single handing 100 foot multihulls

Thomas is putting time on Franck by on average around 4 knots greater speed per hour but will it be enough before they hit the wind change and begin reaching on course to Guadeloupe? Sodebo is a much lighter boat but G4 is more powerful with her greater beam. It is going to be a close run thing.

 

Groupama 3

At 8:17 Eastern:
Groupama leading and doing 23.8 knots

Sodebo 337 miles behind and doing 16.9 knots
Idec 327 miles behind and doing 10.8 knots
Gitana 344 miles behind and doing 20.1 knots

http://routedurhum-labanquepostale.geovoile.com/2010/?lg=fr

Go Groupama!!

 

Groupama 3

From the Groupama site:

The Battle of the Atlantic

Route du Rhum - La Banque Postale 2010
Whilst Groupama 3 has just passed the midway mark in the race in exactly the same position as the winner of the 2006 edition after four days of sailing, her main rival, Sodebo, has just finished her stint through headwinds and is now hurtling along on a direct course towards the finish.


At this very moment in the Route du Rhum La Banque Postale, Franck Cammas has a 346 mile lead over Thomas Coville, making an average speed of twenty knots over 17 hours or simply 26 knots over thirteen hours.

These figures clearly illustrate the fragility of Groupama's lead over Sodebo. After having the lead snatched from her a couple of days ago, the sailor who was part of Franck's crew aboard the maxi-trimaran in the Jules Verne Trophy back in the winter has managed to remain a threat, even getting the better of Idec and Gitana 11. Taking a route on the other side of the front, Sodebo is sailing in powerful downwind conditions which are enabling her to reach high average speeds on a course towards the SW.

To her South, Groupama 3 is also making for Guadeloupe at an average of 24 knots. However, unlike his direct rival, skipper Franck is still sailing in S'ly wind. He hasn't yet crossed over to the other side of the depression; a passage which is likely to slow him down for a few hours this evening, making the threat from Coville a little more precise.

Once around this final hurdle, the two skippers will have to give their all in what will be similar to a final sprint. More powerful than her adversary, Groupama 3 will be more at ease in well established tradewinds but, if they're light, it'll be a more balanced competition where the advantage might even go to Sodebo.

As such the suspense is still tangible and you would have to be either very presumptuous or highly defeatist to deem the race over already. This is all the more true given that the men are tired and their gear is really under pressure...

 

Franck at 15.5 knots and Thomas at 27.5 k - and on the right side of the pressure - that's damn near twice the speed of G4.

 

-------------------
Why do you call Groupama 3 G4?

 

Because it is a slightly different version, shorter rig, different controls, set up for single handing instead of for a crew of 7/8?

 

Sodebo will be entering some fresh stuff soon and will be cornering the red Ducati very hard and travelling 2.5 to G4's 1; that will, everything holding together that is, just annihilate G4's shrinking lead.

 

It all depends on when Groupama gets into the wind again and how strong it will be. If it is strong then she will whip Sodebo. If it is light her greater power to carry sail and wide beam won't mean didly squat....

Go Groupama!!


UPDATE: it appears that the leaders may run smack into Tomas-probably at hurricane strength....

 

Oman Air: Majan

From Scuttlebutt tonight:


GAVIGNET DESCRIBES DRAMA
It was on Wednesday of the 3542 mile Route du Rhum-La Banque Postale (France
to West Indies) when Oman Air Majan skipper Sidney Gavignet reported that
his 32 m trimaran had substantial damage to the leeward front beam and had
lost its mast. Gavignet was soon rescued by a bulk carrier and is now en
route to Turkey. Here is an interview with Gavignet from the carrier:

* Can you explain the conditions you were in and what happened?

SIDNEY GAVIGNET: I was going upwind, at 70 true wind angle and I had two
reefs, and a J2. I was ready with the J3, the wind was increasing and
planned to increase a little bit. But I thought it was still safe handling
for the boat.

