|
|
2009/11/19-17h28
Cape Town this weekend
|
| Jules Verne Trophy 2009 - 2010 |
| Groupama 3 has benefited from good conditions over the past 24 hours to make a direct course towards South Africa, sailing
on a reach in less choppy seas. The routing seems to indicate that Franck Cammas and his nine crew could make landfall in
Cape Town overnight on Saturday or early Sunday morning.
|
|
As such Groupama's shore crew should soon be able to begin repairs to the aft beam, in order to make Brest as quickly as possible.
Indeed, during the videoconference at midday this Thursday, in the presence of Gérard Petipas and Eric Loizeau, Franck Cammas
announced that the aim was now to make Brest around mid December, so as to be on stand-by from early January. A new attempt
at the Jules Verne Trophy record is hence already scheduled for the crew. At the start of December, the latter will deliver
Groupama 3 the 6,000 miles separating Cape Town from Brittany.
|
|
Thomas Coville also took up the opportunity to reflect on the atmosphere aboard both before and after the damage; alluding
to his immense disappointment as well as his huge desire to get going again as quickly as possible...
"I was
at the helm when I heard a strange noise: it wasn't a big cracking sound. It was more of a little click, and at that very
moment, you have to be able to detect that something isn't quite right. For me there was no doubt. On a boat, each sound has
a meaning. There must have been other such noises beforehand, but we didn't notice them... I asked Bruno Jeanjean to go and
look at the area in question. He was hooked on because it was rather exposed given the harsh conditions we had at the time.
He detected a small fissure, which we tried to reinforce, before finally deciding to bring the adventure to a halt, or at
least defer it. I'm having to live with that decision now but it's like when you dismast: it remains etched on your memory...
The way in which things work aboard is incredibly organised and when it was necessary to decide on the future, Franck
Cammas played a major role in proceedings but he always took heed of the opinions of the crew involved... We were right in
the thick of the action, and when you're in the thick of the action on a boat, you don't think about the consequences. It
wasn't until we'd managed to repair the bulkhead that we were overcome with disappointment: even the fatigue weighs a lot
heavier... You mustn't become lax at times like that because it can become dangerous if you don't pay attention! However,
the crew is extremely professional with an exceptionally sound mental state and cohesion. That is the really positive thing
about the group: this damage has only served to strengthen the human relations. I'm proud to be part of this crew..."
|
|
|
|
|
