Thursday 10th December 09 I grab the chance to look over Groupama 3 - also here in Cape Town for repairs!
A lot of phone calls made, with Tom on board early to try to organize repairs to be done and fix times for people to come to the boat as soon as possible.
Later in the day, I met Manuel in whose boatyard, not far from the Royal Cape Y.C., Groupama 3 was berthed while repairs were finished and where they were waiting for their replacement generator to arrive by plane from France. I jumped at the chance to look over the boat when I gathered he was about to return to Groupama with the new generator's arrival imminent. In the absence of Franck Cammas, Fred Le Peutrec is skipper on the return sail to Brest from Cape Town and he very kindly showed me, together with Alex & Pete from 'Berrimilla', over the enormous trimaran - an amazing boat to be on.
I found the mast size incredible (along with the rest of it!) and looking over the interior accommodation, together with communications/weather/video equipment , was fascinating . While I was there, at the end of my guided tour, word came that the new generator had arrived .... everyone gathered around to admire it and Friday was to be spent fitting it in place, ready for a 4 a.m. local time departure on Saturday (4 'rubber ducks' and one tow boat to get her out to sea) to start her sail back to Brest, ready to re-start her world record speed attempt for the Jules Verne Trophy. (Their 'weather/time window' for the attempt lasts until the end of February)