Sea, Sail & Surf newsJules Verne Trophy
Orange in the anteroom of the trades...
samedi 20 avril 2002 –
The low has disappeared ; the high is evaporating. By pushing her long gybe to the east to the extreme, more than 1500 nm off the so-called... normal ? route for boats engaged in the final sprint of a race round the world, the maxi-catamaran Orange has managed to dodge the worst of the foul weather, on pain of plunging deep inside the anticyclone. A calculated risk though, because the SE winds that the met ? chart are showing with conviction look more than suspiciously like the trade winds. ?And our very eastern position will be a plus... emphasised Peyron, ...for attacking the run up to the Equator on a favourable gybe.... In the meantime, Orange’s crew is just as focused as on the first of their 49 days at sea ; Everyone on board is going about his work as best as possible, described Bruno, We’re looking for the right trim, we’re always looking for that acceleration in a not very pleasant residual seaway.... They’re not exactly enthusiastic about close hauling in light airs. But Peyron knows that relief is nigh, and the promise of long and exhilarating downwind cavalcades in the trades is enough to temper their impatience. Whatever the weather, the boat demands vigilance and surveillance from the sailors. A multidisciplinary crew, Orange’s men can always find something to busy themselves with to forever maintain the Marseilles Giant fresh and ship shape. As soon as the sea state allows, Orange will be back in the race, explained Peyron. It’s interesting to note that despite our move to the east, we haven’t lost anything compared with the tracks along the Brazilian coast of our predecessors in The Race last year ! With Porto Alegre (Brazil) abeam, Orange is waiting to reap the benefits of her bold gamble. The conveyor belt of the trades is approaching. Orange is ready to jump into gear...
Quote / unquote...
Bruno Peyron : A trying night last night. We just skated past the worst of the low. Beating in a choppy sea, we tried every possible sail combination. Close reaching in light winds we had out the code zero, a sort of cross between a solent and a gennaker, very flat and very efficient. An amusing anecdote : we’re currently sailing on the same latitude as Porto Alegre, to the west, and to the east, there is a place on the border between Namibia and South Africa called Oranjemund, washed by the river "Orange"
Denis van den Brink / Mer & Media agency
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