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Jules Verne Trophy

Iceberg dead ahead Orange

mercredi 10 avril 2002 –

High speeds, straight tracks, course set directly for the southernmost tip of the Péché, the man on the helm, could distinguish 3 miles ahead the enormous ice cube in the mist. Under staysail and single reefed main, the maxi-catamaran was driving American continent, and a cry from Orange’s deck : "Iceberg dead ahead !" Philippe right down on it. "Should we luff up or bear away ?" asked ’Pépèche’. Left hand down a bit and the boat would find herself pointing directly into the wind with too much sail on. Right hand down a bit and they could find themselves crossing at great pace the growler cluttered wake of the iceberg, "as big as a cargo ship". First of all spare the rig ; Péché bore right away maintaining the boat on her tack, with two lookouts stationed on the hulls. At more than 30 knots the scene lasted only minutes. The radar, by a strange stroke of fate, had just tripped out. A quick photo for posterity and Orange was back on her cavalcade. The cold sweat will be for later...

Flat out on a route close to the great circle, Orange is still maintaining a cracking pace. Conditions are just right, with a swell that is now nice and smooth, all the better for speed. And speed, Peyron is still asking for more ; the tropical low that is on everybody’s mind on board is still hanging around at 41° latitude South. Its southerly descent could generate head winds for Orange, strong head winds, that could stop dead the nice westerly progress of the Marseilles giant. "We’re putting on all the power to pass below it", explained Bruno Peyron laconically. "The swell is well oriented for 1 to 1.5 metre crests... so we’re unleashing the horses on a WSW heading ? We won’t start to climb up again until Friday." The low by then will be but a distant memory. It’ll be the sea state that decides the boat’s performance. For the time being, it’s all up to the helmsmen. In 30 knots of wind from the boat’s port quarter, the miles are racing by at a giddy speed. The sky is grey, the sun is struggling to penetrate the mist, "that reminds me of the approaches to Newfoundland in the Labrador current" described Peyron. The bows are smoking and in the giant’s wake, a ray of sunshine suddenly pierces its way through and illuminates the iceberg "which from pearl grey and white suddenly went to a translucent blue, an incredible sight in the middle of nowhere..."

Quote / unquote...

Bruno Peyron :

"A few minutes before Philippe (Péché) signalled the iceberg, the boat’s electronics suddenly tripped out. By the time that Gilles (Chiorri) intervened and got the radar working again we were right in front of the iceberg... without either the sea temperature or the radar, at 30 knots ! Thank goodness it didn’t happen at night..."

Denis van den Brink / Mer & Média Translation David Palmer - SeaSpeak

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