Not Pacific
Lionel
Lemonchois and the crew of Gitana
13 reached Yokohama this afternoon after an 11-day crossing of the
Pacific on a very direct Northern route. Their time took nearly 4 days
off the San Francisco-Yokohama record set by Geronimo in 2006 –
that’s around 25%, a bigger margin than Joyon’s recent obliteration of
Ellen’s solo RTW record. Gitana’s trip passed through two nasty low-pressure
systems, including a storm with 60-knot winds and 10m waves that hit on
their approach to Japan.
From Nicholas
Reynaud:
“As for life aboard, it will be said that we did the essentials, namely
eating, sleeping (when that was possible) and being on deck. There wasn’t
a lot of embellishment in our schedule, Gitana 13 leaving us speechless
with its capacity to take a pounding. Not a single piece of damage suffice
to say. Even though we were never over the limit, quite the contrary in
fact with a fine safety margin at times, Captain Lionel certainly imposed
a fast pace. He lets nothing pass him by. Sailing alongside him, you immediately
understand why he left all his adversaries in his wake in the Route du Rhum
2006.”
Photo
of the final storm is courtesy of Gitana S.A.
