Don’t disregard Cheyenne’s record just yet

by Event media on 9 Mar 2005 Bruno Peyron and his crew on Orange II knew the climb back up the North Atlantic was not going to be an enjoyable one, and yesterday morning GMT, the boat speed began to drop off dramatically to around 11-12 knots, as the result of a big ridge of high pressure being impossible to round and the wind conspicuous by its absence.

The maxi-catamaran’s crew has no other choice than to cross it and be slowed for four to five days. This rather unusual meteorological situation in the North Atlantic for this time of year may cause Orange II to lose three of its nine day lead over Cheyenne’s record.

Confidence still reigns aboard, but each of them knows that they’re going to have to just grin and bear it for now.

On Tuesday morning at 0400 GMT Bruno Peyron reported, ‘It’s gradually easing off, the wind is very light. We are preparing to spend four to five special days like this.

‘The situation has not developed. We’re going to have to cross through the 200 mile thick ridge of high pressure. We have no choice. It’s all very complicated as the anticyclone is installing itself behind and will pass over our heads from left to right.‘

‘As a result, we will be going very slowly for four days. We should make 1000 miles during the four days (instead of a normal two days), which isn’t going to be much fun.

‘This will be the slowest part of our round the world. Normally, the anticyclone is in position (level with the Azores), and we can round to the left of it with the trade winds below, but the whole system has been destroyed by a depression now passing across it.

‘It remains complicated behind as the transition with the depression is not very reliable either. It could be worse. We’ve known for some time that this was going to be difficult.

‘We’ve been preparing for it and we’re doing what we have to do. All this may make us lose nearly three days.'

References

Day at sea : 43rd

Date : 08/03/2005

Time (GMT) : 03h40

Latitude : 13 09.64' N

Longitude : 37 21.64' W

Instantaneous speed : 11.4 kts

Instantaneous heading : 334

Average speed : 12.1 kts

Speed over 24 hr : 17.5 kts

Distance over 24 hr : 419 nm

Speed since the start : 23.0 kts

Overall distance : 23571 nm

Distance remaining : 2657.20 nm


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