Sea, Sail & Surf newsJules Verne Trophy
Orange through the Azores high
dimanche 28 avril 2002 –
In the meantime, the Marseilles Giant has got to beat into this wind, trying to limit stress on the damaged mast rotation ball to a minimum. But the course they’ve been on for several days is good, very good. Because once they reach the high, they will be able to ease the sheets and make a dash for Ushant, the terminal of this circumnavigation...
High spirits on board the maxi-cat Orange. "We’re on a good course at the moment, it’s the same as Olivier de Kersauson’s in 1997", declared Gilles during the midday chat session. "Several days ago I was saying that the holder of the Jules Verne Trophy sailed a good course and I didn’t imagine that we would be able to do the same. But the trades are not too strong, meaning that we can sail a heading of 345°. This trade wind should be strengthening tonight to 20 knots and we’ll have to be careful. But in the next 36 hours, it should shift more to the east, which will enable us to reach a point that we’ve fixed ourselves to the south-west of the Azores where we’ll tack ". What is this point ? It’s simply the point where "logically" the boat from Marseilles changes course and heads for France.
In addition, this high, which is the source of everybody’s attention should shift slowly away to the east over the next few days, which should allow the thirteen men to pick up the leading winds generated by the masses of warm air quicker. Don’t forget that in the Northern Hemisphere the winds turn clockwise round a high-pressure system. "We haven’t ruled out sailing through the middle of the Azores" said Bruno. "But we’ve got three difficult days ahead of us and even if we’re on a good course at the moment, it’s not out of the question that we’ll be doing a little westing to spare the boat. But it’s true that we’re managing a shorter route than expected !"
So they’re sailing under close surveillance where concentration at the helm should be faultless. The first objective of course is to not let the boat slam in the waves, every shock is felt in the mast. "But it’s true that we’re sailing a little more serenely" concluded Gilles. "We know that the cracked ball is still there and that anything can happen yet. But we’ve done all that’s possible : we’ve solved the greasing problems with the mast ball and we’ve reinforced it. We’re sailing a little less stressed and we’re a little less sensitive to the slightest noise on board...".
Quote / unquote...
Bruno Peyron : "It’s clear that as soon as we have these next three days behind us, we won’t be home and dry, but Oof, we’ll be downwind and the boat will suffer less".
Gilles Chiorri : "We had a message from Michel Desjoyeaux yesterday saying : "Bring down the record Record #sailingrecord but not the mast !"
Pierrick Garenne / Mer & Media Agency
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