Groupama 3 update - under tow, upside down
by Richard Gladwell, Sail-World on 21 Feb 2008
Groupama 3 is now the subject of an intense salvage operation SW
Sail-World's sources in Dundedin have countered earlier reports that the trans-oceanic racing multihull, Groupama 3 which capsized on Monday had been righted, as was earlier reported by news sources this morning.
Around 1300hrs today, Thursday, they advised Sail-World that Groupama 3 was under tow, still inverted, and that she was not expected in port until Friday evening,
It is believed that she is being towed to Dundin, the home port of Clan Macleod, the vessel engaged to cary out the salvage operation.
It is not known whether attempts will be made to right the 32metre multihull once they near the New Zealand coast.
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The Clan MacLeod was engaged by the Groupama 3 crew on Tuesday, leaving at 20:00hrs on Tuesday night arriving at the upturned hull and debris on Wednesday morning. At that stage it was expected that the trimaran would have drifted north and out to sea to be 120 nm from the New Zealand coast.
The plan was to retrieve the broken mast on board the Clan Macleod, and tow the two pieces of hull structure.
Fortunately conditions in the area were perfect for the salvage attempt, and from television footage it would have been expected that the operation would proceed very quickly, if it was going to be possible.
It would seem that is exactly what has happened.
Next task will be to find a way of shipping the damaged multihull back to France, where it is intended to effect repairs and make another attempt of the Jules Verne Trophy.
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