Idec Sport & Spindrift 2 Jules Verne Record Attempt

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08:00 GMT

MESSAGE FROM DONA :

They told me it would be a difficult Doldrums and recounted incredible stories of boats stranded there for days without wind. Well, in the end it wasn’t that bad because we always had some wind.

We were finally on the road leading to the 'South', to the famous Roaring Forties, which mark the beginning of our loop towards Antarctica. But it was too early to celebrate.

Loïck (Le Mignon) had actually warned me that it’s a long road and fraught with pitfalls. He knows what he’s talking about. He alone has been here about 15 times.

So, we’ve been sailing for over 20 hours in an oscillating breeze of 4-6 knots. The 23 tons of Spindrift 2 has been crawling along since yesterday like a stubborn giant. The storm front that’s over 1,000 nautical miles wide, is blocking our way.

This morning at dawn, we thought we’d got out of it because a consistent wind of 8-10 knots woke us up and got the whole crew excited. But unfortunately it didn’t last. Jean-Yves (Bernot, the router) sent us an email. He is optimistic, the exit is not too far away.

Slowly along Brazil

Start of day 8 at 04 :00 GMT
15 42.04 S et 31 34 14 W
Area: South of Salvador de Bahia
98 miles ahead of the record holder, Banque Populaire V
Distance covered from the start: 4 350 miles
Distance traveled over 24 hours: 304.5 miles
Speed over 24 hours: 12.7 knots
Sail : Mainsail, gennaker






Spindrift 2 Website

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The Smaller Of THe Giant Maxi Trimarans


Tracker


After a complicated night during which IDEC SPORT found her self becalmed, as we feared in light airs, the wind has finally arrived in the area. The lead over the record pace has disappeared, but the main thing is the big, red trimaran is sailing south at high speed again: 30 knots this afternoon (Sunday).

It’s a well known fact that at sea everything changes very quickly. That has been the case today and everything is moving in the right direction for Francis Joyon’s men tackling the Jules Verne Trophy. After a “hellish” night, as Francis Joyon referred to it, ”with continual manoeuvres to try to find the wind, fighting hard to advance at three knots,” things have changed this afternoon. Beyond the ridge of clouds that they could see this morning at 1000hrs, the new wind blowing at 15-20 knots has been happily welcomed by the men on IDEC SPORT.

Happy birthday Bernard

Are we exaggerating, when we say happily? No. During the radio session, Bernard Stamm, who celebrated his 52nd birthday today (“Is that so, I thought I was 42, are you sure?”) explained that a nice present would be a 15-knot wind “and in the right direction. That would be really great.” He got his present. An hour later, we received this message from the boat: “Thanks very much for the fabulous present. Making 23 knots headway on our route. Wonderful! See you, Bernard.”… This afternoon, the icing on the cake for the most Breton Swiss sailor: the wind was not only blowing, but had increased. IDEC SPORT is now making thirty knots off the coast of South America. News that really cheers us up!

It is true that the lead over the record time has completely vanished over the past fifteen hours of light winds and calms. The big, red trimaran is now slightly behind the record pace (a handful of miles). That is only normal, as at this point, Banque Populaire V was racing at record pace in the South Atlantic at 32 knots or more. “We knew before setting out from Brest that the South Atlantic would be complicated,” commented Marcel Van Triest, IDEC SPORT’s router. The next important moment will be seeing whether IDEC SPORT is behind or ahead of the pace at the longitude of the Cape of Good Hope, some 3000 miles away.

The adventure has only just begun

The adventure has only just begun and the six sailors on IDEC SPORT are far from finished. Everyone knows that it is not here in the trip down the South Atlantic that there are gains to be made. They can above all lose ground here, but it is in the Indian and Pacific, and in the climb back up the Atlantic (North and South) that they can hope to overtake the record-holder. For the moment, they should be pleased they are out of this trap and that the boat is moving well again. That is indeed what the men on IDEC SPORT are managing to do this afternoon on their dash south. In the information from 1345hrs, the speedo was indicating 29.4 knots. Happy birthday, Bernard!



Universal Tracker

[Big Brass Balls]

Looks like they slipped behind Banque Populaire's reference

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Harnessing THe South Atantic

Last night, IDEC SPORT began to tackle the powerful area of low pressure developing off Argentina, which is is sweeping across the South Atlantic towards South Africa. The big trimaran, expertly sailed by Joyon and his troops, is managing to keep up with the forces of nature in this disturbed air stream accelerating across the Atlantic.

In spite of the forecasts and routing predictions, IDEC SPORT has kept ahead of the front, and is advancing on seas that haven’t yet been whipped up by the strong westerlies. Francis, Gwéno, Alex, Clément, Bernard and Boris are hanging on to the Good Hope Express. When they gybe, once the front has caught them, they will dive right down into the gloomy waters located between the Roaring Forties and Furious Fifties.





