Saturday 14 September 2013

Thomas Coville and the Sodebo team validating modifications made to the maxi trimaran prior to going on standby for another attempt at the solo round the world multihull record

From the following article (in French) on http://www.sodebo.fr

http://www.sodebo.fr/voile/actualites/article/place-navigation

and the rough bing translate below:

Five weeks before the start of the stand-by for the record of the round the world single-handed (18 October-Brest), the schedule is very busy for Team Sodebo. Adjust, calibrate, validate and ensure, the smallest detail that will improve the performance of the maxi-trimaran and facilitate life on board for his skipper. Wednesday, Thomas Coville and his crew volunteered an express return to the estuary of the Gironde. Training of 24 h, in varying conditions 10 to 23 knots, summed up in two words by Thomas Coville: pleasure and satisfaction!
 
Still as fabulous!
After his injury this winter on the road to the discovery and a season to navigate on Sodebo M34, Thomas was eager to regain the helm of his trimaran. Back in La TrinitĂ©-sur-Mer, the smile is there and the look still amazed on this beautiful bird of 31 meters. " I'm made for this, the multihull, speed, sliding... It is a pleasure boat, I have a lot of luck! « » Launches the Sodebo skipper, always surprised, never weary of the sensations that provide such a boat. " Downwind is magical because it does nothing, it is very demanding. There is a mixture of adrenaline and anxiety when it is sailing at more than 30 knots. It is a positive voltage. I had to utter the same words to describe the M34 this summer because I love sailing, being at sea and in the race, but there is definitely not the same thing! "Smiles Thomas.
 
Within centimetres...
After several outings in the day, Team Sodebo entered the heart of the matter with this first training of 24 hours at sea. Left Tuesday evening, Thomas and his team have headed south with a downwind descent to Bordeaux and a rise at the close, the opportunity to test the trimaran in the configuration "World Tour" after his summer construction in varied weather and rough seas. « I am very pleased, we have really gained in speed and performance by optimizing the management of the boat. We have worked on auto-pilot control on night navigation and its specificities in terms of instruments and the sails. We especially tested our two gennakers turns to compare under similar conditions. With Martin Gaveriaux, responsible for performance within the Team, the idea is everything noted on their use depending on the environment, the corner of navigation, so that we have similar references during the World Tour. We will pick the small detail that could make the difference. »
 
Teamwork to record solo.
If it is not alone on board, his teammates are there as observers. The skipper of the maxi-trimaran Sodebo realizes it even maneuvers and bar 90% of his time. I am the only one to feel the boat in this way, to realize on a shipment of sailing or on a manoeuvre if cela force abnormally or not. Many, it would distort our data but we are communicating a lot between us on this type of training. It is nice to have outside eyes on my way of doing things. »
After three laps of the world single-handed (two in a multihull and a monohull) and seven years of navigation on the trimaran, the skipper is broken in solitude and endurance exercise. For this 4th the Record attempt around the world single-handed, work on performance is so privileged! " I have more need to spend a lot of time at sea. 24 or 36 h, it's good timing. Beyond, on cumulative fatigue. It is better that I forbid and that I physically strengthens me to Earth at a few weeks of the stand-by. » Says Thomas.
 
The program of the coming days, still drives! Whether at sea or ashore, now, Thomas Coville has more than one thing in mind: make the tour of the planet by the 3 caps within 57 days, 13 hours, 34 minutes and 6 seconds, record held since 2008 by Francis Joyon.
 
Sodebo maxi trimaran, photo courtesy Sodebo.fr
 

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