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17.01.2011 Back to news
A narrow way out for a Cow
 | © Gilles Martin-Raget / Groupe Bel |
However, Groupe Bel is also regular and quick in these calm conditions. Change of pace, good weather and good sea; Kito and Seb needed no more than this to recharge their batteries before attacking a strategic period, with the passage of the Saint-Helena Anticyclone and the “chunk” of the Great South. For the moment, on this 17th day at sea, there is a particular feeling, since the monohull has not yet been so far south, nor has its skipper, who is discovering this section of the Atlantic.
There’s a rumba in the air!
There are days like that, when you say to yourself that life is good at sea! The shorts and t-shirts are out under the Brazil sun, there is a trade wind running at just about fifteen knots; dream conditions in which to prepare for the vagaries of the weather. “We haven’t touched the helm for three days. The yacht is sailing well under pilot on a beam wind. We have also changed our watches to three hours to rest as much as possible during this mild weather. We slept six hours running. Seb slept for the first part of the night, and I slept for the second. This is a real rest after these two first weeks of racing, which were exhausting both morally and physically.” It is an opportunity to make a small technical check on the yacht and look after themselves too, “We won’t be tired when we pass Gough Island (obligatory marker), unlike the boats further west, which will probably have to maintain the pace in stronger weather conditions. It won’t last, because next week, we’ll be attacking the Roaring 40s, so the weather will turn cold and wet quickly.” There is no let up, but there is some rest for Kito and Seb, before they attack the Great South; the best way to keep their thoughts straight as they face a tangled weather situation.
Small areas of calm and a brain teaser
Satisfied with their position in the short term, the sailors remain sceptical about the events to follow. The Saint-Helena anticyclone is not being helpful and it’ll be a clever sailor who finds the way out to Good Hope: “We are clearly in the middle of nowhere! There is a large gap between us and the boats to the west, following their stop in Recife. No one really has a choice of route and everyone is keeping to their own logic. The Saint-Helena anticyclone is not in a line, there are areas of calm which are moving and we can only rely on 2 to 3 day forecasts. We are obliged to set a course dead ahead and we will have to slow down a little, particularly on Wednesday, which is looking like a decisive day. We are going to have to get the Cow through a narrow band (of wind) and we are going to have to play it tight!
Never so far South!
Despite the vagaries of the weather, there’s a good mood all round! Since she was launched in September 2007, Groupe Bel has already taken part in the equivalent of two round-the-worlds. Very used to transatlantic races, regattas and deliveries around Europe, she has never been so far south. This is a strong symbol for the skipper, as much as it is for the whole of the technical team: “This is a big day! Groupe Bel has already been to Brazil, for the finish of the Transat Jacques Vabre 2007 in Salvador de Bahia. However, now we are entering the South Atlantic, an area which neither the yacht nor I know. It’s good news for all of us, since apart from the small jobs we do on her daily, the yacht is sailing really very well! As far as I’m concerned, I have never been further down than 15° in the Atlantic. I am beginning to measure what a round-the-world represents. We have just finished the equivalent of a transatlantic race and we have rested; now, we’re ready to take on the hard part!” To do this, Kito will be able to trust the good advice of his co-skipper, who has perfect knowledge, or almost, of the Great South route, having finished the Trophée Jules Verne with Bruno Peyron in 2005.
DJ O’Dhiggan’s play-list of the week: “Fortaleza” by Bernard Lavilliers for Brazil and “Appletree” by Erykah Badu for the starry nights.
RANKING MONDAY 17 JANUARY AT 15:00 HOURS (UTC +1):
3 - Estrella Damm / Alex Pella & Pepe Ribes, 20,879 miles distance to finish
2 - Groupe Bel / Kito de Pavant & Seb Audigane, 135.7 miles distance to leaders
3 - Mapfre / Iker Martinez & Xabi Fernandez in stealth mode
4 - Mirabaud / Dominique Wavre & Michèle Parret, 205.2 miles distance
5 - Foncia / Michel Desjoyeaux & François Gabart, 260.7 miles distance
6 - Virbac-Paprec 3 / Jean-Pierre Dick & Loick Peyron, 281.3 miles distance
7 - Neutrogena / Boris Herrmann & Ryan Breymaier, 300.7 milles miles distance
8 - Renault / Pachi Rivero & Antonio Piris 332.6 miles distance
9 - Gaes / Dee Caffari & Anna Corbella, 340.6 miles distance
10 – Hugo Boss/ Wouter Verbraak & Andy Meikeljohn, 462.8 milles
The rest of the ranking: click here
There’s a rumba in the air!
