Ocean Racing Magazine - #5 - October & November 2007 - (Page 28)

JULES VERNE TROPHY CAMMAS Having picked up four Atlantic records, Groupama 3 is preparing to tackle the Jules Verne Trophy as early as the 3rd December. The 31.50 metre trimaran is aiming to bring the round the world record down to below 50 days, achieving an average close to 23 knots over the 27,000 miles! Place your bets. BY COVERING 26,993 MILES in 50d 16h 20' (2005), Orange II raised the bar to a very high level, but the 36.80 metre catamaran was not able to achieve the best times throughout the entire route. Far from it in fact, as if you add together the best times achieved on the various attempts since 1993, there is still a reduction of 1 day and 18 hours to grab… The boat with Bruno Peyron and his crew onboard had a difficult stretch down to the Equator (15 hours slower than Geronimo in 2003) and back from the Equator to Ushant (1 day and 5 hours more than Cheyenne in 2004)… In fact, the average speed of the giant catamaran was only 17.89 knots over the Great Circle route and 22.2 knots on the water. These speeds were not even dreamt of in 1993 when Commodore Explorer managed to sail around the world in less than 80 days, but they seem almost banal at a time, when the Atlantic can be crossed in a little over four days at almost 30 knots. In short, the idea of instant speed is a bit out of date today with the new generation of maxi-multihulls, as these machines have no difficulty whatsoever in zooming across the DOWN TO 48 DAYS? located between 25° and 30° West. Analysing previous attempts, it is possible to reach the Equator in less than six days (achieving an average speed of 25 knots, bearing in mind that it is difficult imagining not slowing down in the Doldrums with a day covering less than 300 miles…). The bar has however been placed very high for the descent down the South Atlantic with the record time set by Orange II in 2004 (7d 5h 22’): the maxi catamaran managed practically to sail through on the shortest route with a stable Saint Helena high to the south of Ascension Island. However, as weather forecasting over ten days improves, it is possible to imagine a similar situation enabling a gain of more than 600 miles, or almost two days. The second stretch of the route to the Cape of Good Hope in seven days is thus realistic and can more or less be forecast from a weather oceans at more than 25 knots, whatever the point of sailing and the wind strength may be. Getting lucky in the Doldrums The major difficulty in a round the world voyage basically involves the Atlantic, on the outward and inward journey. To sail down to the Equator, you need to take advantage of a weather opportunity with a northerly blowing in the Bay of Biscay (a ridge of high pressure or better still a low over Spain). Then you need to pick up the Portuguese trades stretching into the African trades right down to the south of Cape Verde. There has to be an extremely powerful high-pressure area centred over the south west of the Canaries to enable you to continue in the same flow until you cross the Doldrums, which are generally Ocean Racing - october 2007

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Ocean Racing Magazine - #5 - October & November 2007

Edito
Contents
What they said
News
Portfolio
America's Cup - One Cup or two?
Jules Verne Trophy - Cammas, down to 48 days ?
Personality - Missing Fosset
Mini - Thirty years of innovations
Transat Jacques Vabre
Portrait - Lemonchois, quietly and discreetly
Barcelona World Race - Duos around the world
TP 52 - Where the stars shine
Figaro - Desjoyeaux not so alone
Trial - Sun Fast 3200
Tactics - Why the New Zealanders lost the America’s Cup
Fasnet Race
Lab
Portrait - Andrew Pindar
Fifty years ago - The Admiral’s Cup - offshore racing
Equipment
New products
Opinion

Ocean Racing Magazine - #5 - October & November 2007

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