Gitana 13 - Final Sprint to San Francisco

The Route de l'Or - After setting out from New York over thirty nine days ago to challenge the Route de l’Or record, Gitana 13 passed under the symbolic barrier of 1,000 miles to go, shortly before midnight last night. Currently off the coast of Mexico (State of Lower Southern Carolina), Lionel Lemonchois and his nine crew are on the final sprint to San Francisco.

For over three days, the maxi-catamaran equipped by Baron Benjamin de Rothschild has benefited from a NE’ly air flow of around fifteen knots, to climb northwards with the ridge of high pressure. These stable conditions associated with relatively calm seas have enabled Lionel Lemonchois and his men to rack up some fine average speeds throughout the weekend. “We are upwind but our sheets are eased slightly at 60°to the wind, under full mainsail and solent. The seas are fairly moderate, which is enabling us to hold onto raised speeds, even though it’s not a point of sail our steed is particularly fond of!” highlighted Dominic Vittet.

On deck the odd bit of spray, which brushes Gitana 13’s trampolines, authorises the sporting of light foulies. This attire is quite adequate in the still pleasant temperatures, which are reigning off Mexico.

On a NW'ly heading, the 33 metre catamaran is rounding its trajectory to conserve a favourable wind angle. This is set to be the case until midway through the week, when Lionel Lemonchois and his crew change over onto another point of sail; a compulsory tack to make San Francisco bay with the help of what they hope will be a NNW'ly air flow. “We are still on starboard tack and will be for another two days. According to the latest forecasts we'll have at least one tack to perform 24 or 36 hours before our arrival, as we are going to stumble across the edge of the zone of high pressure. However, other small tack changes may be envisaged in order to remain in a good vein of wind.”

Given the latest routing, Dominic Vittet estimates that Gitana 13 could reach the foot of the infamous Golden Gate Bridge on the afternoon of Thursday 28th February (US time) and thus conclude what has been a tremendous adventure lasting over six weeks. In the meantime, some fine hours of sailing still lie in store for the ten sailors of the Gitana Team.

"Today it is our 40th day of sailing on the big blue. Suffice to say that for the majority of us, seven out of ten to be precise, we have largely exceeded our previous time spent at sea. It is rare to tackle courses as long as this, the sole exception being that of the non-stop round the world voyages. Lionel Lemonchois, Ludovic Aglaor and Florent Chastel were together aboard Orange 2 during the Jules Verne Trophy for just over 50 days. However, the prize for the ‘longest time at sea’ evidently goes to our skipper. On this same Route de l’Or in 1994, on the monohull skippered by Isabelle Autissier, Lionel snatched the record in a time of 62d 5h 55’!

It remains that time at sea is a rather abstract concept. Six days ago, we were passing the equator, six days that we haven't noticed go by. This wasn’t the case during the climb downwind along the Easter Island high. Indeed there, whilst the sailing conditions were 'idyllic', the days appeared to be more drawn out. This was doubtless due to our inactivity because since we've been on the move again, like this weekend with a fine upwind navigation under skies of an incredible pureness, the watches have been absolutely flying by.

This 40th day is also the opportunity to celebrate our symbolic passage under the barrier of 1,000 miles remaining until we cross the finish line situated, not under the Golden Gate Bridge, but at the foot of the no less renowned prison of Alcatraz. We hope to reach this islet in the middle of San Francisco Bay, a site now playing host to tourist visits, on Thursday 28th February. With 700 miles covered during the past 48 hours and similar sailing conditions forecast, we may well get there a little earlier. Here we have this N'ly wind of around fifteen knots then, forbidding a direct course. To make our destination, we’re going to have to put in some tacks, thus extending our course. We'll do everything we can to get there as soon as possible, but that won’t prevent us from making the most of the final days of what is a beautiful, long voyage."

Photo credit: Gitana 13 - Gitana S.A.