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2010/03/06-08h56
High pressure indeed
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| Jules Verne Trophy 2009 - 2010 |
| The weather is mild in the Southern Atlantic and Groupama 3 is still making fast headway in the N'ly breeze, which is forcing
her to sail close on the wind. Her route is taking her way off course to the East so Franck Cammas and his men will have to
reposition themselves this weekend to pass to the West of a zone of high pressure...
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After the lows of the Pacific, we're now into the high pressure of the Atlantic. Since passing Tierra del Fuego on Thursday
evening, Groupama 3 has been sailing towards a massive anticyclone, which is shifting across to the NE. Despite this, the
giant trimaran is holding onto a slight lead over the reference time this Saturday morning (around 120 miles), but when you
look at the situation close up, you have to admit that Franck Cammas and his men are at the same virtual latitude as their
predecessors, Bruno Peyron and his crew. However, at 50° South, Orange 2 was ten degrees further to the West five years ago,
which amounts to 400 miles closer to the coast of Argentina!
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Fluky Falklands"Since rounding Cape Horn, Groupama 3 has been sailing on port tack, alternating between phases of close-hauled sailing
and reaching, in line with the fluctuations between the N and the NW'ly wind. On Friday evening, Franck Cammas and his crew
made it to the SW edge of a vast anticyclone and are hence making headway along the edge of this high pressure. As such the
sea is not very rough, which is enabling the giant trimaran to set a good course despite the 13 to 17 knot wind, which at
times is orientated due North. This navigation around the edge of the anticyclone will continue throughout the weekend and
even into the start of next week, because, as a result of the size and movement of this system, it's not possible to envisage
going around its eastern limits with downwind conditions. As such they will have to sail close-hauled round the West of the
zone, putting in several tacks on Sunday and Monday before they can claim to be distancing themselves from the edge of the
high pressure" analysed Sylvain Mondon from Météo France.
Whilst Orange 2 closely skirted the Falkland Islands
or Malvinas, on Friday Groupama 3 passed a long way offshore of these islands, discovered by Jacques Gouin de Beauchesne of
Saint Malo in 1701. Therefore the giant trimaran is considerably distancing herself from the direct course towards Ushant
and when she tacks at the end of the weekend, her lead over the reference time will be transformed into a deficit! However,
though Bruno Peyron and his crew made great headway as far as Brazil, the next stage was less speedy... As such we can expect
an action-packed access and a succession of uncertainties all the way to the finish line. Franck Cammas and his nine crew
aren't just prepared for this challenge, they also appreciate its tactical subtleties, as if this final section of the course
were a virtual race!
"Right now we're really going to have to show what we're made of in terms of our skills,
our manoeuvres, our time at the helm and our decisions at the chart table! It's going to be complicated and it's certainly
going to be a close call at the finish, but it's going to spice up this ascent of the Atlantic" indicated Bruno Jeanjean
at noon on Friday...
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