Raphaela Legouvello set for April departure

by Event Media on 30 Mar 2006 It was around 10 a.m. when the sailboard packed in its transportation crate departed, towed behind the truck (like in the film Mad Max) to Exmouth,1200 km north of Perth, a small port the size of Pénestin in Brittany. This last day in Fremantle was spent mainly with our sponsor SUEZ who, via its subsidiary SITA Australia, had organized, different public relations events, including the press conference and a visit to a school. So we attended the lunch time 'barbecue-party' in the presence of SITA's collaborators Environment Solutions and the Australian Water Services (Degremont). The day ended with a very nice VIP evening organized at the Fremantle Sailing Club, again showing their unconditional support for Raphaëla and her team. These ten days spent at Fremantle have enabled Raphaëla to recover from her jet lag and become acclimatized to the temperature. Raphaëla continues her daily physical training and closely follows evolutions in the weather conditions at the departure zone.

Saturday 25 March. In the morning the team flew off to Exmouth and after the hour and a half plane trip, landed in the desert then drove the remaining 40 km to discover the last stage before the big day. Tropical temperatures are the order of the day, with 32°C and 36% humidity. The truck transporting the sailboard and the zodiac was awaiting their arrival on an empty car park, in the middle of nowhere.

The rest of the day was spent unloading the platform and getting their bearings, settling in at the hotel: a detached bungalow enabling the team to prepare Raphaëla's special meals.

Sunday 26 March: Good news: there is an Internet café (the only one in the village), so communication can continue with the rest of the world and the first attempt was a success, using the magic of Skype. The line to Anne Combier, who'd returned to Paris, was perfect. This is what Cyril Ducrot, in charge of the technical side, had to say at the other end.

'We unpacked the board this morning and this afternoon we've just finished applying the anti-fouling coating to the hull, except those places the board is resting on. We'll finish it off when we put it in the water. We won't be doing that till Tuesday or Wednesday, because there's a cyclone 300km away from here, not filling but it'll bring us winds of up to 40 knots, and rain. Here, nobody is worried - they are used to it. But we are going to stow the board safely in a hangar until it's all over.'

Monday 27 March 2006: A short Skype conversation this morning bringing fresh news: about the cyclone, Raphaëla says, 'It's weakening and is moving a bit further south. Tomorrow there'll be a lot of rain but, according to the latest news, it's going away. It's no longer a cyclone.'

Raphaëla confirms that the board will be in the water by Wednesday 29 March, followed immediately by a trip out on it. 'This afternoon, we'll put the zodiac in the water to take a trip along the east coast (where the departure will be) and study the departure conditions.'

It is essential for Raphaëla to reconnoitre since she will leave the deep bay of Exmouth under sail if the wind conditions allow; she will have to distance herself as far as possible away from the coast during her first day at sea. Her team will follow the windsurfer's progress for 24 hours, in order to deal with anything unexpected during her first night at sea.

So the week will be devoted to a trip out at sea in real conditions every day until the day of departure. Today, her board is at its maximum weight, carrying its final load.

Departure expected around the 5 April depending on weather conditions.

Raphaëla's SailBoard:

Architect: Guy Saillard
Shipyard: J.P.K. Composites (Larmor-Plage) in 2001, Sailing Concept (La Ciotat) in 2002-2003, Estuaire Plaisance Services (Arzal) in 2005
Overall length: 7.80 m
Length on board line: 6.80 m
Master beam (max width): 1.30 m
Beam on board line: 1.14 m
Maximum thickness:0. 75 m
Draught: 1.05 m
Loaded weight: approx. 500-550 kg
Material: epoxy resin and carbon fiber with airex foam and internal honeycomb bulkheads.
Batteries: 12V /120 AH (4 units SBS30, Electromaintenance)
Electrical installation: aviation cables, Sunpower regulator (OceanElec)
Solar panels: 7 in parallel (Webasto), one independent, total 12V / 120 W
Watermaker: Power survivor 12V/ 5 litres/h
Telephone: Iridium fixed and mobile (official suppliers E.T.N.A. and TDCom)
Positioner: GPS Furuno GP 50 Mark 2
Radio: VHF Icom IC GM 1500
Computer: portable watertight Panasonic: CF-18 Toughbook.
Rigging: official supplier Neil Pryde, 6 battened sails in mono-film screen (modified RAFJET standard sails), 4 sizes, 5.2 to 7.4 m2; 4 masts of 4.60m in carbon and 3 booms.
Food: approximately 100 kg of food taken on board at departure comprising whole dishes, dehydrated and freeze dried, dried meat, dried fruit, energy bars, biscuits, concentrated milk with sweetener, jams, honey ...
Pharmacy: a kit of about 11 kilos made up by Dr. H. Chevreuil.
Miscellaneous: one complete tool kit, sailing clothes and rest clothes, survival suit (TPS Guy Cotten), sleeping bags, reefer jacket, batteries, books, MP3 reader, gas cartridges, spot-lights, distress flares, survival blankets, thermos flask, etc.
Total on-board weight 250 kg.
The living quarters are a space of little more than 1m3.