Category: Franck Cammas

At the 18:00 UTC position report this Monday, the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild had covered 1,313 miles over the ground since leaving Ushant on Sunday at 01:33 UTC. Posting an average speed over this distance of 32.7 knots, it is a clear indication that the crew of the 32-metre giant is already very much in tune with the fast pace required by a record like the Jules Verne Trophy. After a bracing phase during the passage around Cape Finisterre, where the sailors had to contend with a solid breeze of over 30 knots and chaotic seas, conditions were becoming calmer this Monday afternoon as they skirted the Portuguese archipelago of Madeira. Charles Caudrelier, Franck Cammas and their four crew currently have a 65-mile lead over the record.

Finisterre’s teeth rattling conditions 

As is always the case at sea, it’s all about finding a balance. In an ideal world you would try to gain southing so as not to get your wings burnt flying too close to the ridge of high pressure, but you also need to gain ground to the west so that further down the track you don’t fall under the influence of the wind shadow created by the Canaries and abeam of the Cape Verde archipelago.

A little over 24 hours out from Ushant, the men of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild are rolling out the plan drawn up before the start with their router Marcel van Triest to perfection. Following an express exit from the Bay of Biscay of around ten hours or so, ticked off at an average speed of over 30 knots, the first day at sea in this Jules Verne Trophy was dedicated to threading their way along the length of the Iberian peninsula in a bid to gain as much southing as possible. Strong wind and a gybing sequence seven in total since the passage across the line have punctuated the start to the record. This Monday, in the early hours of the second day of this record attempt, the 32-metre giant and his crew were already positioned to the south of Portugal, abeam of Cape St Vincent, the most south-westerly tip of Europe. At the 06:00 UTC position report, Franck Cammas, Charles Caudrelier and their four crew have a lead of nearly a hundred miles in relation to the record.

On Saturday, during a final weather briefing on shore prior to casting off, Franck Cammas pointed out that the first 24 hours of sailing would likely be bracing, especially as they passed Cape Finisterre, at the north-west tip of Spain. Charles Caudrelier described this passage yesterday and Yann Riou also confirmed last night that the area lived up to its reputation: “We’ve linked together a few gybes since departing Ushant. We had a fairly lively passage of Cape Finisterre, where we got pretty shaken about in a messy sea and a sustained breeze. It’s wasn’t ideal for getting the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild to make rapid headway and she was regularly burying her bows in the waves. In fact, I had my own debut flight inside the boat, fortunately without hurting myself. However, for some hours now, we’ve been slipping along much better because the wind has eased a lot and the sea has become flatter. The speeds are increasing as a result.”

Towards milder latitudes 

After setting sail from Ushant at 01:33 UTC this morning, the crew of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild has already devoured the Bay of Biscay and is rounding the north-west tip of Spain and with it the renowned and dreaded Cape Finisterre this Sunday afternoon. As forecast, the NE’ly breeze has fleshed out throughout the day and is currently dishing up in excess of 30 knots with the sea building. The six sailors of Gitana Team have had to put in a fair few manœuvres to adapt both the sail area and their trajectory. However, these bracing conditions have not prevented Franck Cammas, Charles Caudrelier and their crew from finding their bearings and getting right into the swing of things on this long-distance race opening up ahead of their 32-metre giant.

“We have to be making an average speed of over 30 knots on the descent… things go quickly on these boats. However, our first night proved to be fairly calm after a superb departure from the dock in Lorient yesterday in glorious sunshine with our nearest and dearest. It was windy, but the sea is relatively well organised, which is enabling us to take up our watches and get into our rhythm” , admitted Charles Caudrelier, speaking into the microphone pointed at him by Yann Riou, the boat’s media man.

