Orange II waiting for some pressure

by Event media on 12 Mar 2005 On Monday, Bruno Peyron warned, ‘we’re going to stall for at least four days and unfortunately he was right; Orange II had its wings clipped as light winds from an unfavourable direction are impeding their progress.

The last two 24 hour stretches Orange II has produced just 100 nautical mile days of distance made good. The performance on these days remains nonetheless high in these high pressure conditions, as they negotiate a nasty little chop running towards them.

As the boat is actually making a daily average along the ground of 270 miles, after having been up to over 10 days ahead of the outright record, their lead has now shrunk back to 8, but the whole crew would have given their right arm for such a scenario 46 days ago.

With part of the anticyclone still to round today and tomorrow, followed by the hunt for the trajectory of a depression to the north of it to make good speed to the finish, Bruno Peyron retains the same ETA.

The 14-strong crew should cross the finish line between midday Tuesday 15 and the evening of Wednesday 16, prior to making for Brest, Orange II’s first stopover port.

From Bruno Peyron at 0400 GMT this morning, ‘we know exactly what’s happening. We know that we’re in the right place, there is no impatience aboard.

‘We’re all still trying to make the most of it as there’s not going to be any more of this for a very long time after all. We’re not even at the latitude of the Canaries, so the temperature is ideal.

‘The wind is coming from the East and will continue to clock round towards the South. We’re beginning to get to the left of the anticyclone and we’re following the lift.

‘You have to go easy so as not to hit its centre. Our VMG will remain poor for another day and a half. Another anticyclone is forming above us at the moment. This is totally normal, the system is moving back into place after the big depression disrupted everything and pushed it all deep into the South.

‘Above that, there is air from a depression, with even a strong south-westerly air flow forecast. As a result we remain with the same ETA. We are sailing with the code zero this morning which replaced the solent.

‘As soon as there is a little more pressure, we’ll be able to hoist the large gennaker and gybe onto a really north-easterly course. In a little less than two days, we’ll really be able to branch off towards the finish.’

References :

Day at sea : 46th

Date : 11/03/2005

Time (GMT) : 04h18

Latitude : 23 50.52' N

Longitude : 43 07.68' W

Instantaneous speed : 10.2 kts

Instantaneous heading : 4 degrees

Average speed : 10.2 kts

Speed over 24 hr : 11.5 kts

Distance over 24 hr : 276 nm

Speed since the start : 22.2 kts

Outright distance : 24347 nm

Distance remaining : 2321.90 nm


Website: http://www.maxicatamaran-orange.com