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04.11.2011 Back to news
The die is cast to the East!
 | © Guilain Grenier |
In these more manageable conditions with a 15-20 knot north-westerly breeze, Kito de Pavant was making the most of the occasion to review the situation with his team.
With the Transat Jacques Vabre, the start of the Volvo Ocean Race, the stand-by for Maxi Banque Populaire in the Jules Verne Trophy and the finish of the Transat 6.50, there are various aspects of professional sailing being expressed at the moment. What’s your view on this?
“It’s incredible what’s happening on the sailing planet at the moment! Offshore racing has considerably evolved over recent years and we have a real public following. It’s like a silent crowd is taking an interest in our sport. We don’t see them, they’re not yelling from the grandstands, but they’re there, following our adventures via the internet in particular.”
You’ve just heard the news about Akéna Vérandas dismasting in the early hours.
“Cali (Arnaud Boissières) is a friend. I feel sad for him and Gérald. They must be really disappointed. I’ve suffered the same fate (in 2008), so I know what they’re going through. I’m going to send them a little message from onboard.”
What’s happening on your planet at the moment?
“It was a quiet night weather-wise but things aren’t any easier on deck! We’ve been through the cow’s entire sail wardrobe and we’re constantly putting in and shaking out reefs. We’ve done a lot of sail trimming as the squalls have been disturbing the north-westerly breeze, which is more stable this morning. Aside from that we’ve been accompanied by dolphins since the start, which are having fun with the bow wave and doing some incredible jumps in the water. It’s fantastic!”
Explain your decision to push further East
“The idea is to shorten the distance to travel via a medial trajectory in relation to the Azores. As soon as the wind shifted, we tacked. I was afraid we’d have less wind at the start, which was kind of what happened in relation to Macif, who we crossed tacks with last night, but right now it’s kicked back in again. On the other hand, it seems to me that the options are closing off a bit to the North. I’m happy with our choice. We have the conditions we were expecting and we should be able to make fast headway today.”
Yes quite. Do you know what kind of conditions are on the menu for you?
“A south-westerly air flow is settling across our path with the passage of a front which appears to be fairly dense at the start of the week. Anything could happen! After that, a zone of high pressure will move back into position and we’ll have to make sure we’re safely under it before it blocks our way. For now, the different weather models don’t agree on this however.”
Is Yann Régniau enjoying his first Transat Jacques Vabre?
“He’s doing very well! We’ve had very little sleep over the first two days at sea. It has to be said that Groupe Bel is somewhat noisier than our hotel in Le Havre! With the excitement of the competition on top of that, it’s not easy to sleep, even though we need to.”
With the Transat Jacques Vabre, the start of the Volvo Ocean Race, the stand-by for Maxi Banque Populaire in the Jules Verne Trophy and the finish of the Transat 6.50, there are various aspects of professional sailing being expressed at the moment. What’s your view on this?
“It’s incredible what’s happening on the sailing planet at the moment! Offshore racing has considerably evolved over recent years and we have a real public following. It’s like a silent crowd is taking an interest in our sport. We don’t see them, they’re not yelling from the grandstands, but they’re there, following our adventures via the internet in particular.”
You’ve just heard the news about Akéna Vérandas dismasting in the early hours.
“Cali (Arnaud Boissières) is a friend. I feel sad for him and Gérald. They must be really disappointed. I’ve suffered the same fate (in 2008), so I know what they’re going through. I’m going to send them a little message from onboard.”
What’s happening on your planet at the moment?
“It was a quiet night weather-wise but things aren’t any easier on deck! We’ve been through the cow’s entire sail wardrobe and we’re constantly putting in and shaking out reefs. We’ve done a lot of sail trimming as the squalls have been disturbing the north-westerly breeze, which is more stable this morning. Aside from that we’ve been accompanied by dolphins since the start, which are having fun with the bow wave and doing some incredible jumps in the water. It’s fantastic!”
Explain your decision to push further East
“The idea is to shorten the distance to travel via a medial trajectory in relation to the Azores. As soon as the wind shifted, we tacked. I was afraid we’d have less wind at the start, which was kind of what happened in relation to Macif, who we crossed tacks with last night, but right now it’s kicked back in again. On the other hand, it seems to me that the options are closing off a bit to the North. I’m happy with our choice. We have the conditions we were expecting and we should be able to make fast headway today.”
Yes quite. Do you know what kind of conditions are on the menu for you?
“A south-westerly air flow is settling across our path with the passage of a front which appears to be fairly dense at the start of the week. Anything could happen! After that, a zone of high pressure will move back into position and we’ll have to make sure we’re safely under it before it blocks our way. For now, the different weather models don’t agree on this however.”
Is Yann Régniau enjoying his first Transat Jacques Vabre?
“He’s doing very well! We’ve had very little sleep over the first two days at sea. It has to be said that Groupe Bel is somewhat noisier than our hotel in Le Havre! With the excitement of the competition on top of that, it’s not easy to sleep, even though we need to.”
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