27 miles behind - 362 miles to go

But Franck Cammas' Groupama III is on track to break the west to east transatlantic record

Monday July 23rd 2007, Author: James Boyd, Location: Transoceanic

Top image courtesy of Expedition Navigation Systems
 
Positions over the last 24 hours
 
Date time
Lat
Long
Crs
DTF
Relative to Orange 2
VMG
Inst
4hr
24hr
24hr run
Spd
23/07/2007 08:18:00 UTC
49°37,32 N
014°32,48 W
89°
362
-27,24
28,20
27,8
27,3
28,5
685,0
23/07/2007 07:02:00 UTC
49°36,84 N
015°23,40 W
92°
395
-31,20
29,10
27,4
28,5
28,7
688,4
23/07/2007 06:04:00 UTC
49°37,48 N
016°07,16 W
102°
423
-35,63
26,60
33,2
25,5
28,5
682,8
23/07/2007 05:04:00 UTC
49°38,20 N
016°50,48 W
78°
451
-39,15
25,50
28,4
23,7
28,9
693,4
23/07/2007 04:04:00 UTC
49°37,40 N
017°31,16 W
91°
477
-41,57
23,70
20,2
24,4
29,1
697,2
23/07/2007 03:04:00 UTC
49°37,76 N
018°09,68 W
90°
502
-41,15
22,60
25,4
25,7
29,2
701,7
23/07/2007 02:04:00 UTC
49°41,48 N
018°44,60 W
103°
524
-36,91
18,90
16,0
27,7
29,6
710,1
23/07/2007 01:04:00 UTC
49°45,60 N
019°16,52 W
82°
544
-30,56
26,60
24,4
29,5
29,7
712,3
22/07/2007 23:04:00 UTC
49°37,36 N
020°48,36 W
76°
604
-40,31
28,90
29,2
29,1
29,3
702,9
22/07/2007 22:04:00 UTC
49°30,88 N
021°34,96 W
79°
635
-44,88
27,30
28,8
28,5
29,9
717,9
22/07/2007 21:04:00 UTC
49°24,20 N
022°15,52 W
75°
662
-45,19
26,30
27,6
29,1
30,0
720,7
22/07/2007 20:04:00 UTC
49°18,32 N
022°59,00 W
67°
691
-46,89
28,40
25,6
29,3
30,0
720,7
22/07/2007 19:04:00 UTC
49°11,92 N
023°42,80 W
75°
720
-50,59
27,00
29,6
29,8
30,0
720,0
22/07/2007 18:04:00 UTC
49°05,56 N
024°25,36 W
67°
748
-49,41
26,70
24,2
30,2
29,5
707,1
22/07/2007 17:04:00 UTC
48°59,32 N
025°09,24 W
76°
778
-51,46
28,30
34,6
31,1
29,3
703,4
22/07/2007 16:04:00 UTC
48°54,20 N
025°54,12 W
91°
808
-55,64
29,10
32,8
31,5
29,1
697,7
22/07/2007 15:02:00 UTC
48°49,04 N
026°41,16 W
84°
839
-59,97
32,90
33,0
33,3
28,5
683,5
22/07/2007 14:04:00 UTC
48°44,80 N
027°26,36 W
78°
869
-64,14
31,60
30,8
31,5
28,0
671,5
22/07/2007 13:04:00 UTC
48°39,80 N
028°15,52 W
72°
902
-69,27
30,80
32,2
30,9
27,5
660,8
22/07/2007 12:02:00 UTC
48°34,56 N
029°02,92 W
81°
934
-74,48
29,20
30,0
32,2
27,3
654,7
22/07/2007 11:04:00 UTC
48°34,32 N
029°49,96 W
95°
964
-76,84
28,00
32,2
29,8
27,1
650,5
22/07/2007 10:04:00 UTC
48°35,40 N
030°36,80 W
103°
994
-77,04
27,50
33,2
29,7
26,8
643,7
22/07/2007 09:04:00 UTC
48°35,24 N
031°22,04 W
86°
1 023
-76,73
27,80
29,4
30,1
26,3
631,7
22/07/2007 08:04:00 UTC
48°28,92 N
032°06,32 W
69°
1 053
-77,05
27,80
28,0
30,2
26,3
630,0
 
Wow - this is a lot closer than we expected... This morning Groupama III has 362 miles left to go to the Lizard, the effective finish line of a west to east transatlantic record attempt and despite breaking her port foil (she's currently on port tack, so this isn't an issue), is only 27.24 miles short of Orange II's estimated record pace. Over the last four hours she has averaged 27.3 knots and to break Orange II's record she must pass the Lizard by tomorrow (Tuesday) at 02h 27m 49s GMT. At her present speed, based on her four hour average speed, Groupama III will cross the finish line 13 hours 15 minutes after the 08:18 position update or at 21:33GMT tonight, almost five hours inside the record...

The question is can she maintain this speed? At present there is a depression over the Western Approaches bringing the present delightful weather to the UK. Out at sea this is creating a strongly northerly flow for Cammas' green trimaran as the weather chart above indicates, and perfectly this depression is set to trudge on up the English Channel over the course of today meaning that Groupama III should be able to stay in the strong northerlies, with the wind backing marginally to the NNW later today - even better news as this will put Groupama III onto her optimum point of sail. The northerly is also good news as it means that Cammas will not have to gybe to the finish as is so often the case on this course.

At present Groupama III is still behind Orange II's record pace although as the numbers above indicate she has been steadily eating into this at a rate of about 4 mile per hour. Hence she should be ahead of Orange II by around 1500 GMT this afternoon...

Franck Cammas and his crew also need to take care of the boat - as with the beam sea at present in the northerly breeze the boat will be taking a hammering. Last night from on board Franck Proffit reported that they had seen 37 knots of wind and described it as the "most uncomfortable conditions" they'd experienced since leaving New York. "Things are looking good for us at the moment, but it remains to be seen how the last six hours pan out."

Read the report from Orange II at the same point on her transatlantic record attempt last year.

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