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2008/02/10 - 08h48
Regaining control
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| Jules Verne Trophy |
| Reduced to 175 miles at 0600 UT yesterday, Groupama 3's lead has now doubled this Sunday: the weather conditions have become
more favourable and above all the sea state is enabling Franck Cammas and his men to slip along progressively towards the
Kerguelen Islands.
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The course has gradually been curving inwards since Saturday morning and Groupama 3 is currently sailing at 42°
South in a W'ly wind, which is set to fill in as the hours go by. From around fifteen knots, the breeze will increase again
to over twenty five knots of NW'ly in the afternoon and to in excess of thirty five knots of SW'ly tonight... The passage
of a front will therefore provide the ten men with their first depression system of the Deep South, with a rapid wind shift
resulting in more chaotic seas.
In short, a train of disturbances is shaping up and Groupama 3 will finally
be able to get a favourable grip on the situation thanks to its latitude closer to the fifties, as well as a more effective
wind angle. It is still the sea state however, which is setting the tone and clearly the strong rotations in the wind aren't
the most pleasant conditions to slip along in over the swell.
The slight reduction in pace early this morning, as
a result of a momentary easing of the breeze prior to its acceleration, should nevertheless leave the way clear for long surfs
across the waves from this afternoon.
The combination of a more S'ly course for Groupama 3 and a moderate
pace for Orange II, Franck Cammas and his crew have made the most of the conditions to snatch back 175 miles in 24
hours! A question of doubling their stakes...
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