Category: Spindrift 2019

 

AFTER 12 DAYS, 14 HOURS, 58 MINUTES, SPINDRIFT 2 REACHED THE LONGITUDE OF CAPE AGULHAS ON TUESDAY AT 0240 UTC (0340 FRENCH TIME), SAILING FROM THE ATLANTIC TO THE INDIAN OCEAN. WHILST MAINTAINING THE LEAD ON FRANCIS JOYON AND HIS TEAMS’ WORLD RECORD OF 6 HOURS 43 MINUTES. IN ORDER TO REACH THIS POINT OF AFRICA, YANN GUICHARD AND HIS ELEVEN CREW MEMBERS HAD TO SAIL AROUND THE SAINT HELENA ANTICYCLONE TO BE ABLE TO BENEFIT FROM THE DOWNWIND SAILING OF THE SOUTHERN OCEAN, IN OTHER WORDS, A 700-MILES ROUND TOUR…

 

 

The first of the three symbolic Capes of this round the world sailing race, the Cape of Good Hope, was reached after just 12 days 13 hours 8 minutes: one of the best ever times of the Trophée Jules Verne, which first started in 1993. But it was several miles away to the South East, at Cape Agulhas, where the time reference comes into its own as this point of Africa marks the entrance into the Indian Ocean. However, in order to reach it, Spindrift 2 had to navigate around the Saint Helena anticyclone, go through an oceanic ridge and finally, take a left before heading towards Cape Agulhas.

Despite this detour, which forced the black and gold trimaran to dive South up to 43°, Yann Guichard and his 11 crew members keep a lead: 6 hours and 43 minutes, (equivalent to 300 miles) on the reference time of IDEC Sport, the current record holder. As a result, Spindrift 2 took 12 days, 14 hours, 58 minutes from Ushant to reach Cape Angulhas, and from the equator, 7 days 17 hours to go beyond this point in Africa.

 

A FAVOURABLE INDIAN OCEAN?

“We had to take a large detour to get around the Saint Helena anticyclone: we had to go down to 40° South before turning left! It was pretty extreme, but we didn’t have any other way of  cutting across: we just had to grin and bear it, especially as we had had a crosswind and head seas which weren’t easy to navigate through… For three days we’ve been stepping up the pace and it feels good: we’ve just reached the Cape of Good Hope and we’re sticking to the targets we set out for ourselves.” said Yann Guichard after reaching Cape Angulhas.

Taking confidence from this reference time entering the Indian Ocean, which remains the third best time in the Trophée Jules Verne, the skipper, his crew and their onshore router, Jean-Yves Bernot, are pretty comfortable about the next stage as the Mascareignes Anticyclone (Southern Madagascar) is well placed on Crozet Island and will start to head North over the next few days towards the Kerguelen archipelago, pushed by a southern depression. At an average speed of over 35 knots for 3 days, the black and gold trimaran will be able to hold this steady pace through a relatively manageable ocean heading to south of the Kerguelen!

“The sun has been up for a couple of hours and we really know we’re in the Indian Ocean! We’ll be reaching 50° South soon, the weather’s grey and temperature of the water is 2°C… But with albatross at our side, it’s amazing! The conditions are on our side to help us reach Kerguelen quickly. We’ll leave the Kerguelen to the North as we’ll undoubtedly go down to 53-54° south. However, we’ll also have icebergs ahead of us from Wednesday: we’ll need to  keep watch on the radar and with our infrared glasses. It’s looking a bit tense… We should sail the length of the anticyclone while being powered along by the southern winds: it’s looking pretty good up to the Kerguelen, but after that, we’ll have several gybes to go which will slow us down a little. We should still get through the Indian Ocean quickly without wasting too much time and hope to get to the Pacific, South of Tasmania with too much delay.” Mentioned the skipper on Spindrift 2.

