From left to right : Margaux, Lucas, Jean-Marc, Basile, Camille (ACT’ team), Anne-Laure et Anne with Dante from Peruano Yacht Club, just before the start
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The Race for Water catamaran cast off on Saturday night at around midnight (Swiss Time) leaving Peru behind her after a two-month stopover. Aboard, 6 sailors. Ahead of them, 1,300 miles and the city of Valparaiso, where their ETA is around a fortnight’s time.
The low-down on the boat and crew:
Jean-Marc, you have the role of Technical Director and Ship’s Captain, the latter of which you alternate with Pascal Morizot. Do you pair up on all the posts aboard? If so, what is the reasoning?
Jean-Marc Normant: “In fact, every member of the crew works as a pair with someone else. We made this decision to guarantee there is regular rotation and thus ensure there is the possibility of replacing a member of crew if need be and also because for some, the time spent sailing is fairly long, given the duration of our Odyssey, so we need to allow for a period of rest and recuperation on land after numerous days on the ocean blue.”
Who is making up your crew on the trip from Peru to Chile?
JMN: “Aboard the boat as we set sail from Lima bound for Valparaiso, we’ll have, ladies first:
- Anne-Laure Le Duff as second in command. Having already racked up a few miles aboard Race for Water, Anne-Laure is now very familiar with her and fulfils her role to a T.
- Anne Le Chantoux, who is rejoining us after a well-earned holiday, is a highly efficient and versatile sailor, as well as being our official interpreter; Spanish holds no secrets for her and nor does English!
- Margaux Chalas, who is aboard for the first time. She’ll be taking up the role of steward. Over the few days at sea that lie ahead, we’ll be able to get to know each other better.
Then on the male side: - Lucas Rabiet, who isn’t part of the crew, but he may as well be; he’s a ‘must’ as a hydrogen specialist.
- Basile Prime, our engineer. Always very busy, he ensures that all our on-board systems are maintained and goodness knows there are a lot of them on this very special boat”.
Immersion, impressions:
Margaux Chalas is the newcomer aboard and takes up the role of bursar. Having only arrived a few days before the start, Margaux has already bonded with the group. Impressions: “A new ocean. A new country. A new boat. A new team. A new post. The organisation is well-oiled, everyone knows their job and the division of roles is just right. The shore teams have done a massive amount of work preparing her and you can feel that. Coming into a crew, which has been on site for several weeks means you can more easily get your bearings! I haven’t discovered even 1/10th of all the bilges, hiding places and stowage aboard Race for Water, so that’s one of my next personal missions! The jobs list is endless and that’s the delight of life aboard, you never get bored on a boat, there’s always something to do! We’re beginning to cast our minds forward to the Transpac (TransPacific), a major logistical stage. Fortunately, there will have been some time to get some training in during this fortnight of sailing en route to Chile. It will give me the necessary hindsight to prepare myself fully for the coming months. In any case, I’m delighted to finally be here. I’ve been hopping with impatience for months at the idea of getting started. I was stuck at school this winter dreaming of balmier climes! J”
The sea and the navigation aspect:
The Foundation’s boat will likely bend her trajectory around a little. Indeed, a direct route would certainly be shorter but it would take her through significant amounts of cloud cover, which is visible on the grib files. Added to that, the wind on the nose along the coastal zone will be weaker there than it is offshore. Another factor in this sector is the Humboldt current. It’s a surface ocean current, orientated from south to north, which will be against us and more substantial inshore than offshore.
Jean-Marc Normant, Captain of the ship describes the leg: “Our trajectory will be the result of a balance between the clouds, the wind and the current on the one hand and the sunshine and the boat’s performance on the other.”
Race for Water and her crew are expected into the military port of Valparaiso in early June.