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2007/07/24 - 03h46
Groupama 3 day by day
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| New York - Lizard Point |
Start: Narrow weather window...
Thursday 19th July at 20:02m 55s (French time)
Position: 40° 26.9 North - 73° 47.9 West
Distance to cover: 2,865 miles
Groupama
3 set off in the middle of the afternoon (USA time) in a twenty knot SW'ly airflow filling in progressively. Fog was the order
of the day, imposing a permanent watch to look out for maritime shipping, but the flat seas off the banks of Newfoundland
enabled the crew to lengthen their stride to an average of over thirty knots.
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Day 1: 794 miles in 24 hours!Friday 20th July at 20:06m 00s (French time)
Position: 45° 08.28 North - 57° 05.12 West
Distance left to cover: 2,079
miles
Distance covered in 24hrs: 784.4 miles
Average speed over 24hrs: 32.7 knots
Difference in relation
to the reference time: a 54.8 mile lead
This first day at sea is excellent since Groupama 3 explodes the record for the
greatest distance in 24 hours, previously held by Orange II: 794 miles, which culminated in a broken port foil, forcing the
crew to ease off the pace to preserve the giant trimaran, with building seas and a breeze that was clocking slightly round
to the West.
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Day 2: Controlling the gybe...Saturday 21st July at 20:02m 00s (French time)
Position: 45° 29.76 North - 41° 08.4 West
Distance left to cover:
1,460 miles
Distance covered in 24hrs: 672 miles
Average speed over 24hrs: 28.0 knots
Difference in relation
to the reference time: a 54.6 mile deficit
By slipping along the Northern edge of the Azores High, Groupama 3 has
to curve its course round to the SE, considerably extending its trajectory. The moment the gybe is made is crucial for hooking
onto the NW sector, but the lead acquired the day before melts away to the extent that Franck Cammas and his crew have lost
over 100 miles...
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Day 3: Keeping paceSunday 22nd July at 20:04m 00s (French time)
Position: 49° 05.56 North - 24° 25.36 West
Distance left to cover: 748
miles
Distance covered in 24hrs: 707.1 miles
Average speed over 24hrs: 29.5 knots
Difference in relation to the
reference time: a 49.4 mile deficit
The wind shifts round to the NW and Groupama 3 is able to regain its `cruising'
speed at an average of nearly thirty knots... The living conditions are still as hard as before to the extent that the bunks
shudder to the vibrations of the boat as it carves through the sea. The difference in relation to the reference time remains
the same, giving the crew hope that they can improve on the record since Bruno Peyron experienced a few difficulties at the
end of the course in 2006, prior to entering the Channel.
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Day 4: Advantage CammasMonday 21st July at 20:04m 00s (French time)
Position: 49° 51.28 North - 8° 05.44 West
Distance left to cover: 112
miles
Distance covered in 24hrs: 637.1 miles
Average speed over 24hrs: 26.5 knots
Distance in relation to the
reference time: a 21.7 mile lead
The crew of Groupama 3 keep up the gruelling pace and continue to drive the trimaran
to its full potential despite very hard and very confused seas. In a wind going round to the North at over 25 knots, the trimaran
makes up its deficit and even stretches out a lead again, paving the way to a possible record. The crew's objective is to
preserve the gear above anything else as it is really being put to the test with average speeds of twenty-five knots.
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Finish: Less than 100 hours!Tuesday 22nd July at 00:00m 54s (French time)
Position: 49° 54.8 North - 5° 11 West
Distance to cover: 0 miles
Difference
in relation to the reference time: a 70.1 mile lead
Conditions for the end of the course remain favourable with the
seas finally beginning to be calmer, providing an opportunity to regain Groupama 3's `normal' speed: nearly thirty knots at
which to devour their entry into the Channel!
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