Category: Gitana Team

Sorry, this entry is only available in French.

Having cast off from Lorient in the early hours of this Sunday morning, the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild crossed the start line off the island of Ushant at 13h 9 min 30s UTC in her attempt to secure the Jules Verne Trophy. At the helm of the 32-metre giant, Charles Caudrelier, Franck Cammas and their four crew are taking on the prestigious round the world race against the clock. The aim: to beat the record of 40 days, 23 hours and 30 minutes set in 2017 by Francis Joyon and the men of IDEC. To achieve this, Gitana Team will have to make it back to Brest and the Le Créac’h lighthouse before 25 March 2023 at 12h 38min 59s UTC. Though rather unique, the weather window on offer to the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild is certainly worth a go, as there might well be a series of great opportunities for the five-arrow crew to snap up along the way.

 

 

A far from standard weather window

Since Friday morning, the skippers of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild and their router, Marcel van Triest, have been eyeing up a serious opportunity to finally get things underway in their sprint around the planet. However, from one grib file to the next, a series of discrepancies have made a tough choice even harder for the weather cell. Ultimately, true to the team’s philosophy of being bold and committed, early this Sunday afternoon the large flying trimaran fitted out by Ariane and Benjamin de Rothschild set sail on this iconic record of offshore racing.

Like Charles Caudrelier, all the members of Gitana Team freely admit that “the weather window is rather atypical,” a choice that the recent winner of the Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe explains in more depth: “though we have a very precise idea of what may happen in the North Atlantic, the same cannot really be said in the South Atlantic. A low pressure system to the south of Brazil is a little uncertain according to the weather models.”In short, the team will have to locate “a bolt hole”, says Morgan Lagravière and “have a bit of luck with the sequence of weather systems,” continues Franck Cammas. However, the first few days at sea have been well identified with “upwind conditions to start and a front to hunt down tomorrow,”explains Erwan Israël. If the weather sequence subsequently proves less favourable, the crew reserves the right to turn back level with the Canaries in a bid to hunt down a better launchpad from the tip of Brittany.

Focused, determined and particularly enthusiastic, the six crew on the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild have set sail on their first attempt of the year, the third in all for the Verdier design following two aborted campaigns in 2020 and 2021. The latter came to an end after 12 days of racing at the entrance to the Southern Ocean, with the team ahead of the record having just secured the best ever time to the Agulhas Cape. Though setting sail in mid-February might appear quite late in the season, some has set off even later in the day, including Sport-Elec (Olivier de Kersauzon, on 8 March 1997) and Orange II (Bruno Peyron, on 2 March 2002).

 

 

Charles Caudrelier, Franck Cammas and their crew now have their eyes glued to the upcoming waypoints, particularly one offshore of South Africa. “We need to have a lead of at least 24 hours over Francis Joyon’s passage time at the Cape of Good Hope (12 days, 19 hours),” stresses Charles. As a result, the team has a set of well identified goals and the race against the clock is most definitely on!

 

Quotes of the crew:

Charles Caudrelier: “It’s a fairly atypical weather window, but we’re getting to the end of standby and we’re keen to give it a go, especially with the grib files indicating some good passage times yesterday evening. Though we have a very precise idea of what may happen in the North Atlantic, the same cannot really be said in the South Atlantic. There’s a low pressure system to the south of Brazil, which is a little uncertain according to the weather models. However, we’ve decided that it was worth having a go, even if we have to turn back when things don’t play out that way. The aim is to get as far as possible. One of the areas where we can gain the most time in relation to the previous record is in the Atlantic. We need to have a lead of at least 24 hours over Francis Joyon’s passage time to the Cape of Good Hope (12 days, 19 hours). He set the bar very high and we know his record is going to be a tough nut to crack. The toughest thing about this record is managing to finish with a boat at 100% of her capacity. That said, we believe the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild has reached maturity!”

Franck Cammas: “It’s the first time we’ve crossed the start line this year. We’re well aware that if we are to pull off this record, it’s important to have a bit of luck on our side with a good sequence of weather systems. The days we lose during the first phase could well be detrimental to the record, which is why we’ve taken time to set sail. We cannot afford to waste any time, especially as the reference time posted by Francis (Joyon / IDEC) is very good in the southern hemisphere! To break records, you first need to have a go.”

