|
|
2008/02/13 - 09h00
Gybing along 51°
|
| Jules Verne Trophy |
| With a NW'ly wind rotation, Groupama 3 gybed last night in order to reposition herself prior to passing offshore of Cape Leeuwin.
Sailing at the same speed as Orange II three years ago, the giant trimaran is maintaining a lead of around 430 miles.
|
One thing is certain this Wednesday morning: Groupama 3 crossed the virtual route of Orange II at around
1800 UT with a total lead of some 530 miles, which is a little over 21 hours at the current record pace. As a result Franck
Cammas and his nine crew may well lose a little ground in relation to the reference time over this section of the course between
Cape Agulhas and Cape Leeuwin: Bruno Peyron and his men took 7 days 5 hours 35 minutes. A lead which had shrunk by a hundred
miles overnight.
By hooking onto the low ahead of them and adopting a passage across the southern edge of a vast
Australian high pressure system, Groupama 3 will nevertheless be able to kick up her heels again to achieve average
speeds in excess of thirty knots. Franck Cammas and his crew should therefore follow a course parallel to that of Orange
II as far as Tasmania, that is after a slight climb around Australia, a long curve towards 54° South! The only uncertainty
about this scenario, which otherwise looks set to boost the giant trimaran's lead over the maxi catamaran: a NW'ly disturbance
in the process of deteriorating will create a vast cloud mass under which the wind will make a clear shift back to the West,
where conditions will alternate between light patches and gusts. Though Groupama 3 is managing to remain ahead of this
active but degenerating front, it should be able to rack up some very good days towards the end of the week!
|
|
|
|
|