“We had the bit between our teeth all night trying to keep ahead of the front.” Francis Joyon could not hide his astonishment this morning, nor his pleasure at seeing how well the IDEC SPORT maxi trimaran was performing. “The routing showed that we would be caught by the front, but we managed to stay ahead of it on fairly smooth seas with a decent wind.” Getting some sort of revenge after the cruelty shown by the South Atlantic over the past few days, the whole crew did its utmost during the night and at the start of this tenth day of racing in this battle against the elements. “Bernard (Stamm) is at the helm,” said Francis. “He has just eased the car. It’s the first time I’ve seen that happen. He hates doing that.” Clément Surtel, pleased to be experiencing what life is like on the inside aboard the boat that he has spent a long time preparing, added, “Bernard is the best helmsman on board. He has an incredible feeling at the helm.” Each of the sailors on IDEC SPORT waits impatiently for that moment of grace, when they take the helm of the giant for 90 minutes, with speed and excitement guaranteed. “41.3! 43.1 knots on the speedo!” Francis told us. “We’re moving quickly and it’s a bit hairy!” While the temperatures remain relatively clement, they are set to plunge as they dive south. “We’re in our wet weather gear and we’re getting a taste of life in the Southern Ocean. It will soon be getting cold. It’s strange going from the cold weather in Brittany to the tropical heat and now the cold of the deep south.” Having sailed 5700 nautical miles out on the water averaging 25.6 knots, IDEC SPORT is about to enter the wide open spaces of the Southern Ocean. The difference between their position and that of the record set 4 years ago by Loïck Peyron and his crew of 13 on the maxi trimaran, Banque Populaire V is still at around 300 miles in favour of the record-holder or around 13 hours of sailing. However, this is not worrying the crew on IDEC SPORT: “Loïck made it to the Cape of Good Hope with an exceptional time (Ushant to the Cape in 11 days 21 hours and 48 minutes) and we never thought we’d better that time. We’d told ourselves from the start that being a day behind at the Cape of Good Hope wasn’t too much of a problem.”

The boat offering 110% of her potential



Tracker

IDEC SPORT, averaging more than 33 knots this morning, is showing she is certainly capable of closing that gap, thanks to the talent of her helmsmen, and the configuration of the rig and sails, which are perfectly suited to the conditions of the Southern Ocean, as Clément Surtel explained, “The boat is offering 110% of her potential. IDEC SPORT is set up perfectly with the small mast. There is less windage at the top.” So it is clear that now is the time for speed on IDEC SPORT, and they are doing their best to remain in this air stream moving towards South Africa for as long as possible. “We’ll be trying to remain ahead of the front for as long as we can,” explained Francis. “As soon as we are caught, we’ll gybe to dive down to the Forties to around 45 degrees south.” The whole crew is making the most of these excellent conditions, offering good speed, as Clément Surtel stressed, “The boat is really giving us pleasure and is very stable. Today, it’s a bit harder to get any rest because of the speed. It feels great at the helm. We shall be sailing quickly with the front for as long as possible. We’re getting ready to enter the Southern Ocean with the long swell and albatrosses. We’re making the most of it and enjoying ourselves.”

When he prepared Groupama 3, which is now Idec Sport, Clément Surtel was a member of Franck Cammas’s crew during the winning Jules Verne Trophy attempt in 2009-2010. He naturally had a thought for his friend, Frankie, who was seriously injured in a training accident yesterday.

While the men on IDEC SPORT were able to enjoy the weather on Sunday afternoon, as Francis Joyon told us yesterday morning looking back at sailing at high speed under big gennaker during the night, Monday was a rather sad affair with low speeds, and lots of gybes to get back on track. The key factor was avoiding getting lured into the area of calms associated with the High. This sort of progress is bound not to be very positive in terms of the record, and that is confirmed if we look at the results of the past 24 hours, as they have clocked up a mere 400 miles , while 4 years ago, the Defender, Banque Populaire V sailed almost 700. The deficit, although anticipated by the men on board has now reached practically 300 miles.

The good news during the night is however important. The IDEC SPORT maxi trimaran has finally made it to the series of low pressure areas moving off the coast of Argentina. Joyon and his troops have been sailing for the past few hours in a strong westerly air stream, enabling them to advance at more than 33 knots towards South Africa. This means that the situation is undergoing a major upheaval. IDEC SPORT is expected to stay in this wind for some time in order to make headway south and slide under the St Helena High, which is dominating the weather to the south of the continent of Africa, forcing Joyon, Gahinet, Pella, Surtel, Hermann and Stamm to enter the dark zone between 40 and 50 degrees south. It looks like being a lively time on this tenth day of the Jules Verne Trophy with very high speeds from the boat and subtle routing choices from the men.

