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2010/03/03-07h54
A day from the Horn
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| Jules Verne Trophy 2009 - 2010 |
| Groupama 3 isn't done with the Southern Ocean just yet, but the exit is within sight on the approach to Drake's Passage. Franck
Cammas and his men must remain vigilant in their descent towards 56° S in a powerful W to NW'ly wind and messy seas...
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Still 800 miles to go this Wednesday morning before they reach the longitude of Cape Horn! This amounts to a long day at sea
since Groupama 3 should pass offshore of the tip of South America during the course of tomorrow between 1200 and 1800 UTC.
However, the sailing conditions are still very lively with a stiff breeze and, above all, seas which aren't yet organised,
forcing the crew to maintain a speed of less than thirty knots.
"Groupama 3 is sailing with care at the back
of the gale: the sea is rough but practicable, the W'ly swell is lengthening and the W to NW'ly wind is blowing at between
30 and 35 knots. Further South the severe conditions are shifting down towards the 60s. The W to NW'ly wind will remain strong
until Thursday morning at which point it will drop off rapidly: a period of very light winds (less than 7 knots) is expected
prior to the Isla de los Estados" explains Sylvain Mondon from Météo France.
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Short leadOn passing the longitude of Cape Horn after a little over 32 days, Groupama 3 should have a few hours lead over the reference
time, but she's not yet certain to improve on the Pacific crossing record set by Orange 2 in 2005 (8d 18h 08'). In any case
it is likely that the separation between the two boats will once again become unfavourable for the giant trimaran as the entry
into the Atlantic doesn't appear to very encouraging! The low, which has forced Franck Cammas and his nine crew to make a
big detour to the North over the past few days, is languishing, leaving light breezes in its wake... As such the transition
will be full of contrasts and disadvantageous for the giant trimaran, which will once again lose ground after the Horn. However
there are still 7,000 miles to go before the crew make Ushant, which amounts to almost a third of the course on this Jules
Verne Trophy.
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