSE’ly. As such we’ll be on a reach along the coast until Sunday and then we’ll put in some westing to cross the equator at around 25° West. The next stage of the passage will depend on the depressions sweeping across the North Atlantic, but whatever happens we should make it into Brest before Christmas and hence spend the festive period with our families” concludes Fred Le Peutrec.
The organisation of Groupama 3′s crew between Cape Town and Brest:
Watch No.1: Fred Le Peutrec, Eric Lamy, Nick Legatt
Watch No.2: Lionel Lemonchois, Ludovic Aglaor, Clément Surtel
Watch No.3: Ronan Le Goff, Thierry Duprey du Vordent, Jacques Caraës
Off-watch navigator: François Salabert
Land-based weather adviser: Sylvain Mondon
Tied up alongside in the port of Cape Town since Saturday, Groupama 3 certainly isn’t being left in peace, far from it in fact. Barely had she reached the dock, then the shore crew managed by Yann Mérour, all of whom had made the trip down from Lorient, had taken control of matters with the assistance of the sailors. Structural analysis of the damage and observations made on site by composite specialists, confirm that it will indeed take a week’s work before Groupama 3 can head out to sea again, bound for Brest, for a new stand-by period set to begin on 1st January 2010.
Benefiting from the technical means available in the Shosholoza base (a team which participated in the 32nd edition of the America’s Cup), Pierre Tissier, Sandy Blanalt, Sarah Lynch and Eric Beylot are all working on Groupama 3′s port float. In a dry, oppressive heat, which is favourable for working on carbon, they have begun by cutting out the faulty bulkhead and then constructing its replacement: “It’s never easy to work in such a confined space. Luckily this bulkhead is very close to the access hatch though. This enables us to poke our heads out into the fresh air on a regular basis. It certainly is hot though!” says Eric Beylot, who is almost missing the gloomy weather reigning back home in Brittany.
Franck Cammas (Photo by Team Groupama)
Having made the journey down from Johannesburg, three infra-red analysis specialists have inspected the affected zone without finding any side-effects. This is a good thing according to the skipper of Groupama 3, who only rarely leaves his telephone, as he’s in regular contact with his design office, the architects from the VPLP and HDS: “By running the data through their computers again, they’ve realised that the load case which concerns us today was not intended to exceed six tonnes. The sailing conditions we endured very certainly produced greater stresses than that. This is why we’re also going to reinforce the equivalent bulkhead on the starboard float” explains Franck.
As far as the rest of Groupama 3 is concerned though, she’s in perfect condition, ready to head back out to sea and set off once again to tackle this famous Jules Verne Trophy record, the value of which can now be appreciated even more: “It’s clear that in order to stand a chance of beating it, we’re going to have to go fast. We’re also going to have to go far, which we haven’t managed to do to date. It’s now down to us to prove we’re capable of that. From the moment the damage occurred, the whole crew have expressed their commitment to this. I’m proud of them and also proud of Groupama 3, which is an excellent boat. The same goes for my loyal partner, Groupama who, once again, are giving us their support in what is a difficult time” concludes Franck Cammas.
During this time, the rest of the crew are rinsing off the deck fittings and foulies, tidying up their `home’ and inspecting the deck from top to toe. Certain lines, such as those which control the descent and rise of the foils, are worn and have been replaced. When it’s time for lunch, conversations regularly revolve around the anecdotes experienced during the first 11 days of this Jules Verne Trophy attempt. These are always coloured by laughter which demonstrates, if there were a need, the extent of the bond between the ten crew, who together form a great team.
Groupama 3 Loic Le Mingnon In Action (Photo by Team Groupama)
Over the past 24 hours, the crew of Groupama 3 has been working together to contain the damage suffered around the beam bulkhead. The maxi trimaran has also had to let the Brazilian low pass over the top of her, which created strong winds last night… Franck Cammas looks back at the past few hours in the middle of the Southern Atlantic.
What is your current situation?
