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Macif is on Standby, Ready to Attempt the Single-handed Round the World Record

The start of the standby period for the single-handed round the world record starts today, Sunday 22 October. Franรงois Gabart is already studying the weather situation closely with the routing team run by Jean-Yves Bernot.

In the last two years, the man they call โ€œthe Wizardโ€ has established a relationship of total trust with the skipper of the MACIF trimaran and his team, to decide on the best window to set sail and step up to the plate of this single-handed round the world record!

How the standby period works

Franรงoisย Gabart is ready and so is the MACIF trimaran. All that remains is to choose the rightย time to leave and this means opting for an ideal weather window to get the record attempt off to a good start.

Aerial image bank of the Maxi Trimaran Ultim MACIF, skipper Francois Gabart, off Les Glenans, brittany, west France, on march 29, 2016 – Photo Jean Marie Liot / DPPI / MACIF

โ€œToday,ย we are considering a weather window that takes us roughly up until the equator. Our main concern is having goodย weather as far as the southern hemisphere. Obviously, when the boat sets sail, we have a fair idea of what to expect asย she makes the transition from the North Atlantic to theย low pressureย areas of the South Atlantic, but there is still someย uncertainty. We will have to cross our fingers so that everything after that works wellโ€, explains Franรงoisย Gabart.

The skipper of MACIF, the team, and the weather routing team have made the departure procedure as simple as possible.ย โ€œThe advantage of a solo record, is that we do not have the constraint of bringing a crew home. On the other hand, thereย are still about thirty people working on the project in need of clear information. It is also important to inform the public,ย so that people can come and see us on the day we set off and so that they can follow the adventure.โ€

Colour codes: in practice, how do they work?ย 

โ€œRed means that no weather window is in sight. We indicate the number of days ahead of us in which it is unlikely thatย we will set sail. It can be a very short period, just like it could last four to five days, but it shouldnโ€™t be much more thanย this.ย If it is orange it means a window is forming. When it turns green, this means weโ€™re leavingโ€, says Franรงoisย Gabart, whoย will give the final go-ahead.

Photo Jean-Marie Liot / DPPI / Macif

Weather routing team important to the skipper

Franรงoisย Gabartย has been using the services of Jean-Yvesย Bernotย from the start of the project, to help analyse weatherย conditions to choose a departure date and will use them again for tactical choices in relation to his route.

โ€œI have knownย Jean-Yves since I started offshore racing in the Figaro, but I was already reading and rereading his books when I was sailingย on Optimists! Beyond his experience and his undoubted skill, he is a very good teacher, capable of explaining veryย complicated things simplyโ€. The man they call โ€œthe Wizardโ€ on the pontoons worked alongside the skipper of MACIF whenย he won the Transat Jacquesย Vabreย 2015 and The Transatย Bakerlyย in 2016 (routing was not allowed on The Bridge) and theyย have established a very trusting relationship.

gabart_macif

โ€œThe trust is total and necessary, since, arguably, he is the man I will discussย things with the most often during this round the world. Jean-Yves will be my crewman, my alter ego ashoreโ€, confirmsย Franรงois. โ€œThis is a two-way relationship. I think he also trusts what I am capable of doing on the boat and my ability toย apply a strategy he suggests.โ€

Jean-Yvesย Bernotย will be accompanied by Julienย Villion, who has been working with him for several years, along with threeย members of the MACIF trimaran team: Antoine Gautier, Guillaumeย Combescureย andย Emilienย Lavigne.

โ€œThe idea is to rely on Jean-Yvesโ€™ clear expertise in routing, but also on people who are familiar with how the MACIFย trimaran handles. Antoine, Guillaume andย Emilienย work on the boat all year long. The first two took part in The Bridge. Theyย can provide valuable information to Jean-Yves and Julien on how to handle her in a variety of conditions.ย This is whyย theyย have both been sailing with me a lot during training sessions. It was essential that they get the full measure of the boat andย that they see how she handles in the wind, in flat calm, by night and by day.โ€

On watch 24 hours

From the start of the standby period and then during the round the world, the weather routing team will work at fullย capacity, with the aim of suggesting the best possible routes to Franรงoisย Gabart. They will have little room for leeway inย beating this record, currently held by Thomasย Covilleย at 49 days, 3 hours, 4 minutes and 28 seconds.

Photo MACIF

โ€œDuring the record,ย they will work constantly, 24 hours, 7 days a week, to analyse the weather situation, give it due thought, pass around theย routings, and provide me with answers if I have questions, but they will also process the data from the boatโ€, says theย MACIF skipper.

โ€œI must admit that I love this field. I like to spend time comparing my points of views with the others, butย perhaps I should allow myself to take guidance from time to time so that I can concentrate more on performanceโ€, he ends.ย Faced with the need to optimise every second, Franรงoisย Gabartย does not rule out changing the way in which he deals withย routing during this round the world.

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