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2008/02/22 - 19h26
Circling off Dunedin
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| Jules Verne Trophy |
| Hard to believe and yet true: approaching the entrance to the commercial port of Dunedin mid afternoon local time, the trimaran
Groupama 3, on tow behind the Clan Macleod for over 24 hours was unable to access the channel leading to the port.
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Whilst the whole crew, with the exception of Yves Parlier, who remained on shore to provide the liaison with the New Zealand
authorities, did everything they could to clear the broken rig and float as quickly as possible, the latter imprisoned under
the central hull, they were forced to turn in circles in the water as they awaited the green light.
During this time,
the wind and the seas picked up due to the effects of a strong depression dropping down from the North. Still upside down
despite the crew's efforts to right her and recuperate the pieces of carbon strewn across the ocean, Groupama 3 is suffering,
as is her crew.
Nevertheless, the port authorities aren't leaving Groupama 3 outside willingly: the access channel,
13 miles long and at times very narrow, cannot be closed as this would penalise the commercial vessels, who have their own
imperatives to respect.
As a result, it will only be from 1000 hours on Saturday, (2100 UT) that the Clan Macleod
and Groupama 3 will be allowed to adopt the access channel to the port of Dunedin, which they are likely to reach some three
hours later.
Once this has been achieved the crew will have to proceed with righting the boat with the help of a
crane and examine her thoroughly. The next step from there will be chartering a cargo ship capable of bringing her back to
her home port in Lorient, Brittany, France. Suffice to say that this isn't the end of the tale yet...
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