Morgan Lagravière: “I wasn’t really worried about whether we’d set sail. When you see how dynamic Charles and Franck are, we knew we were going to go for it. It’s a powerful moment, it’s also a moment when you’re bidding farewell to family, so emotions run high and there’s a sense that you’re united in the moment. Overall, it’s a very positive sentiment. After that, we have to keep a cool head as we know that there are a fair few uncertainties with this weather window. We really want to get down into the Southern Ocean. It’s a box I’m yet to tick in my career. The boat’s exceptional, the crew’s excellent: these are very good conditions for enjoying ourselves and doing something truly unique. We’re going to believe that luck is on our side and that the planets are aligned in terms of the weather.”

David Boileau: “Naturally, our mindset is a conquering one! We’ve been waiting for a month and a half so inevitably we’re very happy to be setting sail. There’s a sense of release for all of us. We know that the weather window isn’t great, but we’re going for it and we’re going to try our luck. If the weather doesn’t prove so favourable, we’ll turn back and we’ll wait for the next one. However, things are moving forward and we’re keen to have some fun and give our all!”

Erwan Israël: “It’s only the second time I’ve changed my clothes in the boat since the start of standby (laughs)! Ultimately, we’d never really planned to set sail, but this is the one this time! Inevitably, we were all a bit fed up with standby and monitoring the weather… Right now, we’re delighted, we’re all smiling and we believe in it. Though there is some uncertainty, the North Atlantic is pretty good and the weather window is interesting. We’re going to head upwind and hunt down a front tomorrow, which makes the challenge all the more appealing!”

 

Figures to note:

Crossing of the line: on 12 February 2022 at 13h 09min 30s UTC
Deadline for the finish to beat the record: 25 March 2023 at 12h 38min 59s UTC
Latest date to begin a record attempt: 8 March (in 1997, Sport-Elec)
Record to beat: 40 days, 23 hours and 30 minutes => Record held by Francis Joyon and his crew (Idec Sport) since 26 January 2017.

 

Charles Caudrelier, Franck Cammas and their crew left the port of Lorient at daybreak this Sunday 12 February to make for the Jules Verne Trophy start line offshore of the island of Ushant. On standby since late December, the men of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild have decided to try their luck, despite the rather atypical weather window. Gitana Team is preparing to take on an almighty challenge: to beat the famous record set by IDEC (2017) in 40 days, 23 hours and 30 minutes. Always an exciting and emotional moment, the passage across the line is scheduled for midday this Sunday. The timing will be tweaked during the delivery trip to Ushant in consultation with Marcel van Triest, router for the five-arrow team.

 

 

It’s the start of a great adventure and so begins at last an oceanic race against the clock and one of the most thrilling challenges on the sailing planet. Charles Caudrelier and Franck Cammas, two of the most experienced sailors in the discipline, together with their four crew, are preparing to make a bid for the Jules Verne Trophy, the outright record for circumnavigating the globe under sail, unassisted and without stopovers.

 

Gambling on a unique weather window 

The build-up to this moment has required a great deal of patience, a careful study of the evolution of conditions and the hunt for a favourable weather sequence between the North Atlantic and the South Atlantic. The standby commenced on 22 December 2022, just weeks after Charles Caudrelier’s victory in the Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe. Since Friday, the meetings between the men of Gitana Team and their router, Marcel van Triest have been steadily increasing. Indeed, a window has opened up for the team to set sail from the north-west tip of Brittany, though it’s not an obvious one. Having deliberated for quite some time – the option looking less pertinent on Saturday morning – the situation turned around again in the hours leading up to the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild’s departure this Sunday morning from her port of registry in Lorient.

 

 

There’s no doubt that it’s a big gamble for the team, particularly in light of the atypical weather window. “It’s nigh on impossible to have the perfect scenario in any case,” Charles Caudrelier has admitted many times over recent weeks. Though the North Atlantic looks very favourable, the gateway into the South is not so obvious. Everyone knows that the team will need to give it their all, plus they’ll need an element of luck and success to facilitate their passage offshore.

 

 

Such are the intricacies of trying to establish a new record and the whole crew was well aware of this when casting off from the dock in Lorient this Sunday morning. Hearts were racing, faces became a little more intense and the ambiance was a mixture of excitement and heightened concentration. Indeed, at the end of this adventure, which will require everyone to give their best, there is an opportunity to rewrite history. On everyone’s minds is the previous record, set in 2017 by Francis Joyon and his men following an exceptional sequence of weather conditions: 40 days, 23 hours and 30 minutes.

