Accueil » English » SAIL » Offshore » Multihulls » Ultimes
image 300 x 158

Photo : JP Epron / Maxi Catamaran Orange

Jules Verne Trophy

The Indian Ocean remains true to form

samedi 23 mars 2002 –

Winds of 45, 50 then 55 knots faced the maxi-catamaran Orange overnight as she came close to speeds of 40 knots in some of the surfs. The amount of canvas up depended largely on the wind god Aeolus and ten mile-munc.


Breaking waves submerge the cockpits, big dipper type waves, the winds whistle and sea spray stings our faces ?Welcome to the Roaring Forties ! We’ll not forget Friday-Saturday night in a hurry. It’s not every day you find yourself under bare poles on a 34 metre boat. « Even crew who have done The Race have never seen that before, said Bruno during the radio chat session. We only shortened sail gradually. One reef in the main, then two, three until finally there was nothing left at all ? Same thing with the foresails. None of this stopped us from making 20 knots with just the mast ! What surprised us most of all was the force of the sea. Some of the series of waves really were best avoided. We managed to have a life raft torn away from the aft beam overnight ! ». In other words, imagine a wave as high as a thee storey building catching up with you from behind, picking you up and carrying you in a surf for a while, as knowing that how it all works out in the end, depends on the helmsman’s concentration. « Easier said than done comments Bruno. We can see the wave coming about 500-700 metres off. We take avoiding action, which turns out not to work and we find ourselves at the foot of a wall of water. Speed, no speed, go through it, cut across it ? You have to make your mind up quickly. Once you have decided what you’re going to do, there’s no going back on it. You’re generally in for a wet, violent downhill ride. With no guarantee as to how you’re going to land." That’s what is known as a surf, performed on a 20-ton boat which looks pretty much like a cork on the surface of the ocean. « I’ve never sailed down waves so fast, added Gilles Chiorri. The speedometer had freaked but we must have been doing not far off 40 knots in those surfs ! Right now, with our ski goggles on, we look more like characters out of Star Wars than sailors ! ».

Luckily, during the daily radio chat session, the deepest part of the low had passed over and the wind had "fallen" to a SW 30 knots. Orange had two reefs in her main and her staysail up, and the waves were still large. The wind should remain S/SW at 30 knots and should lessen before Monday.

Quote-Unquote :

Bruno Peyron : « Florent (Chastel) has got a lot of shut-eye and is much better. He really wanted to get up but Vlad (Dzalda Lyndis) and Benoît (Briand) insisted that he stay in bed. Anyway, they’re stronger than he is ? (laughs). This morning he’s been for a quick run round the grounds and is really very much better now ! ».

Bruno Peyron continued : « Don’t forget to keep your fingers crossed for the French rugby team this afternoon. Tell them that we’re thinking of them ! ».

Nick Moloney (in French) : « C’est « completely » superbe à la barre* ! ». [*at the helm]

Gilles Chiorri : « I don’t think the situation is going to change much. We’re now in the tail end of the low. We mustn’t be overtaken by it ˜ we have to get away from this system. This should take us east towards the Kerguelen Islands (lying about 1300 miles off at 13h00) ».

Pierrick Garenne / Mer & Media / Orange

Map : Geronimo vs Orange

Portfolio

A la une

© 2000 / 2025 - Sea, Sail & Surf news | Contact | accueil en français home page in english

Visiteurs connectés : 755