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2008/02/11 - 09h36
Seven knots more...
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| Jules Verne Trophy |
| Groupama 3 is continuing to reconstruct its lead in relation to the reference time and in less than 24 hours, over
170 miles have been gained, that is a speed bonus of more than seven knots! With a 500 mile lead and a position along 46°
South, Franck Cammas has something to smile about again...
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This Monday morning the maxi trimaran is slipping along nicely to the SE and racking up averages grazing thirty knots!
What's more, after a weekend marked by the change of swell, this start to the week is forecast to be good. The seas have finally
calmed and most notably have shifted from abeam of the boat to aft, whilst the breeze has filled in to over thirty knots this
morning. The upshot of this for Groupama 3 is less sail area but more speed as the boat is able to go very fast without being
compelled to carry a lot of sail aloft.
630 miles have been devoured in 24 hours and above all there has been a
fine southward descent since the trimaran has passed from 42° to 46° South in just half a day... And four degrees latitude
in the Southern Ocean radically alters the tone: even shorter nights, an even more intense cold, even bigger seas, even cloudier
skies, even more marked wind shifts, even heavier air and an even more oppressive atmosphere... The world of the Deep South
is like nowhere else on earth. In any case, in terms of pure performance, Groupama 3 is beginning the week with a clear
desire to reconstruct its lead, which looks set to build over the long term: 520 miles today, 700 miles tomorrow?
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