 

Sorry, this entry is only available in French.

Sorry, this entry is only available in French.

At the end of last week, just a matter of hours was all it took for the Gitana Team to go from the satisfaction of a record time for its descent of the Atlantic aboard its flying maxi-trimaran to the great disappointment of discovering damage on its rudder, which definitively put an end to its Jules Verne Trophy record attempt. Since then, the crew of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild has turned back and has spared no effort in what have been tricky weather conditions to reach more hospitable latitudes to the north. Up against a number of logistical constraints, directly linked to the health restrictions in force as a result of the global pandemic, the six sailors, in agreement with Cyril Dardashti and their router, Marcel van Triest, have decided to return to their home port via the sea and under their own steam, which means without stopping off to effect repairs in Cape Town, South Africa, as was initially envisaged.

 

 

Breakage is not compatible with safety or performance

“Our decision to abandon our attempt is a result of breaking the rudder stock on the starboard float”, Pierre Tissier reminds us. “It’s still too early to explain the exact reasons for this damage, even though we have had a lot of discussions with the crew and are able to substantiate certain hypotheses. However, access to the area in question is very difficult as the rudder system is too exposed on the boat’s aft section, meaning that lengthy investigations are not possible as yet. This is why envisaging carrying a spare part to make a replacement at sea is totally out of the question”, added the technical director of the five-arrow racing stable.

 

In fact, the question about a spare part has been raised on several occasions following the announcement of the team’s abandon. As such, it’s important to respond to this issue: “It’s worth noting that a rudder weighs around 200 kg and assembling or dismantling such a part requires a special procedure, up to three people and a support rib, and that is when the boat’s in a port and without heavy seas… Offshore, the crew does not have the necessary tooling and, above all, it is not able to access the area in question, which is a long way aft and is protected by the rudder ‘chimneys’”, explained Sébastien Sainson, the director of Gitana’s design office.

 

This damage forced Franck Cammas, Charles Caudrelier and their four crew to reluctantly interrupt a record attempt that was in full flight and looked very promising in terms of the upcoming weather… However, plunging down into the Southern Ocean, far from habitation and out of reach of any rapid emergency assistance leaves no room for approximation. At a latitude of 50° south, bordering on a zone prone to ice, the crew has to be able to be autonomous and in control of its trajectory under all circumstances.

 

 

“The Maxi Edmond de Rothschild is equipped with lifting float rudders, which is fortunate because since the damage occurred, the crew has been able to sail almost normally with the rudder raised. In practical terms, had this damage occurred further down the track in our round the world, we may have looked at things differently, however in our case, it’s the safety aspect that prevailed. We’d only just entered the Southern Ocean. We were unable to use one of our float rudders, which meant that the only way to steer the boat was by using the other float rudder and the central rudder” explained Pierre Tissier, with Sébastien Sainson providing more light on the subject: “Thanks to the experience we’ve gained and the numerous miles the Maxi has now covered, we’ve noticed that the central rudder is more exposed to impact than before, which must be down to the addition of the elevators. As a result, there’s an added risk of ending up with two damaged rudders and a boat that is impossible to steer in some of the remotest areas of the globe. It simply wasn’t reasonable and therefore it was unthinkable to proceed.”

 

Last but not least, there was the issue of performance. Taking on a speed record involves knowing what goal you want to achieve before you set sail. Given the exceptional time of 40 days 23 hours and 30 minutes recorded by Francis Joyon and his men, the moment we crossed the start line on 10 January offshore of Ushant, the sailors on the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild knew that there was no room for error. “If you were to put the safety issue in the Southern Ocean to one side, which obviously is not feasible in the real world, this breakage is a genuine handicap when the boat is sailing on port tack. We reckon that you lose around 20% of the boat’s potential. In the south, where the point of sail is predominantly off the wind, this would inevitably have had a major impact, but during a beat, which involves sailing close-hauled, or on a reach, we envisage that the speeds would have been even worse, except on starboard tack of course (namely pressed down on its port float and appendages) where the boat is intact. It’s tough, but that’s the nature of record attempts and the Jules Verne Trophy”, concluded Cyril Dardashti.

