Jules Verne Trophy

Back in France after righting Groupama 3 in the New Zealand port of Dunedin, eight of the crew of the giant trimaran were in Groupama's press centre in Paris today to answer questions from journalists and web surfers during today's press conference. Extracts from the interviews...

The Route de l'Or - After setting out six weeks ago in the conquest of a record never before coveted by a maxi-multihull of Gitana 13’s dimensions, Lionel Lemonchois and his nine crew are experiencing their final hours at sea on this Route de l’Or. However, the weather situation currently reigning off the California coast, is forcing the men of Gitana Team into a ser

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.

Gitana 13 - The Route de l'Or: Lionel Lemonchois and his nine-man crew are again plying northern-hemisphere waters. They crossed the equator today, Tuesday 19 February, at 1:56’39’’ (French time), at a longitude of 97°W. Team Gitana thus spent 26 days 17 hours and 32 minutes covering the 7,500 miles between equator crossings in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Sailing off New Zealand, Groupama 3 capsized following the breakage of her port float. The ten men were very quickly airlifted via helicopter by the New Zealand rescue services and taken to Dunedin (South Island). They will do everything they can to salvage the trimaran once the conditions on zone have improved.