Spindrift 2 2019 Jules Verne attempt
- Thread starter yl75
- Start date
jb5
Super Anarchist
https://voilesetvoiliers.ouest-france.fr/course-au-large/trophee-jules-verne/trophee-jules-verne-yann-guichard-spindrift-en-stand-by-le-plus-gros-risque-c-est-un-ofni-62dc2788-102e-11ea-aff8-b1a3d2598acf
I think this is new. Rough translation only.
Yann Guichard, skipper of the maxi-trimaran 40 meters Spindrift 2, has granted us an informative interview. The crew could go to the Jules Verne Trophy at the end of the week in Brest, if the weather window - a mouse hole - wants to open. Goal: to break the world tour record held by Francis Joyon (IDEC Sport) in 40 days and 23 hours. But how is it organized onboard the largest oceanic multihull on the planet and what are the risks?
You had to stop your stand-by for a while. Why ?
Yann Guichard: We had a problem with the rudders - a tip problem that could have worsened at high speed. On this type of boat, it takes time to repair and it took three weeks. It's done, and we are waiting again in Brest since yesterday Monday.
There are situations where we go 3 to 3,5 knots faster than before thanks to the combination of foil and rudders
there have been changes on Spindrift 2?
Yann Guichard: No. The only novelty is that we can modify the rake of rudders. This allows under strong conditions to change the trim a little and navigate more "aerial" by relieving the float. In fact when you have foils that lift upwards, the bows are naturally relieved, but since you do not have much behind, it's a little "dragster" and you're driving up! By modifying this rake, we can raise the float a bit and reduce the wet surface and the drag. So, there are speeds where we go 3 to 3.5 knots faster than before thanks to the combination of foil and rudders.
There were opportunities to leave during this project?
Yann Guichard: In fact, the only opportunity was possibly November 5 when the departure of Brest Atlantiques took place in strong wind and big sea. We would have gone very quickly indeed, but since the four Ultims then found part of the South Atlantic to be upwind in harsher conditions, it would not have worked. We have no regrets.
How is this waiting period for the crew?
Yann Guichard: It's not easy. You are waiting at your place. We meet with the entire crew once or twice a week to do sports together, but everyone is preparing physically and mentally for his part everyday. We scrutinize the weather, and as we have longer-term visibility and improve every year, we look at ten days to see if there is an opportunity to leave or not. We must stay focused. You are in the race without starting.
Do you have daily exchanges with Jean-Yves Bernot, your router?
Yann Guichard: Jean-Yves (Bernot) sends a daily weather point to Erwan (Israel) the navigator, then we discuss it together if things are more precise.
And you have a protocol with the crew in relation to a possible departure?
Yann Guichard: Yes. There are red, orange, green codes for go. Me, I send every day an email with a brief weather situation and a word like "no departure in five days ..." But it is not because there is no departure within five days you should not be involved. It's really restrictive for everyone. You can not go for a walk at the end of the world ... You must be ready to join the boat within 24 hours even if for five days it was said that there was no potential departure.
It must be quite difficult to live?
Yann Guichard: I'm not hiding that it's long enough to wait from October to January. You can not plan anything else, so it's pretty hard to live, especially when there are no opportunities. But that's the record of the records. With the rudder problems we had, we decided to postpone this stand-by until mid-December.
Compared to the original crew and the hard core, there are new ones?
Yann Guichard: Yes. Corentin Horeau replaces Sam Goodchild and Greg Gendron Christophe Espagnon. They are very good. I'm not worried. Otherwise we were all on board last year.
Everyone takes turns depending on the conditions, but this is not the competition for the one who will beat the speed record.
How are the twelve organized?
Yann Guichard: I'm off-watch like Erwan (Israel) the navigator. The other ten work in pairs. So there are five of them. Four people are on deck, two on stand-by and four at rest. But we do not work like the "French" with quarters of four that change suddenly. It's a little complicated to explain, but we prefer pairs that are twice 96 minutes on the deck before being replaced by those who were on stand-by. This stand-by quarter is alert 48 minutes before and 48 minutes after. So it's three rotations in 24 hours. It may seem odd, but one is doing very well, and two you never have four new guys on the deck. It is important to have this continuity in the settings and the performance of the boat.
You Helm a lot?
Yann Guichard: Not very much in fact. Everyone takes turns depending on the conditions, but this is not the competition to whoever will beat the speed record. Me, I take the helm on the maneuvers like the gybes or the changes of sails. For reefing, shift leaders are at the helm. Like everyone else, I spend a lot of time on the winch column.
How many days of food have you planned?
Yann Guichard: We're leaving with 41 days of refueling ... so with two days of rab. Now, if we have to ration a little on the end because the weather has meant we are not on time, we will not starve.
What is the weight?
Yann Guichard: 600 kilos! We are lighter by more than half a ton, and it is felt on the performance.