“We’re flirting with the centre of a big low, which has pushed us towards the Cape of Good Hope. However, a secondary low has formed over the cold front, with wind which can very quickly increase to 60 knots! As such we’ve taken refuge not far from the centre of the big low to let all that get past us. This is why we spent the whole night barepoled, heading due South. Since 0200 UTC this morning, we’ve been able to hoist more sail aloft as conditions have become more manageable. At the end of the afternoon we’re set to gybe and make headway eastwards towards Cape Town, by remaining at the rear of the worst of the bad weather. There will continue to be a swell and big seas and there’s still some debate as to how to handle the boat so as to prevent her from suffering. We won’t be taking any risks, even if we have to stop…”
How is life on board being organised?
“Everyone is busy with their own tasks: the lamination specialists (Lionel Lemonchois assisted by Thomas Coville) have been working throughout the night. We’re all disappointed but we’re already casting our minds to the future. We’re going to try to get Groupama 3 back to Brittany as fast as possible. When we decided to abandon the record attempt it came as a harsh blow: we went from a performance configuration to a simple delivery. It’s not the same life aboard, the atmosphere isn’t the same and the time seems to go by a lot slower. Fortunately we’ve got some books on board to be able to escape a little when we’re not helming…”
Do you have an explanation for this damage?
“We think that the stresses and motion of the float are the cause of it. There are always some interference effects which are difficult to model on a computer though. The waves never strike the boat in the same way and the platform is subject to some disorganised behaviour: there are some extremely violent vibrations in a chaotic sea. We think that the float has been able to ripple longitudinally with a series of waves on the stern, whilst the support level with the beam is very rigid. At that stage, the bulkhead cracking was the pivotal point in this scenario…”
What is the extent of the damage?
“The breakage isn’t spectacular, but we know things could deteriorate very quickly and impact on the structural integrity of Groupama 3. It’s worrying and will force us to make a technical pitstop, but it’s a lot less serious than the last time… The bulkhead which extends along the beam by entering the float has split open: We’ve had to install two braces to maintain the separation between two sections of the bulkhead, and then insert some foam before sticking it back together. Right now the bulkhead has been stiffened. However, we still have a problem with it as the bulkhead has caused the skin inside the float to become detached across an area of around 400 mm. For the time being we haven’t succeeded in sticking the float to the bulkhead so it’s moving with every wave. We have to hope that the UDs (unidirectional materials) which stiffen the base of the float don’t break, because that section is the float’s backbone! As such we’re going to have to find a way of joining the whole periphery of the bulkhead to the float.”
What are your objectives now?
“We’re going to have to reinforce the four beam attachments but first of all we’re going to have to carry out a thorough analysis with the engineers and architects. We certainly won’t be able to set off on a round the world without trusting in the repair and without knowing the reasons for this damage. It’s not 100% certain we’ll be able to set off again at the end of January. However, given that we left Ushant very early on, there is still a chance we can set off again before the season draws to a close. It’s feasible! We’re going to have to be happy with Groupama 3′s capacity to sail around the world though…”
What are the options over the coming days?
“We’ll get to Cape Town by 22nd November at best, or by 24th November at the latest. There is also a third option, which is to make straight for Lorient if the repairs we make at sea are satisfactory. This would save us a lot of time in our bid to get going on another attempt at the record. Currently there is no danger of the mast falling as it’s fixed onto another bulkhead and we’ve even been able to hoist the sail again, making 17 knots with the right angles to the wind and the seas…”
Groupama 3
It was at 1216 UT on Monday 16th November, that the skipper of Groupama 3, Franck Cammas, called the Jules Verne Trophy team to inform them that an aft beam bulkhead had broken, leading to serious damage to the float. Despite the storm, Groupama 3 is slowly making headway towards Cape Town some 1,700 miles away (3,000 km) and is therefore abandoning this particular Jules Verne Trophy…
At around 1200 UT this Monday, a big cracking sound dashed the hopes of Franck Cammas and his nine crew in their bid to break Orange 2′s round the world record from back in 2005 (50 d 16h 20′). A bulkhead attached to the aft beam simply gave up the ghost in the harsh conditions as the giant trimaran was sailing with her sails angled at 90° to the true wind in a powerful NNE’ly air flow and rough seas. The crew knew they had to go fast to stay in the right sector of the warm front, hot on their heels, in order to drop down towards the Cape of Good Hope with the Brazilian low. The resulting weakness then caused the windward float to fissure and, in light of the sizeable damage, the crew immediately stopped the boat and concluded that it would be necessary to abandon this round the world attempt.