 

Hats off to Boris Herrmann

Just hours away now from the much-awaited denouement of the Vendée Globe, the present scenario is completely unprecedented with eight sailors grouped together within 500 miles. Added to that, a series of time bonuses are yet to be awarded, which should reshuffle the cards for the final podium, and for once this will likely differ from the line honours. At this historic moment, Gitana Team’s thoughts go out to Boris Herrmann. The German sailor, who is attacking his last night at sea in the top trio is the surprise of this 2020-2021 edition. He has sailed a masterful race aboard the Imoca Malizia Sea Explorer and has been proudly flying the flag of the Yacht Club de Monaco during this action-packed round the world. The 60-footer is none other than the former Mono60 Edmond de Rothschild, which the racing stable competed on in the race’s 2016 edition and it is a great source of pleasure to see one of the team’s former steeds performing so well. The final ranking will be revealed tomorrow offshore of Les Sables d’Olonne.

Sailing in the Indian Ocean since yesterday afternoon and their passage of the longitude of Cape Agulhas, the men of Gitana Team were positioned at 48°28 south at 11:00 UTC with a lead of over 860 miles over the record when they informed their shore team of damage to the giant’s float rudder to starboard. After a thorough inspection carried out by David Boileau, the boat captain, the verdict is in. The appendage’s stock is seriously damaged, which means the rudder can no longer be used on this tack. With the six sailors unable to effect repairs in the open ocean as the part would need to be entirely replaced, the crew of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild has been forced to interrupt its Jules Verne Trophy record attempt. Indeed, it is inconceivable for Franck Cammas, Charles Caudrelier and their four crew to take on the Southern Ocean with a boat that is no longer performing at her full potential. It’s a massive disappointment, as much in the roaring forties as in Lorient, at the heart of the technical base, but the most important thing right now is that the crew is able to head into more hospitable latitudes.

 

 

Contacted by Cyril Dardashti, the director of the Gitana racing stable, Charles Caudrelier shared his first impressions:

Sailing in the Indian Ocean since yesterday afternoon and their passage of the longitude of Cape Agulhas, the men of Gitana Team were positioned at 48°28 south at 11:00 UTC with a lead of over 860 miles over the record when they informed their shore team that they’d encountered some problems with the rudder on the starboard float, which is the leeward rudder and hence the one under load. Having reduced its speed, the crew is currently carrying out a thorough inspection of the appendages and its connecting systems with its experts onshore. Further information will be communicated over the coming hours.

 

Since their successive passages yesterday of the Cape of Good Hope at 11:37 UTC and then Cape Agulhas four hours later, the men of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild are navigating the Indian Ocean. The six sailors are having to deal with sailing conditions the crew describe as difficult. Indeed, with strong and shifty winds in terms of force and short, cross seas, the journey south is no picnic, particularly in light of the fact that this dive down towards the austral latitudes is accompanied by a significant drop in temperature. At the 06:00 UTC position report, Franck Cammas, Charles Caudrelier and their four crew were positioned at 48°28 south and had a lead of 887 miles over Idec Sport.

 

 

In the thick of things

The contrast aboard the flying blue maxi-trimaran is striking. There’s no doubt about it, the crew, now the fastest of all time on the descent of the Atlantic, has switched sailing mode since entering the Indian Ocean, as detailed by Yann Riou, contacted at daybreak: “It hasn’t been a very pleasant night. The wind is particularly shifty in force and it’s very tough to get the Maxi making headway as she should and at a constant pace in these conditions. We’re doing our best, taking it in turns at the helm quite a lot, but it’s not always easy. The sea state is really poor, not big but short and crossed, which is forcing us to helm as the autopilot gets lost in this kind of sea. The conditions are putting a strain on the both the men and the boat.”

 

With the crew now sailing close to a latitude of 50° south, the atmosphere has clearly cooled on deck and below the cuddy of the Maxi Edmond de Rothschild. “From one watch to the next, we can really feel the difference. We’ve been on a south-easterly heading since we passed the tip of South Africa and conditions today are a world apart from those yesterday. It’s been cold since last night and we’re having to equip ourselves accordingly before taking up our watch on deck. We’re here, it’s the Deep South!”, admitted the media crewman.

 

To tackle this new day in the Jules Verne Trophy record attempt, the sailors of Gitana Team have managed to retain a lead of over 887 miles in relation to their virtual adversary.