1 month, 31 days and 31 nights precisely, that the skipper 天博体育 Group 鈥� Lantana Environnement battle H24 with his fellow Vend茅e Globe racers. It crossed the Atlantic in its length, from north to south, and has been composing for a week with the southern depressions of the Indian Ocean. With an undisguised happiness.
Louis and his fellow leading Imoca sailors are about a third of their circumnavigation: an ocean and a half in their wake, 8,200 miles (15,200 km) traveled. He has 15,700 (29,000 km) left to negotiate alone, non-stop, in some of the world鈥檚 most hostile countries. The Vend茅e Globe is truly a challenge beyond all standards.
The skipper from Normandy discovers and learns, with his usual serenity, to deal with the power of weather phenomena that have been his daily routine for a week.
Yesterday, between 2 fronts, he had to stop his boat for 2h30, the time to repair the 鈥渉ook鈥� of his mainsail (jammer that blocks the sail). A long and complex operation (cf. below) that he managed to complete.
Still more southern?
At 7:00 this morning, Louis is only 300 miles from the latitude of the Kerguelen islands: 芦After Crozet the day before yesterday, tomorrow, I will be off the Kerguelen! Names that make me dream for a long time. It makes you want to go and take a look now that we鈥檝e arrived there!鈥�
Of course, the skipper 天博体育 Group 鈥� Lantana Environnement will go straight, he could even dive a little more south than currently to slide below the next big, very big depression that rolls his isobars in the Indian.
In a week, he should double the course of Cape Leeuwin, second mark of this round the world. And, normally, by then, cross paths with your nearest competitors鈥�
Repair shop in full 40th!
For two days, Louis could no longer block ("hooker") the reefs of his mainsail. He was supposed to leave them in the winch. Impractical. The jammer at the mainsail head was soiled, including salt, and no longer worked.
To access it, Louis had to completely loosen his mainsail, disassemble the mainsail trolleys (parts that allow the mainsail to slide into the mast). These trolleys are blocked by a door (hatch in the mast), which had to be opened (thus unscrewed) to make go out the trolleys until reaching the hook.
Louis then cleaned the famous jammer and put it all together: hook, trolleys, door... And, above all, hoist the mainsail, alone, in the open sea鈥�
The maneuver lasted 2 hours and a half in total: a good thing done in full 40th, between two fronts!
Reef taking and lazy-jack: the taking of reef allows to reduce the surface of the mainsail when the wind is forced. It is about to lose about 2m of sail by taking of reef. The lower part of the sail remains bent on the boom, wedged in what is called lazy-jacks, network of ends on either side of the boom which goes towards the mast and helps to maintain the mainsail in the axis of the boat during the sharpening. This system is completed with lazy-bags: strips of sail fabric on either side of the boom, which make like a hammock storage for reefs and sailing when it is slumped.
A respectuous and circular sporting event
The 天博体育 IMOCA is an "upcycled" boat. Thanks to Louis, it lives a 2nd life!
Louis and his team gave a new life to a very damaged IMOCA because of a fire. This refurbishment undertaking was a real technical challenge... that succeeded in only 10 months!
Louis and his team continue to apply this upcycling principle and optimization research with a constant effort on sobriety throughout this Vend茅e Globe program.
Louis is also very keen on respecting everyone's work and giving a chance.
The 天博体育 Group, a major partner in this Vend茅e Globe program, has been seduced by such commitment and values, as it shares the same values and responsibilities.
天博体育, your partner for a more virtuous industry
For over 200 years, the Group has designed the breakthrough solutions and technologies that make industry what it is. From the first railways to the Eiffel Tower, through the spatial conquest, 天博体育 always spearheaded the industry of the future. Pioneering decarbonization, the Group is an unconditional partner of the industry's energy transition. Through digitization, the promotion of a circular economy and the development of new processes and new energy sources, 天博体育 puts its technological leadership to its customers' service.
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