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Spindrift 2: Release!

The tension is mounting The tension is mounting on the Jules Verne Trophy where Spindrift 2 is still on record pace and is even starting to accelerate after ten days of racing. On the virtual side, it is tight, everyone is trying to catch the cold front to get round the St Helena High more easily. The famous anticyclone is once again a huge hurdle, but on the approach to 40º South, the first to the depression could quickly open up a nice gap.

Made it! Spindrift 2 caught the front. It was late yesterday afternoon. (photo Erwan Israël, Loic Le Mignon). That’s good news for Spindrift 2’s crew, who had stowed their shorts and sunglasses and got the thermals and oilies back out again. The transition was quick. There was just enough time, for some of them, to take a last seawater shower on deck for...a good three weeks? The next one will probably be in the same area, after they have toured Antarctica.

That said, conditions remain very tolerable, and favorable for speed. Flying downwind on a flat sea, at least that’s what feels like on a boat this size. So, Spindrift 2 is lengthening its stride, making between 30 and 35 knots relatively comfortably, as the maxi-trimaran rides the head of this rainy front. The challenge will be to stay there for the next three or four days. Meanwhile, the crew are readjusting to the high speeds, and also to the grey skies and wet conditions.





Tracking

Tuesday December 1st:

25-30 knots north-west winds, 30-35 knots this evening. Overcast with transient mist. Spindrift 2 is riding the front, hoping to maintain average speeds of 30-35 knots until Thursday, heading east-southeast.

Wednesday, December 2nd:
Similar conditions. Wind veering slightly north should allow a change of route towards the south while maintaining the same pace.

Thursday, December 3rd:
Critical day. Cold front will stay in the South Atlantic, so a new ride will be needed to reach the Indian Ocean. Enter the Roaring Forties in the evening. Things get (even more) serious.

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Indian Ocean Approach



JULES VERNE TROPHY
December 3rd, 2015

Expected to cross the latitude of the Cape of Good Hope on Saturday at breakfast time with just a short distance after that to pass Cape Agulhas at the southernmost tip of Africa, IDEC SPORT will bring the first Atlantic stage of the round the world voyage to an end, as they will be moving onto adventures in the Indian Ocean. Francis Joyon and his crew of five won’t be grabbing any records at this point, as the route taken by Banque Populaire V in the South Atlantic in early December 2011 was very fast. Forced by the movement of the areas of low pressure developing off Argentina to dive straight down to the far south, IDEC SPORT is having to sail more miles to get to the latitude of the Cape and is therefore not focusing on this intermediate time. It’s starting to get cold for Joyon, Pella, Stamm, Surtel, Gahinet and Herrmann, who are wrapping themselves for up cold wintery conditions.



An unheard of luxury

“Alex saw some seals. We didn’t believe him, but then Clément saw them too.” There’s no doubt about it. They are in the deep south. The huge open wilderness stretching out around Antarctica, changing its name according to the longitude, Atlantic, Indian or Pacific. IDEC SPORT is diving into these waters with the trepidation you would expect from such a great adventure. Those, who are used to this world, Francis with his three voyages there, Bernard Stamm and the Vendée Globe and other round the world races, Alex Pella and his Barcelona World Race will be rediscovering that special light, horizon and those seas. They will also find their reflexes, remaining attentive to the condition of the boat and the comfort of their fellow crewmen. Personal comfort is something that Francis Joyon is discovering with this maxi-trimaran. Used to solo sailing, he never thought about heating and rest, preferring to focus on the performance of his previous IDEC trimarans. “We’ve got our gloves, hats and foulies out,” he explained. “The fact that we’re with a crew means we can have dry clothes by taking it in turns getting wet. Sailing alone, I was always outside at the helm or busy with the sheets. For the first time, we have fitted a heater to dry out the area, where the wet weather gear is stored. I’m not used to the luxury of dry, warm clothes when I go out on watch. It’s also useful in stopping the damp getting to the electronics on board the boat.”

Around the islands

On their dive south yesterday, they passed close to the final land the maxi-trimaran will likely encounter before Crozet or the Kerguelens. All of the crew felt it was like dream seeing these islands, “where men die crazy, but happy,” as the French writer, Albert Camus wrote. Gwénolé Gahinet would have loved to have climbed to the top of one of these old volcanoes. Francis smiled, “We have been around the uninhabited islands, the aptly-named Inaccessible Island and Nightingale. We passed Gough, where we saw lots of sea birds, as well as our first white albatrosses, which glided around the bows of the boat.”

