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2009/11/20-08h24
Skirting the high pressure
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| Jules Verne Trophy 2009 - 2010 |
| Still being pushed along by around fifteen knots of SE'ly, Groupama 3 is making headway at over twenty knots towards South
Africa. As such Franck Cammas and his men are set to reach Cape Town from Saturday evening.
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Since suffering damage to the beam bulkhead, which brought their Jules Verne Trophy attempt to a premature end, Franck
Cammas and his nine crew have been able to sail on calmer seas by climbing up towards 35° South, to the latitude of Cape Town.
As a result they are set to make the port from tomorrow evening, Saturday, since they have a little less than 500 miles to
go and Groupama 3 is currently racking up over 300 mile days. The SE'ly wind generated along the southern edge of the Saint
Helena high will back round to the South over the coming hours. This should only serve to pick up the pace still further,
especially as the strength of the air flow will remain the same or even increase to around twenty knots as they approach the
African coast.
Already, everything has been prepared in Cape Town to accommodate the giant trimaran and get
the ball rolling as soon as possible with regards the inspection, repairs to the port beam bulkhead and its starboard counterpart.
Mid spring in the southern hemisphere, the weather conditions are ideal for effecting repairs without needing Groupama 3 to
be lifted out onto the hard. With the exception of three crew, who will be making the most of this enforced stoppage to continue
their shore-based activities and visit the Nautic Paris Boatshow in early December, the crew will remain the same for delivering
the boat back to Brest for a new stand-by at the start of January.
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