If this southerly course enables the team to shorten their route while benefiting from a sustained current, going down to 53° South would present them with the problem of drifting ice and where a number of icebergs have been clearly located by the CLS satellites. On this stretch of the route, Spindirft 2 needs to be very fast because Francis Joyon and his crew made the Indian Ocean crossing extremely quickly as they still hold the WSSRC record (5d 21h 8m)! Having said that, the capabilities of the black and gold trimaran in the breeze give hope that it will retain the lead on IDEC Sport’s timing to South of Tasmania, the hot spot between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific.

Sorry, this entry is only available in French.

ON MONDAY 21 JANUARY AT 07H45 UTC, SPINDRIFT 2 BROKE HER OWN RECORD BY JUST OVER AN HOUR, BY CROSSING THE EQUATOR IN 4 DAYS 19 HOURS 57 MINUTES.  THIS ALSO GAVE THE BLACK AND GOLD TEAM AN ADVANTAGE OF MORE THAN 23 HOURS (180 MILES) OVER THE CURRENT HOLDERS OF THE TROPHY JULES VERNE, IDEC SPORT.  THIS IS THE FIRST CHALLENGE IN THE TEAM’S QUEST TO BEAT THE ROUND THE WORLD RECORD.  THE TIME FOR THE PASSAGE FROM USHANT TO THE EQUATOR STILL HAS TO BE OFFICIALLY RATIFIED BY THE WSSRC (THE INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATION THAT OVERSEES RECORDS), BUT YANN GUICHARD AND HIS CREW CAN BE PLEASED WITH THIS FIRST SECTION OF THE COURSE, AND BETTERING THEIR OWN RECORD TIME, SET IN 2015 (4D 21H 45′), BY 1 HOUR AND 48 MINUTES.

 

 

Spindrift 2 crossed the line in front of the Créac’h lighthouse on Wednesday 16 January at 11h 47 ’27’ UTC and quickly took advantage of the favourable conditions.  The crew had to gybe the 40m trimaran about a dozen times to ensure that they stayed in the trade winds as they passed through the Canary Islands and and the island of Hierro.

 

Full moon!

“We entered the Doldrums at 2° North: they were not very active, so we had to get through in relatively little breeze, but it was especially nice to have the full moon when we crossed the equator: we even saw the eclipse! It was beautiful for a good hour … Everyone has really been on the pace and the modifications that we made to the coach roof have been a real bonus – we are definitely less exposed. The route to the equator was not easy: we had quite lumpy seas in the lead up to the islands, then we had to gybe a lot and pass right through the Canaries and Cape Verde archipelagos.”  Commented Yann Guichard, a few moments after crossing the equator, the ‘line’ separating the north and south hemispheres.

However, the team is not out of the Doldrums yet, as they are currently stretching some 120 miles to the south of the Equator.  The team will have a challenging six hours or so before they can hook into the south easterly trade winds blowing off Brazil. But the good news is that a strong front is due to leave Cape Frio (off Rio de Janeiro) on Tuesday.

“We will leave the Doldrums at about 2° South, and then we will have to get around St. Helena anticyclone that is forming to the East, so we will have to go to about 37° South before turning left towards the Indian Ocean. It makes the route longer, especially as we will have to cross a light weather area in three days, but we should then reach favourable NW winds. It will be a relatively slow descent … but we should be a little ahead of Francis Joyon and his crew by the time we reach Cape Aiguilles,” continued the skipper of Spindrift 2.

The next goal is the tip of South Africa: Francis Joyon and his crew crossed the longitude of the Cape Aiguilles after 12d 21h 22′ at sea. So, with a 23 hour advantage on this first stretch, Yann Guichard and his crew can hope to stay half a day ahead before entering the Indian Ocean.  This same trimaran, when it was Banque Populaire in 2012, took less than twelve days from Ushant (11d 23h 50′).

Spindrift 2 still has some 3,200 miles to reach this longitude but the black and gold trimaran has been averaging 26 knots since leaving Ushant, and covering more than 620 miles a day – including the passage through the Doldrums!

