Jules Verne Trophy
Things are clearing up … finally!
After more than two months of waiting and a first attempt interrupted by a technical problem at the end of November, the sailors of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild do not hide their desire to put on boots and rubber to start the assault on the Jules Verne Trophy. .
Your wishes could be granted and your patience rewarded at the end of the week. Since Monday, the Gitana team’s meteorological cell, made up of Franck Cammas, Charles Caudrelier and their router Marcel van Triest, has observed two main trends 48 hours apart. As the forecasts became more refined, it was the second that stood, be it on a Friday or Saturday at the latest in Ouessant. Discover in the video above the explanations of the skippers of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild and two crew members, Morgan Lagravière and Erwan Israel, who will accompany them in this absolute record of the round the world.
In Lorient, the technical team is working on the last details and everything is ready for Maxi Edmond de Rothschild to leave in 48 hours for the Jules Verne Trophy.
To tackle the Jules Verne Trophy, you obviously need an excellent boat, an equally exceptional crew to bring it to its full potential, but also some composure and strong nerves to wait for the right weather window. Since Monday, the crew of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild has been on alert, ready to embark and set sail for 40 days at sea as soon as Gitana Team’s router, Marcel van Triest, gives the green light. The six sailors and the entire team thus live to the rhythm of the meteorological analyzes and their updates twice a day. After five days of waiting, the planets finally appear to align and everything converges for a pontoon departure tomorrow Saturday afternoon from Lorient. Franck Cammas, Charles Caudrelier, David Boileau, Morgan Lagravière,
A sliding yellow code
On Tuesday, January 4, the five arrows team switched to code yellow; a color change synonymous with a possible departure in 24 to 48 hours. But since then, the exit window has continued to slide and it is finally on the night of Saturday to Sunday that the situation must be resolved. “The yellow code is still in effect but it is for a good cause! “Cyril Dardashti, the director of the team founded by Ariane and Benjamin de Rothschild, assured before continuing:” After more than two months of waiting and a failed first attempt, we are all eager to see the crew shoot. But the record we are going to seek is so demanding that this starting window is crucial. Since Monday, with Marcel van Triest, we have seen things go in the right direction. We were fortunate that the window was long in the North Atlantic, which allowed us to lag behind and let the South evolve to better secure the connection we were seeking against Brazil. Today things are clearing up and it is very exciting to be prepared to face the Jules Verne Trophy again in the configuration of the time criteria that we had set for ourselves. ”
From the northeast to download
Tomorrow morning, if everything goes according to plan, Gitana’s team will switch to code green. From then on, everything will continue very fast for the six sailors who are preparing to set the chronometer of the absolute record of regattas around the world. Loading of personal bags, goodbye to families and last weather report with Marcel van Triest. Then it will be time to set sail, towards Ouessant and the Créac’h lighthouse. As at the end of November, in his first attempt, this point of the night will be his last contact with the French coast while the 32-meter giant will point his bow to the south: “According to our latest forecasts, we should start with a flow from the Northeast 15-20 knots in the area and very manageable seas. This wind will increase to 25-30 knots as we approach Cape Finisterre and the descent through the Iberian Peninsula will be invigorating. But with the northeast the advantage will be to enjoy a clean sea. There is a depression at Cape San Vicente that we will look for before gybing towards the top of the Azores. Under high pressure, we will have a new jibe point to place before heading towards the equator, ”explained Charles Caudrelier.
If this weather configuration finally appears, which the crew has been waiting for weeks, the descent to the southern hemisphere will not be easy because the time is tight: “With this window we are aiming for less than 5 days. Ecuador and less than 12 days in Cap des Aiguilles. Our starting time is not the best if we only aim for the record in the equator, but it is a compromise to have the best slot in the Atlantic. At the moment, the latter seems quite favorable with a not too extreme route in the South but it will have to be readjusted during our descent because it is still far away and it has time to evolve ”, concluded the Maxi Edmond co-skipper. of Rothschild.
