A departure in the evening for Francis Joyon on Idec Sport
On November 18, we announced that Francis Joyon would be starting the Jules Verne Trophy this Saturday, November 21. But since then, the data is constantly changing and Idec Sport's departure was compromised.
On Wednesday 18 November, Francis Joyon confirmed the code orange for the crew of Idec Sport, but on Friday 20 November, in consultation with his router, Francis Joyon decided to change back to code red. The departure on Saturday 21st November was no longer envisaged. However, this Saturday, November 21, Francis Joyon gathered his crew for a new weather briefing in conjunction with his router, Marc Van Triest.
After a press conference at 12:30, Francis Joyon announced that he was switching to code green, which means an imminent departure. It turns out that the weather window observed for a week is opening again this morning for a possible departure in the afternoon. The big red trimaran will leave the port of Brest this afternoon to cross the start line in Ushant in the evening.
Idec Sport - © JM Liot/DPPI/IDEC
"We decided to leave earlier, because we saw that there was a chance of hooking the low-pressure area which is in the South Atlantic and so we are leaving today with this idea. We are leaving in a very windy day: 30 to 35 knots of wind over Brest, much more over Ushant. The starting conditions are not going to be easyâeuros¦" explained the sailor.
Yann Guichard's departure in the night on Spindrift 2
Spindrift 2 who is also preparing to attempt the Jules Verne Trophy record should be setting sail soon. Leaving last Wednesday from La Trinité-sur-Mer, to reach Brest, the black trimaran arrived there at 4 pm.
This Saturday, November 21, the crew of Spindrfit 2 confirmed a departure in the next 24 hours for the Jules Verne Trophy round-the-world record attempt.
"It's a good window that we must not let pass. We have decided to leave Brest in the next few hours with an imminent departure for the round-the-world race on Saturday night. The descent of the North Atlantic will be fast with a time at the equator around 5 days. The conditions are going to be difficult in the Bay of Biscay and during the first 36 hours. It's going to be fast downwind and that's what we were looking for explained Yann Guichard.
Spindrift 2 - © Eloi Stichelbaut
"We switched to code green after looking at the latest weather file we received this morning, confirming a start tonight in rough conditions. We're going to have to preserve the men and the machine. There are still some uncertainties in the South Atlantic where the weather models diverge a little, but we're taking our chances, because we're not going to turn down a window like this one confirmed Donna Bertarelli, Yann Guichard's partner and member of the Spindrift 2 crew.
The trimaran should leave the island of Ushant in the next 24 hours, after studying the latest weather files this morning. The skipper and the routing cell are refining the time at which the team will cast off from Brest (quai Malbert) during the day, but the trimaran will probably cross the start line at night.
