Groupama 3 - code red

Franck Cammas' new maxi-trimaran prepared for her first record attempt

Just days after Gitana 13 was forced to retire from her attampt on the Route of Discovery record westward across the Atlantic between Cadiz and San Salvador, so today Franck Cammas' new maxi-trimaran Groupama 3 has gone on stand by for her attempt - the first official record attempt for the 105ft monster.

Cammas and his crew of 10 are awaiting a good weather window to tackle the 3,884 mile record of 9 days 13 hours 30 minutes and 18 seconds, set on 24 February, 2003 by American Steve Fossett aboard the maxi-cat Playstation.

Meteorologist and router for the team, Jean-Yves Bernot, commented upon the course: "This Route of Discovery record is rather complicated in terms of the weather because it is hard to have correct conditions both for the departure and the arrival. For Groupama 3, the ideal situation would be to go on one gybe to the Canaries, where Franck and his crew have to round the island of Gran Canaria, the only mark of obligatory course. So we are after strong northerlies, ranging between 25 and 30 knots to leave Cadiz. This wind must stay until they reach the trade winds. However the approach to the finish in the Bahamas is often marked by a break in the trade off the Caribbean and one has to be extremely vigilant not to get caught by the calms.”

Thus at present the Groupama team is on Code Red, stand by. If a weather window looks favourable they will go to Code Orange, ie a possible deparature withiin the next three days, or Code Yellow, within the next 48 hours and finally Code Green, crew in place, setting sail within 24 hours.

Running the operational side of the crew is Cammas' long term right hand man Franck Proffit. "We set up this system of codes colour bus for the stand-by periods so that the crew don't have to be in Cadiz the whole time unnecessarily. Everyone is at home and remains there according to how we move through these codes color. We work on this with discussions open between Jean-Yves Bernot, our shore-based router, Marcel Van Triest, the navigator, Franck Cammas and myself.

"Every morning, we assess the weather and decide the procedure for the day. These stand-by periods are at the same time a problem but a necessary part of record attempts. It is necessary to be patient and seek to wait for the most interesting window to arrive. Thus we have defined a period to be on stand-by in Spain between 26 March and 23 April, the cut-off date when we will simply deliver the boat to Miami."

The crew of Groupama 3 for the Route of Discovery record will be:

Franck Cammas (Skipper/watch leader, helmsman)
Franck Proffit (watch leader/helmsman and sails)
Stève Ravussin (watch leader/responsible for video, food and strategy)
Pascal Blouin (boat captain/helmsman, responsible for safety, mechanics)
Loic Nice (reserve helmsman/responsible for the superstructure and mast)
Bruno Jeanjean
Sebastien Audigane (reserve helm/medic)
Frederic Peutrec (reserve helmsman)
Ronan Goff (video and ropes)
Marcel Van Triest (navigator)

Ashore: Jean-Yves Bernot (router)

The Route of Discovery record, came about following the Route of Discovery race in 1984. The event was held to celebrate the crossing by Christophe Columbus made over 3 August and 12 October 1492 between Palos de la Frontera and Guanahani, subsequently rechristened San Salvador. This race was won by Philippe Poupon and his 25.9m long maxi-catamaran Fleury Michon VII in a time of 14 days 14 hours and 49 minutes.

Four years later the same course was first use for a record attempt by Serge Madec and his elite crew on the maxi-cat Jet Services V and respecting the historic route of the Pinta, began from Cadiz, finishing in San Salvador setting a new time of 12 and a half days. As with many of Jet Services V's record (she was the last maxi-cat built until the new generation G-Class cats were constructed prior to The Race in 2000) this stood for many years until it was broken by Grant Dalton and Bruno Peyron aboard Club Med in 2000. Since then the American hunter of records Steve Fossett, managed to take more than a day over the time in 2003 setting the new benchmark at 9 days 13 hours 30 minutes 18 seconds.