JVT: Groupama 3: Cape Agulhas - Cape Leeuwin: reference time beaten

On board Groupama 3. Image copyright Team Groupama.

by Vincent Borde and Caroline Muller

On crossing the line marking the longitude of Cape Leeuwin (115° 08' E) at 04h 17' 47'' UTC this Monday 22nd February, Groupama 3 has obtained the best time over the section of course between Cape Agulhas, which marks the entry into the Indian Ocean, and the SW promontory of Australia: 6 days 22 hours 34 minutes.

Good weather, smooth seas and a point in their favour rounds up the latest news for Franck Cammas and his nine crew. At 04 h 17' 47'' UTC this Monday morning, Groupama 3 crossed the longitude of Cape Leeuwin, picking up the award for best reference time along the way on this their third Jules Verne Trophy attempt.

Response in Tasmania


Track of Groupama 3 (green) as she passes Cape Leeuwin, compared with Jules Verne Trophy record holder Orange II (orange). Image copyright Cammas-Groupama.

This excellent crossing of the largest and toughest section of the Indian Ocean, which will come to an end to the South of Tasmania has, most importantly, enabled Groupama 3 to draw even with Orange 2.

With a deficit of just 120 miles, or around four hours, Franck Cammas and his crew are fully respecting the goal they set themselves when they began to attack the roaring forties: to go fast without rushing the boat.

Be that as it may, this beautiful section of the Deep South has provided the trimaran with her third best reference time in the Jules Verne Trophy: 5d 15h 23' from Ushant to the equator in November 2009 (2nd attempt), 7d 02h 22' from the equator to Cape Agulhas in February 2008 (1st attempt) and 6d 22h 34' from Cape Agulhas to Cape Leeuwin today...

Next on the agenda is to keep pace with the high speed, which is set to be the case this Monday morning with some almost perfect sailing conditions: organised seas, a stable and steady NW'ly wind of twenty knots, clear skies, a pretty crescent of a moon, the starry vault of heaven in the company of the Southern Cross and spring temperatures!

Franck Cammas, Steve Ravussin, Fred Le Peutrec, Lionel Lemonchois, Thomas Coville, Stan Honey, Loïc Le Mignon, Bruno Jeanjean, Ronan Le Goff and Jacques Caraës don't appear to need anything more than they have already, serenity reigns...

Reference time between Cape Agulhas and Cape Leeuwin
Groupama 3 (22nd February 2010): 6 days 22 hours 34 minutes
Improvement in relation to Orange 2 in 2005 (7d 05h 35'): 7hr 01'

The intermediary WSSRC record: Indian Ocean
* Western limit: Cape Agulhas, crossing the meridian of 20° East.
* Eastern limit: the southern tip of Tasmania (South-East Cape), crossing the meridian 146°49' East.
* Bruno Peyron on Orange 2 (17th February 2005) 9d 11h 04'

Cammas - Groupama