It was daylight, I was well rested, well fed. Everything was fine, I thought
nothing was damaged on the boat at that time so far it was a good race on
that side. After we jumped over a wave, probably a little harder than
others, I heard a crack and I thought it was the daggerboard even if the top
of it was higher than deck level which is quite far up. Then I came out and
looked around and I saw on the front leeward crossbeam probably 1m away from
the float the crossbeam was broken. Then it went very, very quick, in
probably 2 to 3 seconds I was easing the traveller and the float came out of
the crossbeam I think it was still linked at that time with the aft
crossbeam. But because the front was not linked to the float the boat
capsized almost, the mast was horizontal and platform vertical.

I was pretty disorientated at that time but the damage was done so my first
concern was to find my survival suit, liferaft and grab bag, which I found
very quickly. I then realized in fact there was no massive panic as I had a
feeling very quickly that the boat would stay afloat, and was safe in the
boat. Which was my first concern in the beginning. I put the survival suit
on and I called Race Director Jean Maurel. I didn't reach him so left a
message and then I called Seb Chernier from Oman Sail to explain the
situation, I told him I would put the eprib on.
Yachting World, full story: http://tinyurl.com/YW-110410

 

Groupama 3

From Groupama:

The Informed Scout
Route du Rhum - La Banque Postale 2010

Having passed below the symbolic 1,500 mile barrier to the finish, Groupama 3 is continuing her oceanic cavalcade. Sailing in a NE'ly wind since passing through the front, Franck Cammas is gradually finding the same weather conditions as those of his direct rival Thomas Coville.

In the space of 24 hours, the leader finally conceded just nine miles to his pursuer on a W'ly option, the latter of which is now 289[278@7:10 am today] miles astern of Groupama 3.

Ideally positioned to leeward and ahead of Sodebo, Franck is in the controlling position. Strategically Thomas Coville is trapped. With a lead of around sixty miles ahead of Gitana 11 and Idec, he has no other choice than to push his boat along at full throttle.

At this point in the Atlantic crossing, we can imagine the tired sailors, linking together a series of manoeuvres and the sail trimming in tradewinds that are not very established.
For the skipper of Groupama, the passage of the front was violent: strong winds and cloudbursts.
Soaked and wiped out, Franck will have to maintain the pace in the knowledge that he is on a fast boat, which he knows inside out. As for his onshore routers, Jean-Luc Nélias and Charles Caudrelier will be there to advise him in choosing the best possible trajectory.

=====================
As of 7:05 Eastern this morning:

Groupama is way out in front with a speed of 24.8 knots

Sodebo is 278 miles behind speed 24.3 knots

Idec 329 miles behind speed 25 knots

Gitana 400 miles behind speed 3 knots(?) trouble?

positions: http://routedurhum-labanquepostale.geovoile.com/2010/?lg=fr


Go Groupama!!

 

At 3:54 Eastern:
Groupama 26.6 knots
Sodebo 257 miles behind 24 knots
Idec 286 miles behind 27.7 knots

Go Groupama 3 !!

 

Franck Cammas on G4 has just kept on moving on and Sodebo can only make a few gains; also now Thomas Coville has to run squarer than G4 - but Francis Joyon on Idec is rocketing - not over yet. What is going to happen with the tail of the cyclone - anything could occur? These "magnificent" guys must be exhausted and yet more defecation could hit the fan.

 

I think Groupama may hit the hurricane full force: http://www.stormpulse.com/

http://routedurhum-labanquepostale.geovoile.com/2010/?lg=fr use sliding control at bottom to widen the view and the wind field control at the top far right to see everybodies wind

 

Maybe they should slow down and run with bare poles - but will that happen? Flying pigs etc. Starting to worry a bit - and I'm at a desktop.

 

Me too-I'd hate to see carnage out there.....if she stays intact Groupama, with her great beam, should have a substantial advantage.