Groupama 3 - Losing the lead
Around 1,000 miles from Cape Horn, the sailing conditions are fairly sporty with over thirty knots of NW'ly wind and, most importantly, fairly chaotic seas. The obligation to deviate from the direct course by carving out a curved wake which has seen Groupama 3 climb to 47° S, has caused her to lose a large part of the lead she'd acquired in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
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Nearly 750 miles across the ground over the past 24 hours, but just 575 miles of those on a direct course: the detour above a rather angry low, is proving to be highly disadvantageous, to the extent that close to 350 miles have been lost from Groupama 3's lead over the past three days! If all goes to plan, the loss will subside over the coming hours as Orange 2 also had to make a detour the day before she rounded Cape Horn. However, given that the wind will ease as they approach Chile, in what will still be very messy seas, it will be difficult for Franck Cammas and his men to hold onto even a small cushion of a lead after this third cape of the round the world. | 'The sun is in the process of rising: however, we've covered a fair amount of ground to the East so the day is beginning earlier. Over the past five hours, the front has crept right up with us and the wind is very shifty in terms of strength. As such we've reduced the sails to three reefs in the mainsail and staysail... The wind is gusting to forty knots and we're being forced to make headway underpowered. Fortunately the sea state isn't too bad and the boat isn't under too much pressure' indicated Franck Cammas at the 1130 radio link-up with Groupama's Race HQ in Paris. |
Source: Sail-World
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