Reaching the latitude of the Cape of Good Hope on Saturday morning

On 4th December 2011, Loick Peyron and his crew of thirteen set an incredible reference time between Ushant and the Cape of Good Hope aboard the Banque Populaire V maxi trimaran, completing this stretch in 11 days, 21 hours and 48 minutes. IDEC SPORT is expected to be just under 24 hours behind at the same point. This matches the estimated time they set themselves after discussions with the router Marcel van Triest at the start in Brest. Joyon and his men showed in the North Atlantic their ability to threaten their 40m virtual rival, Banque Populaire V, by improving on the time from Ushant to the Equator by almost 14 hours. For the time being, the crew is focusing on how to deal with another area of low pressure coming towards them from behind. The dive down to the Furious Fifties is continuing at an ever-increasing pace for the six men lining up to sail straight across the Indian Ocean as efficiently as possible.





Tracker

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Dead Heat



Tracker


December 3rd 2015 :

The boat and her crew worked really hard overnight to remain ahead of the fast-moving front: 30-knot NNW wind in a band of several miles east of the front, which we have been watching like a hawk.
As a result, we can be a little more relaxed about passing below the anticyclone which will fill up to the south of Africa tonight and throughout Friday, even if we still have to be careful.

What lies ahead looks a little chilly: lively westerlies from the Indian Ocean are only detectible south of 51 S and we’ll have to go after them.
That’s why we’ve been in close discussions with people from the CLS*, who track icebergs with satellite radar images. How far south will we dare to go?
Secondary lows and other pleasures descending from Madagascar can wait until next week. The Indian Ocean is in great shape.

9:30 GMT

MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD - Well set at the head of the front

In the race between Spindrift 2 and the famous front with which it has been surfing for more than 48 hours, the weather files were saying Spindrift 2 was losing. The skipper and his navigator had a plan B, and began to seriously consider it when, last night, we found ourselves in a strengthening and heading wind. The sky darkened, a squall line appeared on the horizon, and the temperature suddenly dropped. The line of convergence was there, just behind the boat. Behind this line, there was some cold wind on a different angle, which would have condemned Spindrift 2 to gybe.

But conversely, this saving header wind allowed us to dive south and accelerate. The race is on. The helmsmen are taking turns and stringing together astonishing averages. 39, 40, and up to 41kts of average speed over 10 minutes. After two to three hours of furious racing, we seem to have won the game. The speed of the front slowed and it is now behind Spindrift 2, and will remain there, for the next few hours. So, Yann Guichard decided to calm things down. The J1 gave way to the J2, and the speed has stabilised at around 35 knots. The distance posted over the last 24 hours is 816 miles.

Start of day 12 at 06:30 GMT 42 18.4 S et 6 10.53 E 8 miles ahead of the record holder, Banque Populaire V Distance covered from the start: 7 281 miles Distance traveled over 24 hours: 816 miles Speed over 24 hours: 34 knots Sail : 1 reef, solent - See more at: http://www.spindrift-racing.com/jule....elMhPgk0.dpuf

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Into The Icebergs


JULES VERNE TROPHY
December 4th, 2015

After being caught yesterday morning by the low-pressure system, which enabled them to get into the Southern Ocean at high speed, the IDEC SPORT maxi trimaran had to gybe, when the front went over and entered a patch of light winds offering low speeds, while they await stronger winds coming down from the north. Francis Joyon and his crew of five are diving down into the wilderness of the Southern Ocean attempting to slide under the South African high, accompanied by a ridge of high pressure, which is also moving eastwards.
It looks like another sluggish day for Joyon and his troops, who are doing their utmost to make the most of the fifteen knots or so of wind in this area. They have crossed the latitude of 45 degrees south, but Francis aims to go even further down to around 51 or 52 degrees to get around an area of low pressure developing around Madagascar. IDEC SPORT is sailing down with the ice, with the risk of encountering icebergs and growlers. The atmosphere on board the boat is changing with the need to take this parameter into account.





At the Cape of Good Hope tomorrow

“The ridge of high pressure is moving along with us and so we are being slowed down.” With his legendary calm, Francis Joyon is accepting this punishment from the elements. “We weren’t able to stay ahead of the front, which could have taken us all the way to the Cape of Good Hope. This low is moving eastwards at more than 35 knots and overtook us. The lads kept hard at it, but we had to gybe behind the front. Since then, we have had to suffer light winds and our speed has dropped right off.” At just over twenty knots heading towards the south-east, the big, red trimaran is not hanging around, but is between 350 and 380 miles off the record pace for the Jules Verne Trophy. Joyon and his crew of five are therefore only likely to enter the Indian Ocean after passing the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Agulhas on Saturday morning.

