MOD 70 Krys Ocean Race from New York to Brest - Update
by Multi One Design 11 Jul 2012 09:07 BST
7-13 July 2012
With under 900 miles left to sail to the finish line in Brest of the first KRYS OCEAN RACE, Yann Guichard, the skipper of leading MOD70 Spindrift racing, considers that strategic options for their nearest rivals Groupe Edmond de Rothschild and FONCIA are running out.
With the wind and seas easing slightly Guichard and his crew have maintained their punishing pace, seemingly still averaging that consistent 30kts which no other team has managed to sustain with anything like Spindrift racing’s regularity.
With 750 miles, or about 36 hours, to make to the Scilly Isles, the breeze is rotating back to the SW as they cross the ridge extending from the Azores high. After FONCIA repositioned themselves directly in Spindrift’s wake, taking a short hitch to the north late yesterday afternoon, all three are very much in line now, with a similar course. With his rivals now astern where they represent less of a threat, the Spindrift racing skipper said they have been attacking in the more settled sea state.
Guichard, sounding quietly content when contacted early this morning stated: "We are much less tired than the previous nights: it is quieter at this time (0530hrs UTC/GMT) because the sea is flatter. We’ve always been fast but it's definitely more peaceful and we start to attack a little. We will soon be able to target the Scilly because gradually the wind turns to the southwest. "
Spindrift racing has close to 70 miles of margin on Seb Josse’s Groupe Edmond de Rothschild, with FONCIA lurking only 11 miles behind them in third.
Time is running out for the leading trio to utilise the KRYS OCEAN RACE’s ‘ghost mode’, which allows the teams to disappear from the tracking for three successive rankings. But it must be used before the longitude of Fastnet Rock and after that line ghost mode racers reappear.
With few tactical options on the table perhaps it will go unused, or maybe a team or teams will use it nonetheless?
From the nav station of Musandam-Oman Sail this morning, Sidney Gavignet reported that they are back sailing at near normal speeds – using their starboard foil in the port box, but have a little less wind than the leading trio.
Yann Guichard, skipper of Spindrift racing:
“Last night was a bit calmer and that the sea was much flatter but the wind is going to build again. We re on a heading for the Scilly Isles, pretty much on a straight line, port tack and the wind should build over the next six hours, back up to average 30 knots. We expect to get to the Scilly by around midday tomorrow.
Strategically there are not all that many options now, it is a matter of keeping up the rhythm and try to maintain the speed. Groupe Edmond de Rothschild and FONCIA are going a little faster, but we are level in terms of speed. We make the most of the daylight to do a boat check and prepare for the strengthening conditions.”
“Next is looking at all the weather files to see how things will evolve with the weather front that we have been on for the last few days on what will be a reach to Brest. We have had a bit of fog and drizzle, it is not quite Breton weather though!”
“ We keep an eye on the radar which really show up the squalls well and then now for the approach will be good for the maritime traffic. In terms of food, we have been stuck with the freeze dried stuff and apart from a few apples at the start have not enjoyed any fresh food.”
To discover the latest standings, see www.krys-oceanrace.com
Update from Spindrift Racing
Once again, Yann Guichard and his 5 men crew are displaying amazing statistics, averaging all night 30 knots and increasing their lead by 10 miles over their mighty opponents. Spindrift racing will have to gybe sometime today for the first time since leaving New York. A most crucial move that will determine how fast the big MOD70 will engage in the final run towards Brest. Pascal Bidégorry and Yann Guichard both in charge of the strategy onboard have been thinking about if for quite a while. With their closest opponents right on their track, they have at least their destiny in their own hands. The wind is expected to turn west at midday and the big maneuveres of the Krys Ocean Race shall begin.
Léo Lucet is the managing director of Spindrift racing and a full time crew member. This is what he has to say about the boat’s first transatlantic race: "We’re very pleased with what we’ve done so far. We have handled the boat well and we’re getting to know her better day after day. This is our very first offshore race and things are really going smoothly. We havent broken anything and our confidence in the boat is growing by the hour.
Everything is totally wet on board. I’ve just had my first chance at changing clothes since leaving New York.
We are very pleased with our tactics ! Yann and Pascal (Bidégorry) are doing a great job, with lots of communication. We are heading exactly where we’ve planned to. The rough conditions do not affect our strategy. We really are where we wanted to be. We are keeping an eye on our two closest opponents who havent for sure given up yet. Today will see some utmost important moves. We’re cool. We’re keeping a clear mind to make on time the right decision. Outside, everything is still grey. The sky is slow. Temperatures have dropped. We are physically fit, even though eating properly has been an issue at the beginning. With calmer seas, things are back to normal in that respect…"
Update from Musandam-Oman Sail
Improvisation on board Musandam-Oman Sail has allowed Sidney Gavignet’s crew to maintain healthy speeds in the 2012 Krys Ocean Race as they approach the half way mark.