“We’d spent the night sailing fast to stay ahead of the front and this morning Thomas Coville and Bruno Jeanjean were on deck when they heard a big `crack’: there was a small fissure between the aft beam and the port float. Conditions were really bouncy: we came to a standstill with the wind right on our tail so as to be able to open the hatch and get down inside the float. Part of the section between the beam and the float level with the bulkhead had become detached. As such the structural integrity was reduced by at least half. It is impossible to envisage effecting repairs at sea due to the motion. At the moment we’re still being shaken about: there was 35 knots of wind on the beam at the moment the incident occurred and just now, we’ve been caught up by the front so we’ve got 40 knots of breeze…
We’ve dumped the mainsail and Groupama 3 is running before the wind to avoid any harsh motion. We’re going to draw up a route to avoid having too much wind and excessive waves. We’re heading South to let the second low pass by us tonight and then we’ll head off towards Cape Town tomorrow morning, Tuesday. We’re continuing with the same watch system and I’m working with Stan to see what we can do next. The idea then is to get back to France as quickly as possible: the crew’s up for that and if we can set off again before the end of January then it’s still feasible to make a new attempt!” indicated Franck Cammas during a telephone link-up early this afternoon.
Present during this telephone interview with Franck, Director of External Communication at Groupama Frédérique Granado, explained the situation: “The most important thing is that the crew are safe and sound. Our priority is that they make Cape Town under the safest possible conditions. We know we can count on their experience and their determination to preserve Groupama 3. Hearing them allude to a new departure this winter is the best proof of this.”
Heading towards Africa
As such the wisest solution is to quickly make for port to get a better idea of the true scale of the damage and above all prevent the situation from worsening. Cape Town, around 1,700 miles ahead of the giant trimaran’s bows, will be the quickest pitstop to get to and the sea and wind conditions aren’t too bad. Nevertheless, it’s going to take a week’s sailing for Groupama 3 to tie up to the dock and then be repaired prior to heading North again bound for France.
Clearly the ten men are very disappointed after this ten and a half day planetary adventure. The trimaran had confirmed her fantastic performance by racking up over 700 miles on her way down the North Atlantic and by considerably improving on her own reference time between Ushant and the equator: 5 days 15 hours 23 minutes!
At the point the damage occurred, Groupama 3 still had a 345 mile lead over Orange 2 (that is over half a day) and was making headway at an average speed in excess of 25 knots, on a direct course towards the Kerguelen archipelago. Having hooked onto a Brazilian low on Sunday, after a particularly slow weekend, Franck Cammas and his nine crew were fast approaching the Roaring Forties.
They have since been stopped dead in their tracks but, as Franck highlights, they’re more motivated than ever to effect repairs and set off again as soon as possible this winter for another attempt.
Groupama 3 (Photo by Yan Zedda)
After eight days at sea, Groupama 3 is currently in a transition phase, which is causing her to lose part of her lead over the reference time in the Jules Verne Trophy. However, this passage across a ridge of high pressure is only set to last a little less than 24 hours and Franck Cammas and his crew are still managing an average speed in excess of 23 knots…
Getting around the Saint Helena High is always a key moment during the Jules Verne Trophy as it’s not easy to know, just a matter of hours away, how the gusts of hot Brazilian air will transform into a stormy depression system and head off towards South Africa. This is especially true when you have to set out from Ushant, nearly 5,000 miles away! In fact, the weather window heralding the start of this particular record attempt on 5th November, collectively chosen by the onshore weather router Sylvain Mondon from Météo France, Groupama 3′s navigator Stan Honey and in the final instance by skipper Franck Cammas, forecast a series of disturbances forming off Brazil. However, there is clearly a margin of error in knowing exactly where the point of impact will be. In reality, this margin of error has proved to be fairly slim since the encounter is due to take place from Saturday morning off Rio de Janeiro…
The counterpart to the Azores
However, in meteorological terms, Saint Helena is as renowned in the Southern hemisphere as the Azores is in the North Atlantic! Indeed year round, this austral isle and this northern archipelago are associated with anticyclones, which are relatively stable centres of activity involving high pressure. Situated in the inter-tropical zone, their positions vary relatively little from season to season, but they fluctuate with each day that passes according to the passage of depressions which push them along, compress them, shift them about and occasionally split them in two… However, the Azores High is more `volatile’ than its austral counterpart Saint Helena, which is due to the configuration of the terrestrial landmass which surrounds them, as well as the size of the ice cap covering the North and South poles.
