Another 'Round-the-World' Record Attempt, Groupama

[brian eiland]

Franck Cammas' 105-ft trimaran Groupama 3 is already slightly ahead of Orange II's 2005 record pace, when skipper Bruno Peyron and his crew of 13 rounded the world in 50 days, 16 hours.

Only 24 hours after departing the English Channel, Cammas and his crew of 10were already south of Lisbon, Portugal, having covered 616 miles. The road ahead looks to hold some light patches, but in addition to being capable of sustained speeds of 40 knots, Groupama 3 is reportedly more suited to traversing these speed bumps than Peyron's 125-ft catamaran.

Cammas' team say they believe they're capable of a 45-day trip, and they'd likely know, given that they've already set the outright 24-hour speed record with their craft — 794 miles, set last July on the same trip they whittled four-and-a-half hours off Orange II's New York-Lizard transatlantic record.

...courtesy Latitude38

[Pericles]

That 24 hr record is going to fall. I reckon it'll be in the Southern Ocean, but "growlers" may concern Groupama III due to the damage to Sodeb'O.

Pericles

[Pericles]

Follow their progress. http://www.cammas-groupama.com/en/index.jsp

Allow "pop ups for this site only" to see map. 226 NM ahead of Orange II's timing.

Pericles

[brian eiland]

(Day 6 - January 30, 2008; 18:38 UTC) The passage of the equator is the first intermediary time, which enables a direct insight into how capable a candidate is of winning the Jules Verne Trophy. Nearly a day ahead over the round the world reference course, the 103-foot maxi trimaran Groupama 3 has gained a 408 mile lead and has just achieved the best ever time by a yacht between Ushant, France and the equator: 6 days 6 hours 24 minutes!

Already sailing in the Southern hemisphere this Wednesday afternoon, Groupama 3 confirms what it had already demonstrated last summer when it racked up four Atlantic records: though it has no inhibitions in wind in excess of 25 knots, in relation to Bruno Peyron's catamaran, it has demonstrated remarkable pace below fifteen knots of breeze! Weather conditions haven't been particularly favorable to this point, and Cammas theorizes that a time of five days would have been achievable given a similar weather sequence that Francis Joyon enjoyed during his recent solo round the world record run.
http://www.cammas-groupama.com/en

[brian eiland]

The connection with the tradewinds of the Saint Helena High were timed to perfection this Thursday lunchtime, and after a reduction in the pace due to the Doldrums and the passage of the equator, Groupama 3 has kicked up her heels again and is making nearly thirty knots.

Their lead over Orange II has shot up to over 500 miles... Given that the weather conditions are forecast to be stable for at least two days, we can expect a lot of headway to be marked out on the map as we approach the second weekend of sailing.

"In two days, we shall be quite far South to track down a front, which is shifting to the West and will enable us to "take the corner" and close on the Cape of Good Hope. It's almost an ideal scenario even though we'll have to go quite far South, and therefore a little outside Orange II's course. We are lucky to have a front, which will traverse the Saint Helena High level with Tristan da Cunha.... We still have some leeway today to aim for the most favourable point to hook onto the low, slipping along nicely for most of the time. The moment where we hoist the gennaker to adjust the place where we will encounter the Argentinean front will be important. We're handling Groupama 3 with kid gloves by lifting the foil a little and raising the daggerboard. Since the passage of the equator, there haven't been too many manoeuvres and the crew has been able to rest, do a bit of washing, clean up the gear and tidy up a bit." recounted Franck Cammas ! at the noon radio session.

Sylvain Mondon (Meteo France), onshore weather expert for Groupama 3: "What we imagined would happen at the start off Ushant has become a reality: high pressure conditions up to Cape Finisterre, then a more complicated disturbed passage around the Canaries and Cape Verde. The expected scenario has been confirmed with the Saint Helena High being pushed eastwards by a fairly active low, which is shifting across the South Atlantic: the tradewinds are orientated more to the East as they fill in. The situation will carry Groupama 3 to the roaring 40's fairly rapidly... There is also a corridor of air which gives us some cause to hope for an entry into the Indian Ocean at the start of next week! We have been pretty surprised in the light airs as regards the trimaran's performance: it is capable of going twice as fast as the strength of the wind." -- translation by Kate Jennings, Scuttlebutt Europe

Detailed cartography at: cammas-groupama.geovoile.com/julesverne

I think this is more of an historic trip than most realize: it is the first time a big tri using foil assist has gone for a round the world record as best I can tell. The foils will be critical to her success. There is excellent video of the boat sailing on The Daily Sail....

