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2010/02/20-08h39
Offshore of Kerguelen
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| Jules Verne Trophy 2009 - 2010 |
| Groupama 3 is continuing to make rapid headway in the middle of the Indian Ocean and has a deficit of just 200 miles on the
Jules Verne Trophy reference time. Franck Cammas and his men have a busy weekend ahead!
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The Kerguelen archipelago, which roughly marks the midway point in the Indian Ocean, is already in their wake this Saturday
morning! The still very high average speed attained by the giant trimaran has been greater than 28 knots over 24 hours since
Friday. The WNW to NW'ly wind is still steady at an average of 26-32 knots, gusting to 40-45 knots. For a brief spell overnight
the gusts were a little less strong, but they are set to increase this Saturday with the approach of the new system.
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Steady wind"A very active disturbance is passing over the Kerguelen Islands: the centre is circulating at 55° S and the cold front
stretching northward is closing on Groupama 3. The cold front associated with this new system has swept away the previous
cold front, which Franck Cammas and his crew had managed to hook onto and get past last Thursday. The new front will accompany
the giant trimaran over a large section of the eastern half of the Indian Ocean. The seas will build a little more with a
W'ly swell, which will develop throughout Saturday before easing off slightly on Sunday..." indicated Sylvain Mondon
from Météo France.
Franck Cammas and his nine crew had covered half the Indian Ocean this Saturday at 0400 UTC:
at that point they had just 2,700 miles to go before reaching Tasmania! From Sunday evening, the giant trimaran will have
crossed the symbolic longitude of Cape Leeuwin and right now should be within the Jules Verne Trophy record time for this
section of the course set by Bruno Peyron... By remaining at 45° S, Groupama 3 is not only avoiding the icebergs prowling
around lower down, but they're also hanging onto some milder temperatures which is good for the crew's physical condition.
It's a favourable situation all round for maintaining high speeds as far as the Pacific Ocean.
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