The course southwards passes around Cape Finisterre, a sector of navigation renowned and dreaded by sailors, as the co-skipper of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild explains: “It’s an area of convergence for all the shipping headed up to northern Europe. There’s a concentration of merchant vessels here as they’re supposed to make the rounding using a narrow shipping lane, which we refer to as a TSS (Traffic Separation Scheme). It’s very busy and when you’re making headway at our kind of speeds, you have to be extremely vigilant so that you don’t get caught out as you cross tacks with another boat. On top of that, there is also a weather phenomenon, which particularly stands out in a NE’ly wind like we’ve got right now. It’s an area that’s well known for its accelerating wind as there’s a very high chain of mountains, which causes the wind to pick up along its length and behind it you can end up in a wind hole that must be avoided at all costs. It’s always a bit of a complicated passage here, where you hit strong wind with messy seas and shipping. With the accompanying manœuvres there’s a lot going on.”

Continuing on her way at high speed, the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild is quickly gaining ground to the south. Charles Caudrelier believed that there would be another 24 boisterous hours, but the forecast is already promising a rapid improvement. This will serve as added motivation for the six sailors, who are all too aware that in the coming hours, temperatures will soar aboard the flying maxi-trimaran, treating the crew to some much milder sailing conditions as they make towards the trade wind of the northern hemisphere.

With clockwork precision, it was at 01 hours 33 minutes and 46 seconds UTC that the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild set sail this Sunday 10 January on a fresh attempt at the Jules Verne Trophy record. In a NE’ly wind of around twenty knots on manageable seas, the six sailors left the island of Ushant abeam of them and bid a final farewell to Le Créac’h, the iconic lighthouse synonymous with this passage across the line. Having left their base in Lorient a few hours beforehand, just before sunset, Franck Cammas, Charles Caudrelier, Morgan Lagravière, David Boileau, Yann Riou and Erwan Israël had to wait a few hours offshore to absolutely nail their departure slot. It was a timing of pinpoint precision skilfully calculated with their onshore weather router Marcel van Triest, the boat’s genuine 7th man, because in a record like the Jules Verne Trophy, every minute counts! Indeed, it must be said that with their reference time of 40 days 23 hours and 30 minutes, Francis Joyon and the crew of Idec Sport set the bar very high. To beat the record and become the 10th crew to etch its name on this monument to offshore racing, the men on the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild should be back offshore of the north-west tip of Brittany prior to 20 February at 00 hours 3 minutes and 15 seconds UTC. In the meantime, the crew has nearly 22,000 nautical miles to cover and a high-speed planetary adventure awaits.

Second attempt and second nocturnal departure

It would seem that moonlit departures are all the rage for the sailors on the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild. On 25 November 2020, for Gitana Team’s first attempt at securing the Jules Verne Trophy, te start line was crossed in the intimacy of a pitch-black night, at 02:26 UTC on the dot.  A month and a half on, history is repeating itself. Under the cover of darkness, at 01 hours 33 minutes and 46 seconds UTC, Franck Cammas, Charles Caudrelier and their four crew once again set the stopwatch in motion for this planetary adventure aboard the first maxi-trimaran designed to fly in the open ocean.  It’s worth noting that in late November, the six men had to interrupt their passage down the North Atlantic following damage to the giant’s port rudder and foil after colliding with a UFO (unidentified floating object). Back in Lorient by early December, they were able to count on the reactivity of the shore crew to make a rapid repair and return to standby before the festive season. Since then, everyone has been awaiting the right weather window and in recent days the eagerness to get back out on the racetrack as quickly as possible has been evident.

A rapid course and some compromises 

“We’ll have a NE’ly breeze of 15-20 knots on the line, with a very manageable sea. However, things will fill out rapidly and the first 24 hours should involve quite a lot of wind and manœuvres, especially around Cape Finisterre, before we can hook up with the trade wind”, explained Franck Cammas briefly. Along the length of the Iberian peninsula, everything will already be about compromise and the crew will have to thread its way along a narrow corridor of breeze to gain southing, whilst ensuring they are neither too close to the coast where the wind could run out of puff, nor too far offshore where they may be subject to heavy seas that do little to benefit speed.  The real difficulty of this start of the Jules Verne Trophy attempt is to try to pinpoint and then get a handle on the highly decisive weather sequence between the north and south so as to get down to the Southern Ocean as quickly as possible. To do this, the Cammas-Caudrelier pairing and their four crew know that they must be precise in their trajectory if they are to keep pace with the tempo set by the weather pattern. According to the latest routing, the passage times for the first third of the course are promising. The equator is accessible within a sub-5-day time and Cape Agulhas could be in their wake in under 12 days.