[Pericles]

Vrooom, vrooom, Go Franck! 32.5 knots almost due north of Kerguelen Islands.

http://www.cammas-groupama.com/en/index.jsp

Whacko the diddle! Er, sorry about that, a little NZoligism.

Pericles

[Pericles]

Very knarly weather down south has forced Groupama III north towards the east coast of NZ.

http://www.cammas-groupama.com/en/index.jsp

Pericles

[BWD]

@Doug: bananarama, matey.
yarg

[Roly]

"Very knarly weather down south has forced Groupama III north towards the east coast of NZ."

Not for long! He has turned east again. Wonder if he can ride the top of the depression to where it dissipates midway to the cape.
It will be interesting!

https://www.fnmoc.navy.mil/ww3_cgi/c...rod=sig_wav_ht

[riggertroy]

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/...ectid=10493157

and she has capsized!

[riggertroy]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/4405976a10.html

more info

What a damn shame -all that effort down the tubes. Glad the guys all seem to be ok. More on SA under "Ocean Racing".

[brian eiland]

... a few excerpts from this report in Sail-World.com were interesting:

The latest report from the Franck Gammas-Groupama website earlier today reads:

500 miles on from the antemeridian at midday, Franck Cammas and his nine crew opted to reposition themselves to the NE so as not to suffer overly difficult seas off New Zealand. With over 35 knots of breeze and six to seven metre waves, the objective above all else is to skirt round this zone of low pressure, generating very strong winds as it shifts northwards. Of course the route to reach Cape Horn will be longer, but most importantly it is safer for the boat, which still has over 10,000 miles to go before Ushant!

'We're making towards the NE a little as the low is forcing us to distance ourselves from the centre of the disturbance where there are fifty knot winds. We should remain in manageable seas, because right now, we are in the strongest of the wind... The sea and the swell are beginning to become more ordered, but it's the first time we've encountered this type of wave. Groupama 3's handles exceptionally well in these conditions; she doesn't bury into the seas, even though there are some vibratory phenomena in the floats and beams, which are requiring us to be careful' detailed Franck Proffit at today's radio session.

Batten breakage
The reason for this caution is that on a round the world, which lasts over a month and a half, the goal is essentially to make a compromise with the seas and the wind, so as the equipment doesn't fatigue and the crew aren't put under too much pressure. Groupama 3 has demonstrated that she has exceptional potential even with rather uncooperative weather conditions, but Franck Cammas and his men also know that to go quickly, you have to have total confidence in your boat and that it serves no purpose to make it `suffer'. It is sufficient to wait for the situation to become more favourable before you put the pedal to the metal, which shouldn't be too far away given the forecasts. The Pacific in around eight days is the latest gauntlet the giant trimaran is running, in winds which will certainly still be steady SW'lies, but are soon set to shift back round to the NW with the arrival of a new low from Monday.

'We just made a gybe half an hour ago in thirty five knots of wind: we broke one batten... We can perform this type of manoeuvre with seven crew so that the guys who are resting, can continue to sleep. It's not just the gennaker manoeuvres, which require more people on deck though, so we try to set this manoeuvre in motion during a watch change where everyone is awake. Luckily it's just batten number one, which has broken (at the top of the mainsail, on the headboard), but it's not very serious: we have spare battens... We're going to wait a while before dropping the mainsail as we still have six to seven metre waves.'

by Richard Gladwell, Sail-World

[Pericles]

Their website states "capsized after the breakout of the port float".

http://www.cammas-groupama.com/en/index.jsp

I am absolutely stunned!

However, it's great news that the rescue went so smoothly. Congratulations to all concerned.

Pericles