Rounding the Horn - Gitana13

As if to compensate Lionel Lemonchois and his team for the five days they had to wait at the door to the Pacific Ocean, the wind god Zephyr accorded his clemency to the men of the maxi-catamaran fitted out by Baron Benjamin de Rothschild. This reprieve was highly appreciated by the team, especially since Gitana 13 was set to run into another low-pressure system off the Chilean coast several hours later.

The sailing conditions experienced by the boat since rounding Cape Horn on Friday, 8 February at 12:54am (French time) and the formidable speeds that it was again enjoying stand in sharp contrast to the days spent in the shelter of Tierra del Fuego waiting for a window to open in the weather. Thierry Duprey du Vorsent expressed his contentment Friday, early in the evening: “It’s a real pleasure to get back the feeling of making progress. After spending long hours with no sails up while waiting to round the Horn, we're now flying the big gennaker and the full main. We're under full sail. The wind is blowing 25-28 knots, but the water is relatively smooth and manageable, so we’re on a reach, making good time. That’s a big change!” But at 55°S, conditions onboard the maxi-catamaran remain chilly: “It’s like being back in Brittany! The sky is overcast, a light drizzle is falling and the temperature is still pretty low. We need gloves, hats and multiple layers of polar fleece when on deck."

After more than 24 hours of good progress, a new low-pressure system is forecast along Gitana 13’s path. Dominic Vittet and Lionel Lemonchois, with the on-land support of their faithful route-finder Sylvain Mondon, are carefully planning the coming hours: “We tacked along the coast yesterday afternoon and steered a course of 270°. Our goal now is to get as far west as possible so that we can sail along the eastern edge of the next low-pressure system. It will be pretty powerful, but by positioning ourselves this way we'll be able to avoid the worst of the system and continue working toward the Easter Island high-pressure system. At least that’s the plan."
Emotions run high for the new Cape Horners

With six first-timers among the boat’s ten sailors, it’s easy to see how intense a moment the rounding of the most legendary of the world’s capes was onboard Gitana 13. Dominic Vittet, Thierry Duprey du Vorsent, Olivier Wroczynski, Fred Le Maistre, David Boileau and Léopold Lucet had a magnificent Cape-Horn baptism, as the 33-meter catamaran passed the famous rock a stone’s throw away. Lucet, the youngest crewmember, had the honor of steering the maxi-catamaran during this long-awaited moment.

Expected slow-up 11.02.2008

Onboard Gitana 13, the thrill of rounding Cape Horn is fading as the crew gets back to business in blustery conditions. Lionel Lemonchois and his crew of nine had a busy weekend, as they had to deal with unstable winds along the coast of Chile.

The men onboard the maxi-catamaran equipped by Baron Benjamin de Rothschild were again knocked around by restive seas with winds gusting at 50 knots: and of course they were sailing close-hauled.

The waters along the Chilean coast lived up to their unforgiving reputation, as Gitana 13 had to weather another low-pressure system: “We got pretty battered about for the past few hours. We’ve had rain, wind and high seas...but that’s par for the course in this area. The winds here are always relatively strong and unstable, which whips up difficult and uneven seas. We call these seas ‘boat-breaking’,” said Lemonchois yesterday evening.

After the tumult, Gitana 13's ten sailors face totally different conditions today: a light breeze. Lemonchois and his crew are currently skirting around the Easter Island high-pressure systems lying to the west. After this transition, they will reach the southern-hemisphere trade winds. This transition area is tricky, with weak and shifty winds. They have to make it through as fast as possible.
They will then reach southeasterly winds, which translate into long reaches in sustained winds. “We’re really looking forward to getting back into some milder weather. Not only for the improved sailing, but for the sake of the crew. We’ve been wrapped up in our oilskins for nearly 15 days, and we simply can't wait to strip off our layers of polar fleece,” said the skipper of Gitana 13.

As soon as it taps into the trade winds, the 33-meter catamaran will open up its stride and pick up the pace. There's only one concern, according to Lemonchois: “In the latest forecast, we see that the trades sometimes lose strength. We just need to hope that they come through for us."