Yann Guichard and the crew of Spindrift 2 have been waiting since the 5 november for a favourable weather window to start the Jules Verne Trophy. Despite november being windy and the Atlantic experiencing a series of lows, the conditions have not been favourable enough for the team to reach the equator in good time. This first reference point in a world tours is also the only part of the course where the 7/8 day weather projection makes it possible calculate exactly how long it would take to reach it.
Jean-Yves Bernot, the maxi trimaran’s weather router, comments: “The situation is currently blocked by a low pressure system coming from the US coast to northern Europe. This creates strong southwesterly to westerly winds that remove any chance of reaching the equator within an interesting timeframe. In addition the sea state is very unsettled – conditions synonymous with damage to the boat. We therefore have to wait for the weather to develop and anticipate that, once the winds shift to the north-west or north-east and the weather pattern evolves, we can leave.”
Without these conditions no start is envisaged for Spindrift 2, however the crew is ready to take advantage of any change in the situation.