Radar watching for icebergs

Two worries are currently occupying the minds of the men on board. How will they deal with the Indian Ocean, which after the South Atlantic appears to like to complicate matters on this record route, forcing IDEC SPORT to go a long way south to get around the low developing around Madagascar. And then, there is the presence of the ice. “It would be the end of the record attempt, if we attempted to go through this low,” explained Marcel van Triest. “Rounding it via the north would extend the voyage and we wouldn’t be certain of gaining any time. So, we have to go underneath it and play around in the ice zone.”
Ice is the word on everyone’s lips. The whole crew mentions it in their discussions, but also talk about it with Marcel van Triest, who regularly receives satellite photos and observations to keep up to date allowing him to pinpoint the icebergs, which have broken off from the Antarctic. They have to keep an eye out for growlers though, as these blocks of ice are just under the surface and cannot be seen on the satellite photos. They can be extremely dangerous for any boat advancing at high speed. “The radar is on all the time,” added Francis, “and we’re watching the drop in the temperature of the water around us, which is currently around five degrees, while peering at what lies ahead of us.” This task has been all the more complicated today because of the persistent mist, which has considerably reduced the visibility.

Mist, light winds, icy waters….

The Jules Verne Trophy is certainly living up to its reputation as an adventure on this 13th day of racing. Francis Joyon, Alex Pella, Clément Surtel, Bernard Stamm, Gwénolé Gahinet and Boris Herrmann wish to remain focused on getting the boat moving, while keenly looking ahead to entering the Indian Ocean. “There’s a great atmosphere on board,” declared Boris Herrmann. “Bernard Stamm has done a great job with the supplies. He has wisely prepared everything so we get more calories as we get into the Southern Ocean and the colder climes. We’re eating well and sleeping better than in the Tropics. We chat a lot and the boat is magical.” The only thing that is missing for the moment is crossing the longitude of the Cape of Good Hope, not because of the time, but quite simply because Boris will pass around his little flask of whisky that he plans to open at each of the major capes, Good Hope, Leeuwin and the Horn…




Tracker

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Friday, December 04, 2015 Rounding The First Cape in the Furious Fifties




The trimaran skippered by Yann Guichard crossed the longitude of the Cape of Good Hope, the first of the three great capes of this round-the-world voyage, last night at 02:06 GMT and Cape Agulhas, the symbolic entry into the Indian Ocean at 04:04 GMT. Spindrift 2 has taken 12 days and 02 minutes to descend the Atlantic from north to south since leaving Ushant on November 22 (average speed 27.64 kts). The difference to the record time on the Ushant–Cape Agulhas section, set four years ago by their predecessor and the Jules Verne Trophy holder, was 12 minutes and 44 seconds.




Spindrift 2 now has to negotiate the Indian Ocean, an ocean renowned as the toughest, most extreme and the most dangerous, although it is the shortest section of this round-the-world voyage (at approximately 5,000 miles). It is an ocean that will begin calmly for Dona Bertarelli, Yann Guichard and their 12 crewmates, because an anticyclone has crept under the south of Africa. This area of high pressure, with moderate north-westerly winds, will temporarily slow the progress of the black and gold trimaran, however, it should find the averages of above 30 knots again with the strengthening breeze off the Marion and Prince Edward Islands.




A tied first quarter
From a lead of more than half a day when crossing the equator in a record time for the Jules Verne Trophy, Spindrift 2 has lost almost all its advantage in descending the South Atlantic, because of a storm front off Brazil. But for the last three days, Yann Guichard and his crew have been driving hard (700, 800 and 820 miles a day) at the head of a warm front, and crossed the virtual trajectory of Banque Populaire V on Thursday at 1500hrs (GMT) by a margin of about thirty miles. Already at 47° South, Spindrift 2 is expected to continue on this east-south-east trajectory for a few hours before settling at around 52° South and pointing at the Kerguelen Islands, the halfway point on the road towards the next cape, Cape Leeuwin, about six days away.

But this Indian Ocean crossing looks complicated, with two weather variables to negotiate: the presence of icebergs and drift ice off the coast of the Kerguelen archipelago and the arrival of a tropical depression descending quickly from Madagascar. They will need to constantly take the safest path to avoid the growlers (blocks of ice weighing several tonnes), and to position themselves ahead of the violent disturbance that will “cross the road” just after the Kerguelen Islands.




Yann Guichard (contacted by phone shortly before entering the Indian Ocean):
“It's got a little bit cold because we're in the process of going down south, but everything’s good on Spindrift 2. For the last three days, we’ve been at the head of a depression, which left Argentina with a strong wind: it's a bit like as if we were surfing on one wave. But we couldn’t fall off because then we would’ve missed the train to the Cape of Good Hope and lost at least a day on the record time set in 2011. Yesterday (Thursday), we covered almost 1,500 kilometres in 24 hours (827 miles between 02/12 and 03/12 at 1300hrs GMT, better than Banque Populaire V, whose best day on this section was 812 miles): it was quite wild, but tonight, it’s calmed down a bit. We’re still descending in latitude in order to look for another weather system.”