A whole team in their wake 

Whilst the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild was preparing to cast off to the applause of a public who had come out in force despite the wintry atmosphere reigning on Saturday afternoon, Cyril Dardashti, the director of Gitana Team, made no secret of his delight: “We’re launching off on our second departure this winter and we’re very happy that this window is opening up to enable the crew to get out on the water and show what they’re made of. It’s been a month since the boat was repaired and we’ve been preparing to snap up a favourable opportunity. Taking on the Jules Verne Trophy is one of the main objectives in our programme. Together with Team Verdier, we devised and designed this boat for this type of major record with the goal of experiencing offshore flight. It’s a real pleasure to truly fulfil the brief. The times planned by Marcel van Triest and the routing are good to both the equator and Cape Agulhas, the crew and the boat are ready to go, so it’s safe to say that we couldn’t ask for more! The guys are keen to get going and our owners, the shore crew and all the associates of the Edmond de Rothschild Group are behind them. For the boat to set sail and pit itself against this fabulous record is just what we were all waiting for!”

Sailors’ impressions   

Franck Cammas: “We’re delighted to have this fine window opening ahead of us. It’s our second attempt and we’re approaching it with a great deal more hope than the first. Added to that, the conditions are in our favour for this nocturnal, moonless yet star-studded departure. It’s sure to be chilly, but we’ll very soon hook up with warmer latitudes. Everything’s going to play out very quickly. I hope that we’re going to be successful, even though it’s a lengthy adventure taking shape ahead of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild’s bows. After the start, we have 24 hours with quite a lot of breeze and some manœuvres, especially around Cape Finisterre, before we hook onto the trade wind. It’s really nice to find ourselves in the thick of the action as a crew. Fingers crossed that we’ll make it back to Brest as soon as possible after fully completing our big lap of the planet.”

Charles Caudrelier: “It was a bit of a long wait. At Christmas, when the window closed back up, we were a bit worried. We could have set sail two or three days ago as the North Atlantic was very good, however the South Atlantic remained very average. We’ve tried to combine the two, which isn’t easy as there is still a degree of uncertainty. Again it’s not perfect, but we’re into January and we’ve rarely had such a good window. Our first attempt had the benefit of enabling us to get out sailing together in some boisterous conditions. Today, we’re more than ready and the team has done a fantastic job with great attention to detail. Beyond the performance element, we’ve made gains in reliability and that is essential for beating this record, which will be very hard to achieve. For the past week, our impatience to get going has become ever greater. We’ve been observing, analysing and shifting the departure slot every day. This will be my third crewed round the world following on from two Volvo Ocean Races, but the first one in record mode. It’s a whole new adventure and I’m delighted to get the opportunity to experience it and I realise just how lucky we are to be able to live out our dreams.”

Yann Riou: “On a personal level, I find this is more pleasant than the first departure; the weather’s good, it’s daytime, there’s a big crowd and our nearest and dearest are here so it’s really lovely to be leaving today. That said, it’s still a bit tough to bid farewell to your family when you set off on a round the world. However, I’m very happy to be stepping aboard this magnificent boat once again. I have a dual role in this Jules Verne Trophy as I’m both a sailor and a media man. Start days, like those related to the intermediate passage times for example, are very busy days. After sending off the departure images to enable you to get a real insight into the passage across the line in the middle of the night, I’ll be able to gradually get into my role as crewman and take up my watches! I cannot wait…”

Erwan Israël: “The Jules Verne Trophy may well be the finest sailing record there is and with it comes the opportunity to sail on some extraordinary boats. I know Franck and Charles very well having competed in the Volvo Ocean Race with them nearly ten years ago. To be sailing with them once again, aboard what is a fine machine for breaking this record, is absolutely brilliant!”