We saw that on the Transat Jacques Vabre and Brest Atlantiques, there were many collisions with UFOs. Can we imagine that it is a permanent fear?
Yann Guichard: This is not new and today it is the first cause of abandonment. When you hit something at high speed, the damage is important. Today, we do not have an effective system. This will probably exist someday. François Gabart on Macif when he went around the world in 42 days, returned without having problems with his appendages, but during the last races, we saw that it was a real worry. And we must add that with these huge foils and boards and rudders , you multiply the risks. We could consider having sonar, but as the boats fly and there is no small size available we must forget it. There have been tests of infrared camera and Marc Guillemot worked on it with Safran. Everyone would have to work together to find a reliable system. And if you go at 40 knots, you need something that can detect an UFO or a fish well beyond 200 meters because otherwise it is already too late to react.
do you think the oceans are getting dirtier?
Yann Guichard: I'm not able to verify it, but there are not just containers or logs that are lying in the water. There are many marine mammals that are hit. It's sad for the boat, but also for them. It hurts them, especially since they have not asked for anything and are at home! And in the big South, you have more chances to meet them.
I think this is new. Rough translation only.
Yann Guichard, skipper of the maxi-trimaran 40 meters Spindrift 2, has granted us an informative interview. The crew could go to the Jules Verne Trophy at the end of the week in Brest, if the weather window - a mouse hole - wants to open. Goal: to break the world tour record held by Francis Joyon (IDEC Sport) in 40 days and 23 hours. But how is it organized onboard the largest oceanic multihull on the planet and what are the risks?
You had to stop your stand-by for a while. Why ?
Yann Guichard: We had a problem with the rudders - a tip problem that could have worsened at high speed. On this type of boat, it takes time to repair and it took three weeks. It's done, and we are waiting again in Brest since yesterday Monday.
There are situations where we go 3 to 3,5 knots faster than before thanks to the combination of foil and rudders
there have been changes on Spindrift 2?
Yann Guichard: No. The only novelty is that we can modify the rake of rudders. This allows under strong conditions to change the trim a little and navigate more "aerial" by relieving the float. In fact when you have foils that lift upwards, the bows are naturally relieved, but since you do not have much behind, it's a little "dragster" and you're driving up! By modifying this rake, we can raise the float a bit and reduce the wet surface and the drag. So, there are speeds where we go 3 to 3.5 knots faster than before thanks to the combination of foil and rudders.
There were opportunities to leave during this project?
Yann Guichard: In fact, the only opportunity was possibly November 5 when the departure of Brest Atlantiques took place in strong wind and big sea. We would have gone very quickly indeed, but since the four Ultims then found part of the South Atlantic to be upwind in harsher conditions, it would not have worked. We have no regrets.
How is this waiting period for the crew?
Yann Guichard: It's not easy. You are waiting at your place. We meet with the entire crew once or twice a week to do sports together, but everyone is preparing physically and mentally for his part everyday. We scrutinize the weather, and as we have longer-term visibility and improve every year, we look at ten days to see if there is an opportunity to leave or not. We must stay focused. You are in the race without starting.
Do you have daily exchanges with Jean-Yves Bernot, your router?
Yann Guichard: Jean-Yves (Bernot) sends a daily weather point to Erwan (Israel) the navigator, then we discuss it together if things are more precise.
And you have a protocol with the crew in relation to a possible departure?
Yann Guichard: Yes. There are red, orange, green codes for go. Me, I send every day an email with a brief weather situation and a word like "no departure in five days ..." But it is not because there is no departure within five days you should not be involved. It's really restrictive for everyone. You can not go for a walk at the end of the world ... You must be ready to join the boat within 24 hours even if for five days it was said that there was no potential departure.
It must be quite difficult to live?
Yann Guichard: I'm not hiding that it's long enough to wait from October to January. You can not plan anything else, so it's pretty hard to live, especially when there are no opportunities. But that's the record of the records. With the rudder problems we had, we decided to postpone this stand-by until mid-December.
Compared to the original crew and the hard core, there are new ones?
Yann Guichard: Yes. Corentin Horeau replaces Sam Goodchild and Greg Gendron Christophe Espagnon. They are very good. I'm not worried. Otherwise we were all on board last year.
Everyone takes turns depending on the conditions, but this is not the competition for the one who will beat the speed record.
How are the twelve organized?
Yann Guichard: I'm off-watch like Erwan (Israel) the navigator. The other ten work in pairs. So there are five of them. Four people are on deck, two on stand-by and four at rest. But we do not work like the "French" with quarters of four that change suddenly. It's a little complicated to explain, but we prefer pairs that are twice 96 minutes on the deck before being replaced by those who were on stand-by. This stand-by quarter is alert 48 minutes before and 48 minutes after. So it's three rotations in 24 hours. It may seem odd, but one is doing very well, and two you never have four new guys on the deck. It is important to have this continuity in the settings and the performance of the boat.