“We’re already at 46° South and the water is no more than 6° C. And in a few hours, it will be 2-3° C. The next 24-48 are pretty important from a strategic point of view because there are quite a few icebergs in our path and we’re still going down to 52° South. We have satellite images that allow us to detect them, but we only see the big ice floes that are over a hundred metres long. This means that there are growlers around (blocks of several tens of metres in diameter, or even less). So, when we detect a big iceberg, we’ll give ourselves a safe margin so as not to cross these dangerous areas.”

“These next five days will not be easy with the cold (2-3° C), moderate wind, and a continuous vigil for fear of icebergs. We do have infrared goggles that allow us to see the ice from a few hundred metres away, but still, we’re going at nearly 60kmh (37mph).”

“Banque Populaire V (the holder of the Jules Verne Trophy) was very fast in the Indian Ocean, but even if we are a bit behind south of Australia, we know we can catch up, virtually, because they lost nearly two days in the Pacific. We should pass the Cape of Good Hope almost at the same time as the record holders, after about twelve days at sea: Spindrift 2 is still an exceptional machine to do the Atlantic in so short a time."


Tracker



Times of Spindrift 2, Yann Guichard:
Start, Ushant: Sunday, November 22, 2015 at 04:01:58secs GMT
Passage to the longitude of Cape of Good Hope: Friday, December 4, 02:06 GMT
Ushant – Cape of Good Hope: 11 days 22 hours 04 minutes
Delta with Banque Populaire V: 16 minutes 14 seconds behind
Passage to the longitude of Cape Agulhas: Friday, December 4, 04:04 GMT
Ushant – Cape Agulhas: 12 days 00 hours 02 minutes
Delta with Banque Populaire V (WSSRC Record): 12 minutes 44 seconds behind

Times of Banque Populaire V, Loïck Peyron:
Start, Ushant: Tuesday, November 22, 2011 at 08:31 GMT
Passage to the longitude of Cape of Good Hope: Sunday, December 4, 06:20 GMT
Ushant – Cape of Good Hope: 11 days 21 hours 48 minutes
Passage to the longitude of Cape Agulhas: Sunday, December 4, 08:21 GMT
WSSRC Record Ushant – Cape Agulhas in 11 days 23 hours 50 minutes



THE JULES VERNE TROPHY:

Start and finish: a line between Créac’h lighthouse (Ushant island) and Lizard Point (England)
Course: non-stop around-the-world tour travelling without outside assistance via the three capes (Good Hope, Leeuwin and Horn)
Minimum distance: 21,600 nautical miles (40,000 kilometres)
Ratification: World Sailing Speed Record Council, www.sailspeedrecords.com
Time to beat: 45 days, 13 hours, 42 minutes and 53 seconds
Average speed: 19.75 knots
Date of current record: January 2012
Holder: Banque Populaire V, Loïck Peyron and a 13-man crew
Stand-by start date for Spindrift 2: October 19th, 2015

SPINDRIFT 2 CREW:

Yann Guichard, skipper
Dona Bertarelli, helmsman-trimmer
Sébastien Audigane, helmsman-trimmer
Antoine Carraz, helmsman-trimmer
Thierry Duprey du Vorsent, helmsman-trimmer
Christophe Espagnon, helmsman-bowman
Jacques Guichard, helmsman-trimmer
Erwan Israël, navigator
Loïc Le Mignon, helmsman-trimmer
Sébastien Marsset, bowman
François Morvan, helmsman-trimmer
Xavier Revil, helmsman-trimmer
Yann Riou, onboard reporter
Thomas Rouxel, helmsman-bowman
Jean-Yves Bernot, onshore router

Photos © Eloi Stichelbaut - Spindrift racing and Yann Riou - Spindrift racing

[Prince of Whales]

If Spindrift2 breaks her own record, does that mean as much as a different boat breaking it?

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IDEC Sport Dec 6: Ice Abounds



6 December 2015

On this fifteenth day of racing in this attempt to smash the Jules Verne Trophy record, as has been the case since the start from Brest on 22nd November, the crew of the IDEC SPORT maxi trimaran remains upbeat and fully motivated. After sailing 8500 miles out on the water at an average of 25 knots, the boat is nevertheless 785 miles behind the record pace this lunchtime, or in other words around a day’s sailing for such a highly technical multihull. Francis Joyon and his crew of five, Gwénolé Gahinet, Alex Pella, Boris Herrmann, Clément Surtel and Bernard Stamm are enjoying the experience, while looking ahead eastwards to Cape Leeuwin and the promise of stronger winds blowing in the right direction, which should allow them to get back to the level of performance they achieved in the North Atlantic, when IDEC SPORT, in spite of her smaller crew and inferior length, managed to do better than the holder of the Jules Verne Trophy.

