Wednesday night departure

Franck Cammas looks ahead at Groupama 3's attempt to better her own W-E Transat records

Having been on stand-by in New York since 7 July, so Franck Cammas' Groupama team has announced they are going 'code green' on their attempt on the west to east Transatlantic record from New York to the Lizard.

Unless there is a last minute change in the weather, Cammas' Groupama 3 105ft maxi-trimaran will set sail on Wednesday night local time in the US in order to better their own record of 4 days 3 hours and 57 minutes, or an average speed of 29.29 knots (set on 23 July 2007). In the process they will try to better their outright 24 hour speed record of 794 miles (or 33.08 knots average). No mean feat in either case. The transatlantic record is now one of the fastest records in the World Sailing Speed Record Council list.

Keeping a weather eye out have been the team's shore-based router/meteorologist Sylvian Mondon of Météo France and their on board navigator, American veteran and 2005-6 Volvo Ocean Race winner, Stan Honey.

Since going on stand-by on 7 July the crew have been at their respective homes and every morning at 1000 Mondon has stated whether they are 'go' (green) 'about to go' (amber) or 'not going' (red).

"As soon as we passed code amber (possible departure between 48 and 72 hours), the crew prepare for going to sea and get on the plane for New York," states Stephan Guilbaud, Groupama Team Manager. "On their arrival at the Gateway marina [in New York] the crew will find a trimaran perfectly prepared by the shore crew, but also by two of the crew Loïc Le Mignon and Olivier Mainguy:

"We are both excited and focussed," says skipper, Franck Cammas. "The challenge which awaits us is important and complex: Important because to sail a trimaran like Groupama 3 to perfection is a true challenge, but also complex because it will require the crew to adapt to the conditions of wind and sea which will be probably a little different from the forecast. According to our last information, the window which is open is very good with following winds even if it requires us to drop a little south of the shortest route,!

In his office in Toulouse, Sylvain Mondon has been analysing the various weather charts based on the European and American models. Then, he compares this was the polar performance charts for Groupama 3 and, based on this data, has software which will calculate the theoretical crossing time: “Two years ago, when Groupama 3 sailed across the Atlantic in less than 100 hours at a 29.2 knots average speed, she set the bar very high. To go even more quickly, it is essential to take a perfect course and remain closest to the 2925 miles of the great circle”.

In 2007 during her attempt Groupama 3 also set a new record for the most miles ever sailed over 24 hours - 794 miles. "The conditions were ideal with a wind well established and a flat sea," recalls Cammas. "If we hadn't broken one of our foils, we would have crossed the mythical barrier of the 800 miles. This figure is incredible but still more so is being on Groupama 3 at this speed. But that is what we are there to do today."

Groupama 3 is set to leave between 2200 GMT on Wednesday night and 0300 Thursday morning. The routing, if they leave during this window and assuming everything goes according to plan and that the forecast is reliable, shows them taking the record beneath 4 days...

One problem with this record attempt is that it is possible to run out of wind towards the finish in the Western Approaches. However Cammas says that the forecast is showing some of the strongest winds at the finish 35-40 knots. At present the forecast is also showing that they can make the whole passage without having to gybe...!

The primary goal is of course the passage record, but if in the process they better their 24 hour record then that will be the icing on the cake.

At present Banque Populaire haven't confirmed that they too have gone 'code green', but it seems likely they will. There is no co-ordination between the two teams as to their leaving together, however it seems likely that if they do leave at different times they will only be a matter of a minutes or a few hours apart.

If Groupama 3 leaves on Wednesday night/Thursday morning, she should be passing the Lizard on Sunday night or the early hours of Monday morning.