There are days like that, when you say to yourself that life is good at sea! The shorts and t-shirts are out under the Brazil sun, there is a trade wind running at just about fifteen knots; dream conditions in which to prepare for the vagaries of the weather. “We haven’t touched the helm for three days. The yacht is sailing well under pilot on a beam wind. We have also changed our watches to three hours to rest as much as possible during this mild weather. We slept six hours running. Seb slept for the first part of the night, and I slept for the second. This is a real rest after these two first weeks of racing, which were exhausting both morally and physically.” It is an opportunity to make a small technical check on the yacht and look after themselves too, “We won’t be tired when we pass Gough Island (obligatory marker), unlike the boats further west, which will probably have to maintain the pace in stronger weather conditions. It won’t last, because next week, we’ll be attacking the Roaring 40s, so the weather will turn cold and wet quickly.” There is no let up, but there is some rest for Kito and Seb, before they attack the Great South; the best way to keep their thoughts straight as they face a tangled weather situation.
Small areas of calm and a brain teaser
Satisfied with their position in the short term, the sailors remain sceptical about the events to follow. The Saint-Helena anticyclone is not being helpful and it’ll be a clever sailor who finds the way out to Good Hope: “We are clearly in the middle of nowhere! There is a large gap between us and the boats to the west, following their stop in Recife. No one really has a choice of route and everyone is keeping to their own logic. The Saint-Helena anticyclone is not in a line, there are areas of calm which are moving and we can only rely on 2 to 3 day forecasts. We are obliged to set a course dead ahead and we will have to slow down a little, particularly on Wednesday, which is looking like a decisive day. We are going to have to get the Cow through a narrow band (of wind) and we are going to have to play it tight!
Never so far South!
Despite the vagaries of the weather, there’s a good mood all round! Since she was launched in September 2007, Groupe Bel has already taken part in the equivalent of two round-the-worlds. Very used to transatlantic races, regattas and deliveries around Europe, she has never been so far south. This is a strong symbol for the skipper, as much as it is for the whole of the technical team: “This is a big day! Groupe Bel has already been to Brazil, for the finish of the Transat Jacques Vabre 2007 in Salvador de Bahia. However, now we are entering the South Atlantic, an area which neither the yacht nor I know. It’s good news for all of us, since apart from the small jobs we do on her daily, the yacht is sailing really very well! As far as I’m concerned, I have never been further down than 15° in the Atlantic. I am beginning to measure what a round-the-world represents. We have just finished the equivalent of a transatlantic race and we have rested; now, we’re ready to take on the hard part!” To do this, Kito will be able to trust the good advice of his co-skipper, who has perfect knowledge, or almost, of the Great South route, having finished the Trophée Jules Verne with Bruno Peyron in 2005.
DJ O’Dhiggan’s play-list of the week: “Fortaleza” by Bernard Lavilliers for Brazil and “Appletree” by Erykah Badu for the starry nights.
RANKING MONDAY 17 JANUARY AT 15:00 HOURS (UTC +1):
3 - Estrella Damm / Alex Pella & Pepe Ribes, 20,879 miles distance to finish
2 - Groupe Bel / Kito de Pavant & Seb Audigane, 135.7 miles distance to leaders
3 - Mapfre / Iker Martinez & Xabi Fernandez in stealth mode
4 - Mirabaud / Dominique Wavre & Michèle Parret, 205.2 miles distance
5 - Foncia / Michel Desjoyeaux & François Gabart, 260.7 miles distance
6 - Virbac-Paprec 3 / Jean-Pierre Dick & Loick Peyron, 281.3 miles distance
7 - Neutrogena / Boris Herrmann & Ryan Breymaier, 300.7 milles miles distance
8 - Renault / Pachi Rivero & Antonio Piris 332.6 miles distance
9 - Gaes / Dee Caffari & Anna Corbella, 340.6 miles distance
10 – Hugo Boss/ Wouter Verbraak & Andy Meikeljohn, 462.8 milles
The rest of the ranking: click here
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