With only one foil remaining, following the failure on Sunday of the port foil, the crew is having to switch it from side to side every time they gybe. This added workload, while tiring, has allowed them to hold onto their fourth place, managing speeds of around 25 knots in their sprint across the Atlantic.
Moshin Al Busaidi from Oman, the first Arab to sail around the world, said moral was good onboard and that everyone is carrying on as normal and looking forward to the remaining 1,500 miles.
“We’ve had a little problem with the foil which has affected our position in the race but there isn’t much we can do. We are still going fast but not fast enough. But so far it has been good,” he said.
It is warm, the seas are relatively flat and the wind is blowing in the right direction, said American Ryan Breymaier as Musandam-Oman Sail reported a position some 150 miles behind the leading boat.
“We are going well at the moment - pretty much full speed. When the foil failed, we had to take it out because there was a lot of turbulence and drag and the boat was very slow – about 22 knots – though when it came out completely, the bow dug in a lot so we had to reduce sail.
“We didn’t feel comfortable trying to change the foil from one side to the other during the night but now we have the foil from the starboard side on the port side which makes things normal again.
“The guys are getting tired as it weighs 100kgs and takes three crew plus one on the halyard every time we change it over, but hopefully we will only have to do it twice more during the race.
“We have 25 knots of breeze and flat water downwind. Overcast. It’s not beautiful but its warm which is nice and we have wind in the right direction so we are making good miles for the finish, which is what matters. In the next 24 hours, conditions are not expected to change.”
Ryan Breymaier, No 1, Musandam-Oman Sail:
“We are going well at the moment - pretty much full speed. When the foil failed, we had to take it out because there was a lot of turbulence and drag and the boat was very slow – about 22 knots – though when it came out completely, the bow dug in a lot so we had to reduce sail. We didn’t feel comfortable trying to change the foil from one side to the other during the night but now we have the foil from the starboard side on the port side, which makes things normal again. The guys are getting tired as it weighs 100kgs and takes three crew plus one on the halyard every time we change it over, but hopefully we will only have to do it twice more during the race.”
Update from FONCIA
After a gentle start, the pace very quickly ramped up a notch on the Krys Ocean Race, which has been treated to some ideal conditions, ahead of a weather system which is set to accompany the fleet in their transatlantic. On the water, it didn’t take any more than that for the five crews to immediately launch into a top drawer, high-speed navigation. Indeed they’re driving their large 70-foot trimarans like sports catamarans.
“It’s rather nice to be making headway so fast towards home. It’s very exhilarating, but a bit stressful too. In these conditions, either you let her power up or you reduce the sail area when the wind picks up. However, you adapt to things by hauling on or easing the headsail sheet. That requires vigilance round the clock and that’s the necessary condition to remain upright”, explains Michel Desjoyeaux. “At the helm we’re wearing a helmet with a visor to protect ourselves from the plumes of spray which are breaking over the deck. You have to admit that since last night, the atmosphere has been reminiscent of a combat sport!”
Fast and furious best describes the setting on this oceanic crossing on its fairly southerly course, since the fleet is making headway along the latitude of the Azores archipelago at the longitude of the banks of Newfoundland. “Since the start, we’ve been holding two-hour watches, otherwise things would very quickly go pear-shaped. However, the amount of time spent at the helm is down to how you feel: one or two hours according to the sea state and how the automatic pilot is handling. As for the grub, we’re getting by okay, though it’s not easy. Sleeping is another matter entirely though… Jérémie Beyou, who’s helming right now, has just racked up 36 knots… It’s just as well we don’t get points on our driving permits at sea!”
“Between you and me, there’s little between the boats. Aboard FONCIA, we really feel that we’re right on the pace. Since the start, we’ve been holding the same trajectories, and we spent a good part of yesterday with Spindrift Racing. On the other hand, the end of the race will doubtless become more strategic in terms of the choices we have to make…,” comments the skipper, who is delighted at having a great team around him.
According to the latest forecasts, the crew of the MOD 03 is likely to have to keep up this crazy pace for at least until tomorrow evening. It’s over the course of Wednesday that some options may be up for grabs and the trajectories begin to diverge. This is especially true given that the course, which feature a course gate between the Scillies and Wolf Rock, could be further lengthened so as the highly-charged trimarans don’t finish the race before Friday, which heralds the start of festivities in the Tonnerres de Brest…!
Sébastien Col, FONCIA, tactician, trimmer, helm:
“Today FONCIA is sailing just above Spindrift and Groupe Edmond de Rothschild, our target is the waypoint to the north of the high pressure which we will reach in approximately 24 hours. We are sailing a little slower than Groupe Edmond de Rothschild and Spindrift because we are a bit more south than them and have a little bit less wind and they have a better angle and so that means we are slightly slower than them so just have to try to sail the boat as fast as we can. With this little disadvantage we try to cross the high pressure not too far behind these two guys, and then will try to catch places after. We are targeting only one gybe to approach the Scilly Islands. One of the best routages we have actually shows that we have no gybes, and so that even suggests it will be very fast for the end of the race.”