The pontoons of Lorient La Base were positively buzzing this afternoon. After a final scan of the weather charts and models, the Gitana Team took the decision this morning to switch to code green and set sail once more on the quest for the Jules Verne Trophy. Despite the wintry weather, there was a generous Breton sunshine this Saturday 9 January and the emotion was palpable, as reflected in the eyes of the six sailors just hours before they launch off on this attempt to secure the legendary round the world record under sail. The crowds were out in force to give them the send-off they deserve. After two months on standby, punctuated by a first attempt which was cut short after the boat collided with a UFO and several potential weather windows that ultimately didn’t play out as the team would have liked, it’s all system go now for the two skippers, Franck Cammas and Charles Caudrelier, and their four crew. Indeed, everyone is raring to go and fully committed to an express circumnavigation of the globe aboard the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, the first giant designed for open ocean flight. The challenge is an extraordinary one, because the bar has been set very high thanks to a reference time to beat of 40 days 23 hours and 30 minutes, which has been held since January 2017 by Francis Joyon and his crew on Idec Sport. It is between 23:00 UTC tonight and 03:00 UTC tomorrow that the men of Gitana Team are set to cross the start line, offshore of Ushant, and set in motion the stopwatch for their sprint around the world.

The art of a departure

After a final weather briefing on shore and via a remote link to Marcel van Triest, router and 7th man, the six sailors from the five-arrow racing stable headed down to the 32-metre trimaran shortly after 14:00 UTC, eager to set sail on the quest for the title of the fastest sailboat around the world. Choosing the day and time of departure in relation to weather forecasts deciphered and analysed with surgical precision is a rather special art, peculiar to the Jules Verne Trophy. With regards this little game, which involves selecting the best launch window, the crew of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild have been impatient to get going, but have learned to put up with the delay. However, the moment has now come and with a clear weather sequence across the whole of the Atlantic, they’re finally in the starting blocks and ready to set sail on this furious race against the clock. “We set off right at the start of standby, but we knew that the situation wasn’t ideal. Since our return, we’ve seen and observed six windows, which ultimately closed. As such, we’re especially happy to be going for it now with a weather configuration which, though still a little uncertain in terms of the low-pressure systems in the southern hemisphere, is providing us with a great opportunity”, explains Franck Cammas.

Less than 12 days to the Southern Ocean

“We set ourselves the goal of making the equator in a sub-5-day time and 11 and a half days to Cape Agulhas, at the gateway to the Indian Ocean. That’s just what we have here, according to the routing at least. The situation isn’t yet completely locked in for the South Atlantic but it’s a good window, perhaps the best we’ve had since the start of our standby”, admits Charles Caudrelier, his far-off gaze already lost to the horizon. “To stand a chance of improving on the time set by Francis Joyon, who benefited from a dream weather sequence to traverse the Indian Ocean and half the Pacific on the leading edge of a low-pressure system with a constant speed of 35-38 knots, we believe we need to have a lead of around two days before we begin navigating our way around the Southern Ocean. For us, exploiting the versatility and speed potential of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild thanks to her foils and appendages could make the difference in the transition phases during the descent and ascent of the Atlantic”, he adds.

“Circumnavigating the globe by adopting the fastest route possible over a free course, with zero constraints on a technical or human level, is quite a feat. In fact, though it may seem simple, it’s actually extremely complex, particularly in terms of strategy”, stresses Franck Cammas, who has already previously bagged this fabulous record and knows that it is increasingly hard to beat. His time came in 2010 when he had nine other crew members alongside him and looped the big loop in under 50 days (48d 7h and 44 mn). Eleven years later, his competitive spirit more honed than ever, he is returning to this planetary journey which, with its concept of exemplary simplicity and purity, ranks among the highest summits in sailing. “The Jules Verne Trophy has changed a great deal as a challenge over the years. Today, it’s all about sailing eight days faster than ten years ago. With the Gitana Team, our timing is right for competing against the clock by taking on the challenge of flying offshore as much as possible so why not secure a historic and legendary sub-40-day time in the process, because it’s a barrier that has to fall one day,” adds this all-rounder, who was recently voted Sailor of the Decade 2010/2020 by the French Sailing Federation (FFV). “It’s a challenge we at Gitana Team have done a lot of preparation for and it’s very exciting. However, it remains very difficult to achieve, so it’s thrilling to be able to have a crack at it.”