You Helm a lot?
Yann Guichard: Not very much in fact. Everyone takes turns depending on the conditions, but this is not the competition to whoever will beat the speed record. Me, I take the helm on the maneuvers like the gybes or the changes of sails. For reefing, shift leaders are at the helm. Like everyone else, I spend a lot of time on the winch column.
How many days of food have you planned?
Yann Guichard: We're leaving with 41 days of refueling ... so with two days of rab. Now, if we have to ration a little on the end because the weather has meant we are not on time, we will not starve.
What is the weight?
Yann Guichard: 600 kilos! We are lighter by more than half a ton, and it is felt on the performance.
We saw that on the Transat Jacques Vabre and Brest Atlantiques, there were many collisions with UFOs. Can we imagine that it is a permanent fear?
Yann Guichard: This is not new and today it is the first cause of abandonment. When you hit something at high speed, the damage is important. Today, we do not have an effective system. This will probably exist someday. François Gabart on Macif when he went around the world in 42 days, returned without having problems with his appendages, but during the last races, we saw that it was a real worry. And we must add that with these huge foils and boards and rudders , you multiply the risks. We could consider having sonar, but as the boats fly and there is no small size available we must forget it. There have been tests of infrared camera and Marc Guillemot worked on it with Safran. Everyone would have to work together to find a reliable system. And if you go at 40 knots, you need something that can detect an UFO or a fish well beyond 200 meters because otherwise it is already too late to react.
do you think the oceans are getting dirtier?
Yann Guichard: I'm not able to verify it, but there are not just containers or logs that are lying in the water. There are many marine mammals that are hit. It's sad for the boat, but also for them. It hurts them, especially since they have not asked for anything and are at home! And in the big South, you have more chances to meet them.
SCARECROW
Super Anarchist
I have no idea why but this team just doesn't excite me.
terrafirma
Super Anarchist
Because they keep failing for one reason or another.! Is this 3rd time lucky? If my memory serves me right but feel free to correct me please...
QBF
Super Anarchist
Ahstom
Member
Their project doesn't include much communication. They don't participate in major offshore event. Therefore they keep the image of the wealthy owner that bought a (very) big boat, racing for their own interest without sharing much. Add a few unfortunate event that could be related to amateurism (VOR Lorient 2012 and dismasting just leaving Brest harbor) and you have the perfect combo !
I believe if they win the Jules Verne, they would finally get respect from the offshore scene
To compare, Gitana while being also very wealthy, has a totally different reputation.
Last edited by a moderator:
jb5
Super Anarchist
That potential window to go on Sunday is still there but the trade winds look bad later in the week. No posts from the team on their website or FB. Not that that is anything new.
- Thread starter
- #10
It doesn't look too bad to me (if they start at the very beginning of the window), they should be past Gibraltar latitude very quickly, and then the trades are ok at least along the African coast and the canaries, the current Ushant to Equator record is 4d20h (Spindrift last attempt), so they can be fast, as to the doldrums and beginning south Atlantic, they probably will need to get very close to Brazil (around Friday 6th), but then a low seems catchable.
They clearly should go anyway, btw, the top part of the V&V article you linked above, hints at them going for this window.
Last edited by a moderator:
SCARECROW
Super Anarchist
jb5
Super Anarchist
https://instagram.com/stories/spindrift_racing/2187146603614683107?utm_source=ig_story_item_share&igshid=1fd7jd70no86g
Indeed. Dona B on IG saying possible start this weekend. Last training video shots on the link.
terrafirma
Super Anarchist
Agreed I'm not aware of who is running their campaign or their boat but the passion needs to extend to making the boat better and sailing more often. Yeah they are unique in terms of owning and running a boat of this size.
jb5
Super Anarchist
Wow, nice catch ! how did you find that one ? Following DB on IG ?
Its on Dona B's IG blog under Spindrift. Nothing on the Spindrift's IG in either posts or blog that I can see. Typical.- Thread starter
- #16
Another article in V&V hinting at a possible start Sunday or Monday (top part of the article) :
https://voilesetvoiliers.ouest-france.fr/course-au-large/trophee-jules-verne/trophee-jules-verne-erwan-le-roux-boat-captain-de-spindrift-le-bateau-est-plus-aerien-ad4da8e8-f3df-11e9-a446-dbd46bceca8d
https://voilesetvoiliers.ouest-france.fr/course-au-large/trophee-jules-verne/trophee-jules-verne-erwan-le-roux-boat-captain-de-spindrift-le-bateau-est-plus-aerien-ad4da8e8-f3df-11e9-a446-dbd46bceca8d
jb5
Super Anarchist
jb5
Super Anarchist
Just took another look at Windy...It still looks possible by leaving Sunday. They have to go almost all the way west after the Canaries and Thursday looks difficult around the equator but hopefully past it by then? I would think Monday would be too late.