Ice on the deck

There is ice in the water and on the boat. That was the great surprise at the first light of day at the start of this fifteenth day of racing; a frozen, slippery deck, with chunks of ice falling from the rigging to the deck. At latitude 52 degrees south, IDEC SPORT is sailing in the icy wilderness, which quite naturally leads even the most hardened sailor to feel apprehensive. Francis Joyon could see the rapid drop in the temperature of the water, “3 degrees, 2.5… 1.5… !” These numbers do not merely mean that it is bitterly cold for the men on watch and the helmsman in particular, but confirm that this environment favours the presence of ice. They have to remain vigilant and observe what is going on in the waters around them. The helmsman on IDEC SPORT is therefore joined by a second sailor, who watches what is happening and studies the ice charts on a laptop. “We have reduced the time spent at the helm,” explained Alex Pella. “After one hour, the bitter cold attacks your hands and face, and so it is a wise measure to change over who is at the helm.”




Tracker

Latitude 54 degrees south

The fog, which has been a permanent feature for the past 48 hours in this transition zone with its light winds, lifted for a moment this morning to allow a few rays of sunshine through onto these uniformly grey and quiet seas. “The boat is sailing smoothly,” added Pella. “The sea is slight, and the boat cuts her way through the water without any problem. We would like to see more than the 18 knots of wind we currently have. But that will be for later.” The low-pressure area, which is moving sluggishly behind IDEC SPORT will in the end catch up and overtake the boat, so Joyon and his troops hope to pick up speed again shortly. “We are going to have to continue to dive towards the south,” explained Francis. “We’re probably going to have to go down to 54 degrees south. We shall sail a long way south of the Kerguelens, but close to Heard Island, which I hope we will go to the north of.” This will be another opportunity for the six men aboard the multihull to see one of those rare, mysterious islands in the Southern Ocean with its wealth of marine life. “We haven’t really seen many albatrosses since we got down here,” explained Francis. “Guéno and I saw one. On the other hand, there are lots of petrels, which watch us go by, a bit like cows watch passing trains.”

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Spindrift 2: Day 15 Report



08:05 GMT

MESSAGE FROM DONA BERTARELLI

For 36 hours we have been sailing in an ice zone. Satellites can only detect the presence of icebergs that are at least 100 metres long. For safety reasons, Yann has decided to keep 50 nautical miles away from any ice in our way; the largest detected so far is 400m. He has also set up a watch system, day and night, where we take it in turns to spot growlers, the blocks of ice that are smaller than an iceberg but still many tonnes, drifting on the surface of the water. There’s daylight at 1am, so, the binoculars replace the infrared glasses. The atmosphere on board is studious and focused.

The sea is grey, milky, like a high mountain lake. It is cold, inside and out, but Thierry warns me, this is nothing still. In a few hours, the wind is going to strengthen, this time from the south, straight from the polar ice, and we will feel the full power of the Southern Ocean.

I never take my gloves or my woolly hat off. Even to sleep. Everyday tasks like washing a pan or the dishes remind us that the water is 3 degrees. It’s impossible to brush your teeth without fearing for your enamel. You have to warm the water up.

The birds have become more numerous and seem to be heralding the approach of the Kerguelen islands. Our route will take us very close to there perhaps. We’ve been at sea two weeks now and to see a bit of land, would be very welcome.



07:35 GMT

Slowdown and area icebergs Kerguelen approach

Start of day 15 at 07:00 GMT
51 06.38 S and 48 13.44 E
246 miles behing the record holder, Banque Populaire V
Distance covered from the start: 9 310 miles
Distance traveled over 24 hours: 390,5 miles
Speed over 24 hours: 16,3 knots
Sail : mainsail, large gennaker

Tracker

[Photoboy]

IDEC SPORT has regained 200 miles in 24 hours. The Furious Fifties are pushing the big, red trimaran at high speed across the Indian Ocean. But they need to watch out for icebergs. Yesterday, Francis Joyon’s crew came within a mile of one of these ice monsters, as big as a cargo ship…

Tracker





©IDEC Sport/Paul Bessereau


They are now enjoying the Southern Ocean. “Yesterday we were engulfed in the mist and came to within a mile of an iceberg, which cooled down our excitement.” Cooled down may not be the ideal word to use here, as the temperature is already icy enough at 52 degrees south in the heart of the Indian Ocean. Francis Joyon, Bernard Stamm, Alex Pella, Clément Surtel, Gwénolé Gahinet and Boris Herrmann experienced the scary appearance of ice late yesterday afternoon. “We couldn’t see anything beyond 30 metres or so (a boat length – editor’s note )” explained Francis Joyon. “We spotted it on the radar, but we couldn’t see anything through the mist even with binoculars. We passed within a mile of this huge iceberg without seeing it. According to the size on the radar, it was about 150m long or the length of a cargo vessel…”



