Hard times for Gitana 13

Lumpy upwind conditions across Bay of Biscay as Lionel Lemonchois' maxi-catamaran heads for London

Gitana 13, the LCF Rothschild Group maxi-catamaran was approaching the Bay of Biscay on Sunday afternoon and is currently at the latitude of Bordeaux. At 1315 UT they were 550 miles from their goal. They are making headway in uncomfortable conditions, close-hauled in steady northeasterly winds, combined with short, big seas. However, aboard Gitana 13, Lionel Lemonchois and his nine crew had prepared themselves for these hard last miles.

Rounding Cape Finisterre at the northwestern tip of Spain, wasn’t easy for the crew: "We had to make a series of tacks all the way along the tip of Galicia: in total close to 23 of them! It was really intense and took a lot out of the crew,” recounted router Sylvain Mondon from his office in Toulouse. “ Gitana 13 sailed along the coast of Galicia to shelter from the swell and the more unfavourable wind offshore. Inshore, there was between 25 and 30 knots of northeasterly breeze (compared with 35 to 40 knot gusts offshore) which enabled them to make sufficient easting before beginning their climb up the Bay of Biscay. This required the crew to shave the coasat for the whole of Sunday afternoon and a large part of the following night. Even so, the reward for this tactics has been the best conditions available - sailing close-hauled on starboard tack in ENEerly winds of 20-25 knots and 2-3m high waves. These conditions mean that they’re having to make slow headway, but a lot less tortuous than if they were further west, where the wind is stronger and there is more of a tendency for them to be headed.”

“The seas aren’t very big, but they are rather short and Gitana 13 very often buries her bows in the waves," confirmed crewman Léopold Lucet in a short conversation amid considerable background noise. "We’re brought to a stand-still every three minutes, which can lead to a few necessary moves by the crew. In these conditions, sleeping is a real mission!”

These conditions will continue for Baron Benjamin de Rothschild's 33m maxi-catamaran for the entire passage across the Bay of Biscay as well as their passage up the English Channel towards the finish of their record attempt in London. Their return to steady downwind conditions will not take place until the final hours of the course, through Dover Strait and the boat's arrival in the Thames. Gitana 13's ETA is still scheduled between late evening on 24 September and the morning of 25 September.