Indeed, the differences in pressure are due to the thermal contrast, which marks the polar cold and the equatorial heat. As the Earth rotates around itself, it drags along its adjacent atmosphere and this movement, under the influence of the Coriolis force (diverting of a mass moving towards the right in the Northern hemisphere, and towards the left in the Southern hemisphere), causes a mixing of the hot and cold air masses. This helps to smooth the global temperature thanks to these thermal exchanges between the depressions and the anticyclones.
In this way, the Saint Helena High generates a tradewind system which rotates anticlockwise from this volcanic island which roughly marks its centre. The S’ly air flow along the coast of Africa (Namibia, Angola) turns towards the SE in the Gulf of Guinea and beneath the Doldrums, before rotating round to the E near Brazil, the NW level with the island of Trinidad and ultimately W in the Roaring Forties! This massive circulation thus forces the sailors coming from Europe bound for the Indies (or setting off around the world), to go right around the Western limit of this zone of high pressure, so as not to get caught up in the calm zones which reign at its centre.
Bruno Jeanjean Announces Equator Crossing ( Photo Courtesy of Team Groupama)
Beneath the Southern Cross
This Friday lunchtime, Lionel Lemonchois indicated at the radio link-up that this short Brazilian detour wasn’t spoiling the atmosphere onboard in the slightest, as it only amounted to a few tens of miles lost, which were going to simply modify the manner in which they sail.
“We have discussions on a daily basis about what’s going to happen over the coming hours: in a nutshell, it’s already been three or four days that we’ve known how the weather conditions in the Southern Atlantic are going to pan out. As such we’re not surprised that we’re losing ground this Friday, even though we’re still sailing well this lunchtime. On a circumnavigation of the globe, you can’t make up ground everyday. There are transition phases like this one today, but the next stage is shaping up to be pretty good… We also have a little room for manoeuvre in relation to Orange 2! However, we’ll soon be getting out our boots and fleeces: we’re losing a little heat every night. At the moment, we’re carrying all the sail aloft with full mainsail, staysail and large gennaker. We’re slipping along nicely with fourteen knots of wind beneath a glorious sun. At night, the canopy of heaven is dotted with stars, while the Southern Cross is getting ever higher in the sky!”
Just minutes later, Groupama 3 was beginning to bend her trajectory southward, and then progressively SE, whilst still maintaining an average speed of over 22 knots. Clearly, in accounting terms, the overall performance figures are less flattering since this course 60° off the direct route since the latitude of Recife, has seen them lose ground: 380 miles VMG over 24 hours along the Jules Verne Trophy course, but still a daily total of 550 miles across the water! In short, the reduction in terms of bankable mileage is going unnoticed on board, it’s only in relation to Bruno Peyron’s course that there is some discrepancy. Indeed, it is worth noting here that Franck Cammas and his nine crew have been on a route which is virtually parallel to that of Orange 2 since crossing the equator; the latter of which was achieved nearly 5° further out to the West. Between now and Saturday lunchtime, the slow haemorrhage (30 mile deficit in 48 hours or a differential of 0.6 knots) will be totally cauterised by the powerful N’ly winds forecast…
Hanging a left…
In fact there has not been a hint of concern in the voices of the crew speaking at the radio link-up since setting out from Ushant: the atmosphere onboard is serene and concentrated, relaxed yet attentive. Groupama 3 hasn’t suffered and the crew have been able to rest in the current mild weather prior to the wintery climes of the Deep South … Indeed with the seas abating, pushed along by a moderate breeze on the beam, Franck Cammas and his men have scheduled in a complete check-up for the rig on Saturday morning, prior to the arrival of the Brazilian low. A torrid, bracing weekend is in store!
