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Jules Verne Trophy
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Trimaran Groupama 3 left Ushant to break Bruno Peyron’s 50 days record
jeudi 24 janvier 2008 –
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In a fine NW’ly breeze of around fifteen knots, under one reef main and staysail, Groupama 3 was making over 25 knots en route towards Cape Finisterre this Thursday morning when she passed in front of Claude Le Breton, the WSSRC representative (World Sailing Speed Record Record #sailingrecord Council). “It was a quiet night and we were stopped off Ushant until 0600 GMT when the wind shifted round to the WNW. We set off quickly in a bid to benefit from a front in the Southern hemisphere… The departure was a bit lively as a result of the tide : there was a fairly unpleasant chop with head seas. 5 minutes later, the wind had kicked back in to 27 knots and has clocked round progressively since at 1330 GMT we were under gennaker with a NNE’ly breeze” indicated Franck Cammas early this afternoon.
Cape Finisterre this evening
The weather conditions have been good for this first day at sea since the breeze has clocked progressively round to the North, filling in to twenty five knots, and it should now shift round to the East near the Spanish coast, reaching more than thirty five knots. Indeed, Groupama 3 was benefiting from the passage of a front over Brittany, pushed by a zone of high pressure shifting eastwards : initially sailing along the eastern edge of this high pressure, Franck Cammas and his team should then quickly make their escape on fine seas along the coast of Portugal, since there will be an offshore breeze. The only glitch on an otherwise well rounded programme is the temporary strengthening of the wind as they approach Cape Finisterre as a result of the Venturi effect : “We should gybe at around 16-1800 hours in order to pass fairly close to the Spanish promontory, but it’s likely to be very windy tonight off La Coruña, with over forty knots of E’ly. We will be careful to preserve the gear but the conditions won’t last long : the wind will ease off slightly along the Iberian peninsula… The boat is easily making thirty knots but we’re having to watch the sea state : the management of a round the world isn’t the same as a four day record Record #sailingrecord !" detailed the skipper of Groupama 3.
As a result the first 24 hours are likely to enable Franck Cammas and his nine crew to make it as far as Lisbon by tomorrow morning, Friday. At an average of over 27.6 knots during the first six hours, Groupama 3 already has a lead of over 34 miles on the reference time set by Bruno Peyron… It should be highlighted that the trajectory of the giant trimaran has been optimal since leaving Ushant, thanks to a rapid E’ly shift in the wind, whilst Orange II had to distance itself from the Breton coast prior to being able to dive down to Spain. Of note though is that there is already an initial obstacle in the next stage of their course : around the Canaries a zone of light, shifty wind reigns, which is likely to slow progress aboard the maxi-multihull… Fortunately this reduction in pace is only set to last a few hours on Saturday but it is hard to predict with any precision how intense this phase will be. A quick escape from this trap would enable the crew to track down the African trade winds blowing from the NE and taking them to the equator in six days.
Info presse Welcome On Board / www.cammas-groupama.com
Repères
Départ le jeudi 24 janvier 2008 à 7h50’17’’TU / 8h50’17’’ heure française
Date limite pour battre le record : Samedi 15 mars 2008 à 00h09’21’’ TU / 01h09’21’’ heure française
Les chiffres du jour
Groupama 3 à 15h15 TU (16h15 heure française)
Latitude : 45°55,42 N- Longitude : 08°25,72 W
Vitesse instantanée : 28,6 noeuds - Cap : 248°
Vitesse moyenne sur les 4 dernières heures : 27,9 noeuds
Avance thérorique sur le record : 34,3 milles
Retrouvez une cartographie détaillée sur : http://cammas-groupama.geovoile.com/julesverne
L’équipage de Groupama 3
Franck Cammas / Franck Proffit / Stève Ravussin / Frédéric Le Peutrec / Loic Le Mignon / Sébastien Audigane / Ronan Le Goff / Jan Dekker / Jacques Caraës / Yves Parlier
Expert météo à terre : Sylvain Mondon (Météo France)
Record 5 – Trophée Jules Verne
21 760 milles, au départ d’une ligne définie virtuellement entre l’île de Ouessant et le Phare du Cap Lizard (Angleterre). Tour du Monde en équipage en laissant à bâbord les Caps de Bonne Espérance, Leeuwin, Horn.
Temps à battre : 50 jours 16 heures 20 minutes et 4 secondes - Vitesse moyenne : 17,89 noeuds
Record détenu par Bruno Peyron, à bord du maxi catamaran Orange II, depuis mars 2005.
Temps à battre de Ouessant à l’équateur : 6 jours 11 heures 26 minutes (Geronimo en 2003)
Les records établis par Groupama 3
Mai 2007 : Route de la Découverte (Cadix -San Salvador), 3 884 milles
7 j 10 h 58 min 53 sec, à la vitesse moyenne de 21,7 nœuds (- 2 j et 2 h / précédent record)
Juin 2007 : Miami - New York, 947 milles
1 j 11 h 5 min 20 sec, à la vitesse moyenne de 27 nœuds (- 18 h / précédent record)
Juillet 2007 : Plus grande distance en 24 heures
794 milles, à la vitesse moyenne de 33,08 nœuds (27 milles de plus que le précédent record)
Traversée de l’Atlantique Nord (New York - Cap Lizard), 2 925 milles
4 j 3 h 57 min 54 sec, à la vitesse moyenne de 29,26 nœuds (- 4 h et 26 min / précédent record)
Dans la même rubrique
North Atlantic Record : Bruno Peyron shatters the North Atlantic record
Asian Record Circuit : Ellen MacArthur : "It has been an incredible story"
San Francisco-Yokohama : Larry Rosenfeld and Kazuhiro Nishimura aboard Geronimo
Asian Record Circuit : Ellen MacArthur : "we are establishing new records"
