|
|
2008/02/11 - 19h34
Facing up to the front
|
| Jules Verne Trophy |
| Positioned between two fronts, Groupama 3 is alternating between accelerations and reductions in pace after a great
day's sailing on Sunday. Having reconstructed their lead this weekend, Franck Cammas and his nine crew must now negotiate
a depression in order to relocate some steadier wind.
|
Transition: behind a front, which is shifting eastwards and ahead of another front in the process of deteriorating, the
giant trimaran is having to face up to some very fickle breeze, both in terms of strength and direction. The N'ly orientation
of the wind is also limiting the boat's ability to slip along but the seas remain very manageable as the wind gods laze along
46° South! The breeze has reached just fifteen or so knots this afternoon, which has caused the average speeds to drop to
less than twenty knots... However, this situation isn't set to last too long and it should be recalled that Orange II wasn't
very quick during its passage to the North of the Kerguelen Islands either.
"We've had to make quite a few manoeuvres
since this morning as the wind is very changeable and has switched direction whilst traversing a front: it was necessary to
reduce the sail area since we were reaching in a N'ly wind. The breeze has dropped again now though so we'll have to make
another manoeuvre... We had a good day and a good night under gennaker yesterday, as the seas were smooth and we were able
to slip along nicely. The S'ly course appears to be difficult for the next few hours: we don't want to drop down too far as
the N'ly wind would take us very low in latitude and then, we'd have to sail close-hauled. We mustn't pass to the other side
of the centre of the low or we risk having to sail in headwinds" detailed Franck Cammas at today's radio session.
|
|
Transition between two frontsUnfortunately this transition is moving at the same speed towards the East as Groupama 3, which is causing this unpleasant
situation of "accelerations - reductions in pace" to continue at the mercy of the clouds and puffs of wind ... However, the
weather forecasts indicate that if everything goes to plan, the phenomenon will regain a certain stability tonight, which
will then enable Franck Cammas and his nine crew to quit with the old concertina effects! It isn't simply tiring on the nerves,
but also wearing on the mind as you constantly have to question which sail to carry... Not to mention the compulsory periodic
manoeuvres to take in or shake out a reef, switch to the staysail or the solent jib! "The problem is that we are making
faster headway than the front, which is behind us, but we're not going fast enough to get past the front which is ahead of
us! We're a little bit stuck between these two fronts, which are in a transition zone with some N'ly winds. We'll have to
get past it but if we can't, it could take us 48 hours to escape this unstable zone. As a result we're attempting a day with
a rectilinear route towards the East. Our reasoning for this is that the wind shifts have been too strong to the North or
the South and we mustn't cover too many extra miles" explained the skipper of the maxi trimaran.
In any case,
this depression should carry Groupama 3 as far as Cape Leeuwin, the passage of which is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.
Most importantly though, the giant trimaran should be able to slip along, under a fine zone of high pressure within the next
couple of days. In this way, in a good N'ly air flow, backing to the NW, Franck Cammas and his men will be able to rediscover
the great sensations of yesterday, downwind under gennaker, pushed by the long swell of the Deep South... This should provide
the crew with the conditions they need to reconstruct a more substantial lead over the reference time. In the meantime they'll
just have to be patient and front up to the adversity!
|
|
|
|
|