 

Crew of Spindrift 2
Yann Guichard (skipper)
Erwan Israel (navigator)
Jacques Guichard (watch leader / helmsman)
Christophe Espagnon (watch leader / helmsman)
Xavier Revil (watch leader / helmsman)
François Morvan (helmsman)
Thierry Chabagny (helmsman)
Sam Goodchild ((helmsman / bow)
Erwan Le Roux (helmsman)
Duncan Späth (helmsman)
Benjamin Schwartz (helmsman / bow)
Jackson Bouttell (helmsman / bow)

Jean-Yves Bernot (onshore router)

 

Crew Split Times References
Ushant-Equator: 4d 19h 57 ‘(Spindrift 2 in 2019)
Equator-Cape Aiguilles: 6d 08h 55 ‘(Banque Populaire V in 2012)
Cape Aiguilles -Cape Leeuwin: 4d 09h 32 ‘(IDEC Sport in 2017)
Cape Leuuwin-Cape Horn: 9d 08h 46 ‘(IDEC Sport in 2017)
Cape Horn-Equator: 7d 04h 27 ‘(Banque Populaire V in 2012)
Equator-Ushant: 5d 19h 21 ‘(IDEC Sport in 2017)

 

WSSRC crewed records
Crossing the North Atlantic (Ushant-Equator): 4d 19h 57 ‘(Spindrift 2 in 2019) *
Crossing the Indian Ocean (Cape Aiguilles-S Tasmania) : 5d 21h 07’ 45’’ (IDEC Sport in 2017)
Crossing Pacific Ocean (S Tasmania-Cape Horn) : 7d 21h 13’ 31’’ (IDEC Sport in 2017)
Equator-Equator- : 29d 09h 10’ 55’’ (IDEC Sport in 2017)
Around the World (Jules Verne Trophy) : 40d 23h 30’ 30’’ (IDEC Sport in 2017)

*Waiting for ratification by WSSRC

YANN GUICHARD AND HIS CREW STARTED THEIR WORLD TOUR AT USHANT TODAY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16 AT 11H 47MIN 27SEC UTC.  TO WIN THE JULES VERNE TROPHY THEY HAVE TO RECROSS THE LINE BY FEBRUARY 26 AT 11H 16M 57SEC UTC TO BREAK THE RECORD, HELD SINCE 2017 BY FRANCIS JOYON AND HIS CREW, OF 40 DAYS 23H 30M 30S.

 

 

The weather conditions were favourable at the Créac’h lighthouse, which marks one end of the start and finish line of the Jules Verne Trophy course,  the round the world sailing record via the three Capes.  A southwesterly breeze of 20 knots and calm seas allowed the giant black and gold trimaran to head quickly towards a front off Ushant and pick a good system from the north-west. It is these strong winds that Spindrift 2 will be able to pick up to take them quickly down to Madeira, the Canaries and the Cape Verde archipelago.

 

A record at the equator?
According to the routing of the team’s onshore weather router, Jean-Yves Bernot, the team could reach the equator during the night of Sunday to Monday, January 21, after less than five days at sea.  Once over this imaginary line between the two hemispheres, Yann Guichard and his crew must continue to speed on, with the aim of crossing the longitude at the Cape of Good Hope in about twelve days.  This challenge is very possible as Francis Joyon and his crew reached the African cape in 12d 21h 22m.

By adding all the best reference times since the first attempt on the Jules Verne Trophy in 1993, the crewed world tour from Ushant to Ushant could potentially be completed in 38 days.

The first stretch towards the equator looks very favourable, but it is still too early to anticipate what follows. If a depression moves away from Brazil during the passage off Salvador de Bahia, the weather configuration could allow the team more options to sail more directly towards the South without having to go around the St. Helena anticyclone.

Afterwards it will be the depressions to the south, their trajectories, north-south positioning and speed that will determine if the Indian Ocean can be crossed in less than 5d 21h 08m and the Pacific in less than 7d 21h 13m.

