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2008/06/23 - 19h38
Putting in tacks
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TROPHY SNSM
From Saint-Nazaire to St Malo, from 20th to 25th June 2008 |
| Such could be today's motto for the two ORMA trimarans participating in the Record SNSM. Leading the way is the crew of Banque
Populaire, who benefitted from the rounding of the island of Ushant to give their friends on Groupama 2 the slip.
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Quickly contacted via telephone at around 1400 hours, Franck Cammas had this to say: "We've finally escaped this windless
zone. We now have 8 knots and it feels good to be making headway".
The navigator has rarely seen a trimaran
cover so little distance in three hours. This was of course due to the lack of wind, but also the strong tidal currents which
reign in these zones, despite a high coefficient of 68. At certain points, Franck and his crew were even going backwards,
incapable of passing the Créac'h lighthouse, which they set off from on 24th January 2008 on their Jules Verne Trophy.
It
took them no less than 15 tack changes to round it in the end, whilst the leader needed just one, opening up a lead which
may well prove decisive.
Currently off the bay of Morlaix, the two trimarans have still got a way to go before they
get to the mark off Saint Malo. By tacking at speeds oscillating between 10 and 14 knots, they won't reach it before nightfall.
Let's hope they find better conditions for the return trip to St Nazaire.
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The crew of Groupama 2• Franck Cammas - skipper
• Stève Ravussin - navigator
• Loïc Le Mignon - trimmer
• Alberto
Barovier - No.1 (bow), trimming
• Bruno Laurent - pitman
• Jean-Baptiste Le Vaillant - mainsail
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