On the line in the early hours

It was at 15:00 UTC that Franck Cammas, Charles Caudrelier, Morgan Lagravière, Erwan Israël, Yann Riou and David Boileau, escorted by the members of the team and cheered on by their families and friends, slipped the lines holding the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild to the shore. Aboard the latest of the Gitanas, the six sailors that are a part of this planetary venture, hoisted the sails of the oceanic charger and set a course for the north-west tip of Brittany, which they should be quick to reach. They are due to cross the line offshore of Le Créac’h lighthouse on Ushant between 23:00 UTC this Saturday and 03:00 UTC on Sunday.

The members of the crew share their pre-departure impressions: 

Erwan Israël: “I’m very content. We’ve been waiting a long time to set sail again after our little escapade in November. We had to repair the boat and then the weather for the Jules Verne Trophy is always the same with potential windows which open and close back up. It’s really satisfying to leave, especially given the fact that we have fabulous conditions for heading out to sea. We’re very happy.”

Morgan Lagravière: “We’ve been patiently awaiting this departure. These moments are never easy, but I’m very happy to have this weather opportunity opening ahead of us and giving us a chance to live out our dream and our adventure. In a few hours’ time we’ll leave Ushant, set sail across the ocean and we’re unlikely to see any land again for quite some time. It’s no trivial matter and I’m expecting it to be a remarkable journey. I’m keen to make the most of it and to do what we’ve been training for over a number of months with this record in mind and with the goal of improving on Idec Sport’s time. We’re sure to experience a whole range of  emotional states during the race, with some positive moments and other times that will be more difficult. After the emotion of the start, I’m eagerly awaiting the first hours of sailing and the first watches as we make the switch to race mode and competitor mode. It’s a process which enables you to make the most of every moment whilst pushing the envelope.”

David Boileau: “Right now I feel a sense of release. We had quite a quick initial departure, then a return to the dock followed by around a fortnight of repairs to the boat and in the end a long wait with the constant uncertainty of whether or not we would be setting sail during the festive period. Today, we’re happy to be able to take this window. The standby and the waiting are part and parcel of record attempts, it’s the name of the game with these things!”

To take on the Jules Verne Trophy, you obviously need an excellent boat, an equally exceptional crew to drive her at her true potential, as well as a certain composure and nerves of steel to endure the wait for the right weather window. Since Monday, the crew of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild has been on the alert, ready to climb aboard and cast off on a 40-day sea passage the moment the Gitana Team’s router, Marcel van Triest, gives the green light. In this way, the lives of the six sailors and all the team have been coloured by the rhythm of the weather analysis and their twice-daily updates. Now, after a five-day wait, the planets seem to be in alignment and everything is coming together for the crew to leave the dock in Lorient tomorrow afternoon. At that point, Franck Cammas, Charles Caudrelier, David Boileau, Morgan Lagravière, Erwan Israël and Yann Riou will make for the north-west tip of Brittany with a view to crossing the line offshore of Ushant some time on Saturday 9 through into Sunday 10 January.

A sliding code yellow 

On Tuesday 4 January, the five-arrow team switched to code yellow, a chromatic change synonymous with a possible departure within the next 24 to 48 hours. Since then though, the departure window has been constantly sliding and ultimately it is on Saturday night through into Sunday that the situation looks set to become clearer. “Code yellow is extending but for just reason!” assures Cyril Dardashti, director of the racing stable founded by Ariane and Benjamin de Rothschild: “After a period of standby spanning over two months and an initial fruitless attempt, we’re all looking forward to seeing the crew set sail. However, the record we’re hunting down is so demanding that this departure window is crucial. Together with Marcel van Triest we’ve been watching things play out in the right direction since Monday. We’re lucky in that the window in the North Atlantic is a long one, which has enabled us to play for time and let things in the south evolve so we can better position ourselves in relation to the weather sequence we want to hook up with offshore of Brazil. Today things are taking shape and it’s absolutely thrilling to be ready to tackle the Jules Verne Trophy again according to the timing criteria we’d set ourselves.”

