Monday 28 October 2013

Spindrift Racing, maxi trimaran Spindrift 2 prepares to depart with favourable weather window to challenge Discovery Route record

From the following press release on the Spindrift Racing website:

http://www.spindrift-racing.com/2013/10/francais-route-de-la-decouverte-spindrift-2-sur-le-depart/

Spindrift 2, the world’s largest racing trimaran, and its 14-strong crew, led by Dona Bertarelli and Yann Guichard, can at last foresee a weather window within the next 24 hours which could launch their attempt to beat the record set between Cadiz and San Salvador (Bahamas). Spindrift 2 has been on standby in Portimao, southern Portugal, since 7 October, waiting to attack the record set by the maxi trimaran Groupama in 2007. The large black and white trimaran is hoping to cross the start line in the bay of Cadiz on Tuesday 29 October around 12:00 GMT.

The three weeks enforced “standby” in Portimao was partly because of the significant collapse of the Azores high-pressure system and the continuous chain of active low-pressure systems hitting the western coast of the Iberian Peninsula.  The high pressure is finally gathering strength and generating sustained North-Easterly winds ideal for the first stage of the crossing towards the Canary Islands.  “This means the trade winds are picking up again,” explains Richard Silvani from Météo France, weather analysis and routing partner to Spindrift 2 on her first great transatlantic challenge. “The Azores high pressure system is moving into the ideal position for Spindrift 2,” he says.

read more here

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