Harsh conditions on Monday evening…Positioned at 41° South for the past couple of days, Groupama 3 is set to progressively bend her course towards the ESE as the N’ly breeze kicks in on Monday evening. Such a descent is positive for two reasons: First of all the angle of attack at 100° to the wind will enable the trimaran to maintain a high speed, even though the sea state is likely to deteriorate considerably. Above all though, by diving further South, Franck Cammas and his men will be shortening their course around the Antarctic. Indeed, with the Earth being round (or almost), there is less distance to be travelled the more the boat sails in the high latitudes… “The Forties are never the same twice, but the Indian Ocean remains the worst of the three. The period ahead of us as far as Cape Leeuwin is the one I fear the most! The sea state is often very chaotic and this puts boat structures under a lot of stress: you have to prepare for it well, stay concentrated, protect yourself, eat and sleep as soon as you can. For now we haven’t dipped into our physical capital: we’re all really taking care of each other. Crewed sailing involves having respect for yourself and others and everyone has to be in good shape to go fast… We always marvel at sailing in the Southern Ocean though. It’s the seventh time I’ve come here and it has a pureness and an untouched quality which is fascinating. For the time being the entry hasn’t been harsh…” |
The situation has been beginning to get increasingly manageable since Franck Cammas and his men hoisted the heavy airs gennaker around 1100 hours UTC, with one reef in the mainsail. In fact, the cold front that Groupama 3 hooked onto 48 hours ago hasn’t managed to get past them. Indeed, because its progress has been slowing since 1200 UTC, the breeze is easing progressively without necessarily proving disadvantageous to the giant trimaran, which should be able to spend the rest of today at average speeds bordering thirty knots. Navigator Stan Honey, in collaboration with Sylvain Mondon from Météo France, is reflecting on the best trajectory in which to enter into the next weather system: a stiff N’ly wind blowing across from the Mozambique Channel…“We’ve been hammering along for the past couple of days! It’s not been very comfortable with a very jerky motion. The boat is in perfect condition, as are we… It is grey though, with little visibility and no moon at night. It’s been quite difficult to helm well when you can’t see anything: you really have to be on the alert, have a good feel for the trimaran so you know the best place to position her and avoid falling into a hole at over thirty-five knots, or even forty! It’s both a subtle and an exciting exercise. It’s a luxury to be on a boat which gives you such a thrill and such pleasure…” indicated Thomas Coville at the 1130 UTC radio link-up with Groupama’s Race HQ in Paris.