“We’re into a good rhythm because Groupama 3 is designed in such a way that we can rest. The days pass by quickly between sleep, a few odd jobs, a few hours at the helm and on watch, and contemplation of the sea. However, we’re not inundated with maintenance work… There’s just one line which is becoming a bit worn on the descent control for one of the foils. We’ve only had nice surprises so far: we’ve even had some real laughs! We’re lucky to be on a very fine boat… with a superb crew where there is mutual trust between us. For the time being, we’ve got some fairly good conditions for slipping along in. The Jules Verne Trophy is a marathon above all else: we’re going to have to keep it going over the long term and from this point of view, Franck (Cammas) has an approach which is very similar to that of Bruno Peyron, which involves a great deal of wisdom” concluded the winner of the Route du Rhum 2006.
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 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.
Groupama 3 Team On Deck Headed South (Photo by Team Groupama)
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 manoeuvre 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.
Groupama 3 Crew (Photo by Yvan Zedda)
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 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.
Groupama 3 Off Ushant (Photo by Yvan Zedda)
Franck Cammas and his nine crew have crashed headlong into the Doldrums: since 0400 hours UT this Tuesday morning, the tradewinds have given way to stormy squalls. However, the first phase of this passage through the `tunnel’ is going rather well with the crew maintaining the same lead of 660 miles over the reference time and the exit from this zone scheduled for this evening
Already in sight of the Doldrums last night when the skies on the horizon were striped with lightning and the rolls of thunder were audible in the distance, Groupama 3 finally hit the zone around 0400 hours this Tuesday. At the time there was still a little crescent of a moon to light up a seascape in the throes of a major reshuffle: massive cumulonimbus heralding rains and gusts of wind, a short chop coming at them head on reminiscent of the first signs of the SE’ly tradewinds blowing across the equator, flying fish in search of a breath of air before getting caught up in the trimaran’s trampolines, a heavy, oppressive atmosphere coloured by a torrid, wet heat.. one can feel it approaching, one can feel it almost upon you and then already it is snapping you up! The Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone is an octopus playing with its prey, trying to ensnare you in its tentacles, alternating between calm spells and flurries of wind, harsh changes in temperature, torrential rain and blazing sunshine…
Bruno Jeanjean and Thomas Coville Enjoying Life Aboard Groupama 3
The way out’s over here…
However, the `dark side’ of the Doldrums has its weaknesses: in order to find the way out into the Southern hemisphere, it is necessary to compromise with the squalls, to momentarily distance oneself from the course, adapt the sail area to the erratic breeze and dodge the shaded zones and the areas without wind. Navigator Stan Honey, finally back to his old self after his migraines, has been racking his brains… in a tunnel along 29° West. Groupama 3′s trajectory has been incredibly pure from Madeira to the narrowest and least active point of entry in this mass of clouds. And so far this Tuesday afternoon, the results are conclusive: though she has indeed slowed, the speed of the giant trimaran has never dipped below fourteen knots!
“Last night there was a lot of lightning in the sky and we saw the cloud masses on the radar. We didn’t suffer from too many gusts in the squalls: instead the wind eased slightly as it shifted round. The manoeuvres are simple, but we’re on the look-out and the stand-by watch is on deck… The weather window is proving to be more favourable than during our first attempt a year and a half ago. We’re set to have another three or four hours at a reduced pace of 15-16 knots, but we have just 3° of latitude (180 miles) to traverse before we hit the SE’ly tradewinds and hence a steadier wind, albeit it in close-hauled configuration… We’re going to exit the zone this evening!” confirmed Franck Cammas at the midday radio session.
Stifling heat
As such the Doldrums is proving highly cooperative and at this rate, the crossing of the equator may well be done and dusted before Wednesday 1550 hours UT, which would mean a switch of hemispheres in under six days… This would amount to at least six hours better than on Groupama 3′s previous attempt in January 2008 (6d 6h 24′), but above all a bonus of more than a day in relation to the reference time set by Bruno Peyron on the Jules Verne Trophy!
“There’s not too much cloud in the sky: we weren’t able to take a shower, but the crew is on deck in boxers! There’s an intense tropical heat here… We’ve changed season. This lunchtime we’re sailing under full mainsail and solent. Stan is looking at his charts and his satellite images in a bid to escape the Doldrums as quickly as possible: the forecasts over the medium term for negotiating the Saint Helena High have been fluctuating quite a lot over the past few hours. If we manage to maintain our lead over Orange 2, who had an exceptional run between the equator and the Cape of Good Hope, that would be superb in itself!” concluded skipper Franck Cammas.
