[Garnalennet] einde oefening maxi tri Groupame II

[niels.tempel op trimaran-trojka.nl]

Van de Groupama site:

2008/02/18 - 08h44
Groupama 3 capsizes in the Indian ocean, the crew is safe and sound
Jules Verne Trophy
Last night at 2343 UT, Franck Cammas, skipper of the trimaran Groupama 3
engaged in the Jules Verne Trophy, alerted the shore crew to the capsize
of the maxi trimaran.
© Jacques Caraës

The crew of Groupama 3 in the rescue helicopter

"We have just capsized. The leeward float broke in two, leading to the
breakage of the two beams and then the subsequent capsize. The crew is all
together, taking refuge inside the central hull of Groupama 3. None of the
10 crew are injured. There are 5 to 7 metre waves and 25 to 30 knot winds.
The seas are breaking and for the time being we're not putting anyone
outside".

Positioned 140 km to the East of the port of Dunedin in New Zealand,
Groupama 3 had only been sailing in the Pacific Ocean for a short time.
With a day's lead, after 24 days at sea, over Bruno Peyron's time, current
holder of the Jules Verne Trophy, Franck Cammas and his nine crew were
really handling Groupama 3 with care, as watch leader Franck Proffit
detailed to us just a few hours ago:
"We are in really built up seas, with waves of 6 to 7 metres. We can't
drop down too far South as there are winds reaching 50 knots. We are
therefore adopting a fairly N'ly course as far as New Zealand so as we can
then gybe and slip along nicely again. The Pacific should bode better for
us.
Groupama 3 is very sound and she behaves exceptionally well in this type
of sea; at the helm with 7 metre waves, the floats plunge and never bury
into the waves".

Immediately they were informed, the Gris-Nez rescue services in France
alerted their New Zealand counterparts in order to perform the rescue of
the crew of Groupama 3.

One plane and then two helicopters were sent to the zone three hours after
the capsize. The 10 sailors were all airlifted by helicopter at 0330 (UT)
and then repatriated to Dunedin, on New Zealand's South Island.

A telephone conference with Franck Cammas will be organised early this
morning.