A 150m long iceberg

Once they had got over this scare, the good news was the arrival of stronger downwind conditions. During the night, they moved to a course forty miles or so south, and this paid off. When they tacked back to the east after this short dive, IDEC SPORT was back at speeds above 30 knots. “I’m looking at the wind instruments and we have 30-31 knots of real wind gusting to 37-38 at times. As a consequence the boat is sailing nicely and we’re constantly above thirty knots with peaks in excess of 35. We’re pleased. We knew that by diving south we would find a little more wind. We’re already a long way down, but our route across the Indian takes us a long way south. We may well go down to 54 degrees south.”

Stamm on a video: “we’re doing 39 knots”

You read that right. 54 degrees south is a long way down. The Furious Fifties require them to keep a permanent watch. “We change over every half hour at the helm now,” added Francis. The six men on IDEC SPORT are fighting to keep their hands and faces from freezing. “Fortunately inside the boat, we have a little heater, which allows us to dry our clothes and give us a few extra degrees. It’s 11 degrees inside at the moment.”
In a video sent back this lunchtime, we can see Bernard Stamm, with his helmet, and gloves on, all wrapped up in his watch jacket as he steers the big, red trimaran: “We’re doing 39 knots and lining up with the wind behind us. We have to be careful as potentially, there is ice ahead of us.” In these southern latitudes, IDEC SPORT is speeding towards the Kerguelens. This is a wet, icy, hostile environment… but at least they are clocking up the miles more quickly again now.

200 miles regained in 24 hours

As proof of that, IDEC SPORT has regained almost 200 miles from the record pace in the past 24 hours. The difference has gone from 800 miles at the same time yesterday too 600 this afternoon. A quarter of their losses regained in just 24 hours! We can see now why the crew wasn’t going crazy and why the atmosphere remains upbeat on board the boat. At these high speeds, everything can change very quickly and IDEC SPORT is expected to cover more than 700 miles today. “That really cheers us all up,” admitted Francis Joyon, before explaining that the next key moment would be dealing with the tropical Low forming to the south of Madagascar. As always, they have to plan ahead. “I think we will have to come to a decision some time tomorrow evening,” said the skipper of IDEC SPORT sailing full steam ahead. At high speeds in the icy climes of the Indian Ocean, which is finally being cooperative.

[Photoboy]

Spindrift 2: December 8 Update, Minor Foil Damage



Minor damage to Spindrift 2’s port foil

Yesterday, (Monday, December 7), in the late afternoon, the port foil* of the trimaran, Spindrift 2, was damaged in a collision with an unidentified floating object to the north of the Kerguelen Islands. The 'winglet' broke in the collision. The crew immediately carried out a thorough diagnosis, especially inside the float, where a small leak in the foil shaft was sealed by the composite specialists on board, as soon as conditions allowed. It is still too early to say how much Spindrift 2’s performance has been affected. The round-the-world record attempt is not in jeopardy.

* Foil: a 4.5-metre long crescent-shaped piece of carbon, which runs through each of the trimaran floats, on both the starboard and port sides. These foils, once submerged, enable the boat to lift gently and then accelerate. The 'winglet' is added to the end of foil to improve efficiency and performance.





15:30 GMT

MESSAGE FROM DONA

“Land ahoy!” I can just picture the excitement of the navigators of yesteryear when, after weeks at sea, they spot a shadow in the distance that looks very different to the oh-so-common shadows of low grey clouds.

The Kerguelen Islands are in sight, just 27 nautical miles away. We, too, shouted “Land ahoy!” Thanks to our instruments and radars, we already knew the islands were there, so near, yet hidden by the low clouds. But then the heavens heard our prayers and the clouds split asunder, offering a brief glimpse of the 1,000 metre high volcanic island under splendid blue, sunny skies.

There was a strange sense of emotion for me at that moment. Part of me wanted to land and discover the new island, as the first explorers would have.

Yet this is but a fly-by for us, and a long road still lies ahead. Night will fall in around an hour. As for this lonely island, 3 500 km away from the nearest inhabited land, she disappeared just as fast as she came into sight.

06:35 GMT

Back in the forties

Day 17 à 6h00 GMT
Position : 50.21.94’ S et 78.09.67 E
265 milers behind the record holder Banque Populaire V
Distance covered from the start: 10 689 miles
Distance traveled over 24 hours: 547,4 miles
Speed over 24 hours: 22,8 knots
Sails: Mainsail et Gennaker medium
Sea temperature: 3° C
Wind West-North West: 23,5 knts
Wave: 3,5 mètres








Tracker

[Panama Red]

Maybe Joyon CAN pull this thing off!