Groupama 3 heads for Brest

Ready to go for her Jules Verne Trophy attempt

At first light tomorrow morning, Thursday, Franck Cammas' maxi trimaran Groupama 3 will leave her home port of Lorient bound for Brest. From here she will set off on her latest attempt at the Jules Verne Trophy as soon as the next favourable weather window presents itself.

As was the case during their last attempt, skipper Franck Cammas and his nine crew have opted to set off from Brest to make for the start line of the Jules Verne Trophy off Ushant: "It's closer to Ushant and easier to reach, especially in northwesterly winds - Brest is ideally situated for the Jules Verne Trophy. We were able to witness that last November so we’ll be happy to be back there, especially as we were given a great welcome," says the skipper of Groupama 3.

For the delivery to Brest, the crew of the Jules Verne Trophy will be complete and identical to that of the last attempt, which was cut short in the Southern Atlantic, following damage to the section linking the aft beam to the port float. As before American Stan Honey will be taking care of the navigation, the watch leaders will be Franck Cammas, Fred Le Peutrec and Stève Ravussin, the helmsmen Lionel Lemonchois, Loïc Le Mignon and Thomas Coville and finally the bowmen Ronan Le Goff, Jacques Caraës and Bruno Jeanjean.

"It’s nice to be back together again," continues Cammas. "Those who made the return delivery trip from South Africa have had the time to rest and spend some quality time with their families. As far as Groupama 3 is concerned, she’s all ready to go. The food for the round the world voyage is stowed away on board and all that remains is to load the fresh supplies in Brest at the last minute."

The only thing missing is the exact timing of when the weather conditions will be favourable to set off: "Obviously we’re studying the weather forecast with Sylvain Mondon. There’s nothing very clear for the time being, but we’re ready to go. For now we’re still on a code red," concludes Cammas.