Exiting the Bay of Biscay with a NE’ly

Tomorrow morning, if everything goes according to plan, the Gitana Team will switch to code green. From that moment, everything will link together very quickly for the six sailors, who are preparing to secure the outright round the world record under sail, from loading the bags of personal effects to bidding farewell to their families, to the final weather briefing with Marcel van Triest. It will then be time to cast off, bound for Ushant and Le Créac’h lighthouse. As was the case in late November, during their first attempt, the night-time rendez-vous with this point will be their final contact with the French coast as the 32-metre giant turns her bows southwards: “According to our latest forecasts, we’ll likely set sail with a 15-20-knot NE’ly wind in the area in question on very manageable seas. The wind is set to fill out to 25-30 knots as we approach Cape Finisterre and the descent along the length of the Iberian peninsula will be bracing. However, the advantage of a NE’ly breeze is that we’ll have good seas. There’s a low-pressure system at Cape St Vincent which we’ll be hunting down before gybing towards the Azores High. Below the zone of high pressure, we’ll have to put in another gybe before setting a course for the equator,” explained Charles Caudrelier.

Though this weather configuration finally seems to be playing out as the crew wants after weeks of waiting, the descent towards the southern hemisphere will be far from restful as the timing is tight: “With this weather window we’re aiming for a sub-5-day time to the equator and a sub-12-day time to Cape Agulhas. If we were solely aiming to break the record to the equator, our departure timing is not the best, but it’s a compromise to ensure we have the best possible window in the Atlantic as a whole. For now, the latter seems quite favourable with a route that isn’t too extreme in the south, but we’ll have to adjust our trajectory again during our descent as that’s still a long way off and there’s time for things to evolve before then”, concluded the co-skipper of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild.

For several days, the succession of grib files which Franck Cammas and Charles Caudrelier have been studying with the router and 7th man, Marcel van Triest, have been in agreement that it will soon be time for the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild to cast off and set sail. This Thursday, all the lights are taking on a strong yellow hue as they prepare to switch to green. All the members of the five-arrow racing stable have been on the alert for the past few days so as not to let slide this fine opportunity taking shape ahead of the offshore charger’s bows. This Saturday 9 January 2021, the six sailors on this trimaran designed for oceanic flight could well make for the start zone off the island of Ushant with a view to setting sail on this outright round the world record attempt.

Erwan Israël

“We’re attacking the start of the 3rd month of standby… It’s a long time, but there have been times where we’ve been certain that nothing interesting would happen in terms of the weather. During that time, we can turn our thoughts to other things and practice some sport. And then there are situations, like those of recent days, where we’re eyeing up a departure and hesitating… That involves a bit of travelling around and a series of PCR tests… And then in the end we don’t leave. These more uncertain periods are a bit less fun. We’re on the alert and it’s more complicated for the nerves, especially with regards family. We say goodbye to the children, but we don’t know if it’s going to be for 3 days… or 40 days. The ideal standby occurs when it doesn’t take too long and an extraordinary window presents itself after a week or a fortnight. Unfortunately, that’s not the way things have played out.

Right now, there’s a departure situation settling into place with a lot of downwind conditions and N’ly winds generated by a zone of high pressure. That’s giving us a slightly broader target window. However, there’s also a zone of low pressure, which is blocking the way a little at the start. It’s fairly violent, so we’d like it to roll across to the east so we have a clearer passage through to the trade wind. We’d like to set off as late as possible, but waiting around also carries the risk of us ending up in a position where we don’t have any breeze at all on the start line.”

Morgan Lagravière 

“It’s my first standby. I’ve never experienced this type of preparation and this waiting period before. It’s a special time, but I’m lucky to be in contact with people who have already had to negotiate this type of experience. It’s part and parcel of such a challenge. For the past two months, we’ve had several situations where we were ready to leave and we even set sail once before quickly turning back. These attempts within an attempt are good training and help us ready ourselves in terms of gear and also on a more psychological level, to ensure we’re in race mode the minute we cast off and bid farewell. These are demanding boats after all and an error is never far away. You really have to concentrate from the get-go. That said, it’s fair to say that as time goes on, the more eager you are to set sail… At that point it’ll be time to go for it, which is fortunate as now’s the right time! 