 

Yann Guichard, skipper of Spindrift 2:
“It looks good up to the equator! The trade winds are well established: it should take less than five days. Then there are still the unknowns in the southern Atlantic but we hope to reach South Africa in around twelve to twelve and a half days.
This world tour is also a passing of the seasons at high speed!  We start in the north-west with drizzle, then in the Canaries we will be in the trade winds with 30°C, at the equator it will be 40°C and three days later, we are in the Forties, in the Southern Ocean with three fairly steady and fresh weeks. It’s a nice trip.
One of the difficulties is the Saint Helena High in the southern Atlantic, which can sometimes block the road. It is not a problem to go round it if there is wind because because latest boats are going fast. In the Southern Ocean, it is still at least a fortnight of cold, wet weather but there are also magical landscapes and an incredible place to experience as a team.
We are a slightly lighter than the last time, which is why we are only twelve onboard. Below twenty knots we have a very slight speed deficit, but anything above that Spindrift 2 is faster than before! We can keep our average speed above 35 knots, if the sea remains manageable.“

Sorry, this entry is only available in French.

Sorry, this entry is only available in French.

After two and a half months of stand-by, Spindrift 2 is preparing to leave for a new attempt on the Jules Verne Trophy.  The crewed round the world sailing record has been held since 2017 by Francis Joyon, who completed the non-stop course in 40d 23h 30m.  Spindrift 2, the giant black and gold 40 metre trimaran, is planning to leave the port of Brest for the start line off Ushant on Tuesday afternoon.

 

 

The time of just over 40 days achieved by IDEC Sport in 2017 could be broken by Spindrift 2, if the weather conditions remain favourable.

“We have been on stand-by since November 5 and there has been no real opportunity to get around the world quickly: I have never experienced  a winter like this!  We need to cross the equator in about five days: but we risk getting ahead of a front and having to sail to port, which is not very typical. But if we wait for this front to pass, we would then suffer at the hands of the Azores anticyclone.  We are anticipating leaving the dock in Brest on Tuesday afternoon to reach the line off Ushant, and look to start in the early hours of the Wednesday morning, between midnight and three o’clock, but this is to be confirmed” comments Yann Guichard.

By starting on Tuesday/Wednesday, the crew projects crossing the equator after five days and then hooking into a system in the South Atlantic, which could allow the team to cross the longitude at the Cape of Good Hope in less than twelve days …  This is the system preferred by the land-based weather router, Jean-Yves Bernot, for the team to reach the Indian Ocean in good time.

“The Doldrums remain unknown, but at this time [of year] they are often not too bad and we can see that the trade winds are running parallel between North and South.  Also the Southern Atlantic is not blocked, but after ten days, the forecasts are less reliable. We aim to be in time to catch a depression off Brazil. It would be nice to have a day in the bag at the entrance to the Indian Ocean.  Francis completed this part of the course very quickly, and it will be difficult to do better” states the skipper of Spindrift 2.

 

 

A crew of twelve 

Yann Guichard has selected eleven crew, which includes the core of his team – Christophe Espagnon, Francois Morvan, Xavier Revil, Jacques Guichard and Erwan Israel.  With Thierry Chabagny, the Briton Sam Goodchild, Erwan Le Roux and Lyonnais Benjamin Schwartz, Australian Jackson Bouttell and Switzerland’s Duncan Späth completing the onboard team.

“We are twelve aboard on this attempt compared to fourteen in 2015, but we also have a smaller mast. Below twenty knots of wind, we are less efficient in VMG*, so we therefore need to have sustained conditions, which might make the transition phases a little more difficult. On paper, the trimaran has the potential of Joyon’s multihull and perhaps, under certain conditions with a weather similar to his, we will be able to break the record. However, all the stars must be aligned… ”

The team has already gathered in Brest today, Monday, and is making final preparations for the giant trimaran’s round the world attempt.

* VMG: speed in a downwind or upwind direction

 

 

Crew of Spindrift 2 :
Yann Guichard (skipper)
Erwan Israel (navigator)
Jacques Guichard (watch leader / helm)
Christophe Espagnon (watch leader / helm)
Xavier Revil (watch leader / helm)
François Morvan (helm)
Thierry Chabagny (helm)
Sam Goodchild ((helm / bow)
Erwan Le Roux (helm)
Duncan Späth (helm)
Benjamin Schwartz (helm / bow)
Jackson Bouttell (helm / bow)
—
Jean-Yves Bernot (onshore router)