Since Tuesday evening, a variety of possible options have opened up, with a fairly long window in the North Atlantic, which enables us to wait and see how things evolve in the South Atlantic. We’re going to gradually increase the pressure and finish off the final preparations. The boat is ready to go. She’s loaded with provisions and all that remains is to add a little fresh produce and head towards the start line!”

Things are taking shape… at last! After over two months on standby and an initial attempt interrupted as a result of technical issues in late November, the sailors aboard the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild make no secret of how keen they are to pull on their boots and foulies and set about securing the Jules Verne Trophy.

Their wishes could well be granted and their patience rewarded by the end of the week. Since Monday, the Gitana Team’s weather cell comprising Franck Cammas, Charles Caudrelier and their router Marcel van Triest, have been observing two major trends some 48 hours apart. Following the honing of the forecasts, it’s the second option which has been retained, namely a departure offshore of Ushant on Friday or Saturday at the latest. Discover the explanations voiced by the skippers of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild and two of the crew, Morgan Lagravière and Erwan Israël, who will be accompanying them on the bid for the outright round the world record under sail.

In Lorient, the shore team is busying itself with the final details and everything is in position so that the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild can set sail on the Jules Verne Trophy in 48 hours’ time

The weather scenario is becoming clearer now for the men of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, who are keener than ever to make the switch to code green and cast off for the start line of the Jules Verne Trophy offshore of the north-west tip of Brittany. As such, the latest update on the grib forecast files this Tuesday evening is eagerly awaited. Indeed, upon receipt of the latter, the weather cell for the five-arrow racing stable will refine their analysis in a bid to pinpoint the right moment for the 32-metre giant to leave Lorient and set a course for Ushant. Two major trends are currently being weighed up: a departure in the early hours of tomorrow, Wednesday 6 January or some 48 hours later to round off this first week of 2021 in style.

Update on the evening of 5 January

The grib files are converging to indicate a better departure window on Friday 8 January. For that reason, following an analysis of the latest forecasts, the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild’s weather cell has this evening chosen to remain on code yellow to await this favourable scenario. The two skippers, Franck Cammas and Charles Caudrelier, together with their router Marcel van Triest, are observing the situation several times a day and the window will need to be adjusted right to the last moment in order to optimise the initially targeted passage times (equator and Cape Agulhas). The six sailors on the latest Gitana are poised for action and ready to cast off and could leave their home port of Lorient from Thursday if need be.

Pinpointing a target window

At the briefing this Monday morning at 09:30 UTC, Marcel van Triest gave the team the low-down: “2021 seems to want to offer us more opportunities and the coming week should enable us to envisage an initial passage time within the timeframe we’d set ourselves as departure criteria, namely a sub-5-day time to the equator and around 11 days to get below South Africa.”The tone was set then, but the team still had to adjust the timing for crossing the line as best they could to ensure the team manages to follow the sequence of weather systems that is such an essential part of this first third of the record attempt.

Indeed, when the crews set sail from the tip of Brittany, they’re not only seeking a favourable departure window to give them as speedy a passage as possible to the equator, above all they’re aiming for a transition of millimetre precision offshore of Brazil to enable them to hook onto the right wagon to glide down towards the Southern Ocean. It is this exacting coordination, which Gitana Team’s weather cell is currently trying to pinpoint.

Ready for action 

This afternoon, at the heart of Gitana Team’s technical base and aboard the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, both the team and the sailors are busying themselves with the final details: loading the provisions, filling the tanks with water and ‘diesel’ and installing the six sailors’ personal gear… At dawn tomorrow, the latest of the Gitanas will be ready to take on its latest challenge at which point it is the weather that will decide if the first crewed round the world attempt aboard a flying maxi-trimaran will set sail straight away or benefit from a few hours’ respite to hone their weapons.

Sorry, this entry is only available in French.