Armel le Cleach to return to Lorient with maxi trimaran Banque Populaire VII after no good weather windows present for solo North Atlantic record attempt

From the following press releas (in French) by the Banque Populaire team:

http://www.voile.banquepopulaire.fr/Armel-Le-Cleac-h/Le-Maxi-Solo-Banque-Populaire-VII-rentre-en-France-10119.html#suite

The rough bing translate is below:

The Maxi Solo Bank Populaire VII returned to France

 

Friday, July 25, 2014 - 16 h 20

 

100 days before the start of the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe *, Armel Le Cléac ' h puts an end to its stand started soon 2 months ago. The Maxi Trimaran Solo Bank Populaire VII should leave New York on the night of Saturday to Sunday, to its home port of Lorient, not in record configuration but in delivery of training for the next edition of the Route du Rhum. The skipper of The Bank of the sail and its router Marcel van Triest kept since the 2nd of June the evolution of weather conditions on the route between the metropolis American and the Lizard, looking for favorable conditions to hope to beat the Record of North Atlantic single-handed. An anticyclone settled on the course, added to the exceptionally low position ice South of Newfoundland have never allowed the meeting of the factors necessary to hope to beat the 5 days, 2 hours, 56 minutes, 10 seconds set in 2013 by Francis Joyon on his maxi trimaran Idec. Armel le Cléac ' h, faithful to its roadmap for the 2014 season, will start on the Atlantic for his fourth crossing of the year. After its two lounges in crew and his road to the victorious discovery single-handed, the skipper of the Maxi Solo Bank Populaire VII will join Britain with only Companion browser Gildas Morvan, which function on board as often as possible will be limited to observer and Advisor.

"We we were given the end of July as the date deadline of our stand-by in New York" explains Armel; "Marcel van Triest confirms me that no prospect emerges for the next 8 days. So, it's time for me to bring back the maxi trimaran at its home port of Lorient, to adhere to our timetable for preparation in the Route du Rhum. Three weeks of construction are indeed scheduled in August, in order to submit the boat a deep check of all, following his four lounges of the year. I want to sail intensively since the early days of September from the perspective of my priority goal, the 10th edition of the Route du Rhum. Since nearly two months that we monitor the evolution of the weather on the Atlantic phenomena, nothing really serious only has been proposed, and the presence of icebergs in the South of Newfoundland would have us forced to seriously extend the road. I leave New York without regret because the conditions to sign a time are not available to us. This new crossing of the Atlantic, however, will allow me to continue my training solo aboard Bank Populaire VII. I look forward to my brands. Gildas Morvan will be onboard to help me in difficult situations, but it will be before an observer and it is only that I will complete the heavier manoeuvres, living according to possible nearest rhythm solitaire."

 

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Spindrift Racing team optimise maxi trimaran Spindrift 2 for North Atlantic record attempt

The Spindrift racing team are optimizing the maxi trimaran Spindrift 2 for the upcoming North Atlantic record.  Work includes getting redundant weight off the boat including the engine, windward foil and pre-canting the mast to windward and fixing it in that position.

Spindrift Racing update, Tim Carrie on the logistics in Newport, RI and preparations for maxi trimaran Spindrift 2 arrival

Spindrift Racing update, preparation of the maxi trimaran Spindrift 2 for the North Atlantic record and the Route du Rhum

Spindrift Racing have put up a press release and video on the preparation of Spindrift 2 for the North Atlantic record and the Route du Rhum.

From the following press release:

http://www.spindrift-racing.com/2014/02/spindrift-racing-serie-40-metres-solo-episode-2-the-job-list/

This week our series, ’40 metres solo’, takes you behind the scenes of the Spindrift 2 boatyard in Lorient (France). Since December a team of twenty have been working to adapt the maxi-trimaran for a 2014 programme with the dual requirement of the crewed North Atlantic record attempt and the solo Route du Rhum. They will be working for four months until April. With our guide, Antoine Carraz, who is the technical manager and a sailor with Spindrift racing, we will see the incredible ‘job list’ the team has. 

We follow the camera. Perched 10 metres above the ground near the bow of the central hull, we listen carefully: “With Spindrift racing, we are tackling the records held by this boat, which is the largest in its class. To beat them, we must optimise the machine,” Antoine explains. “This year, we are doing crewed and solo. We made ​​choices to be able to perform in both pursuits. It also allows us to explore avenues of innovation for the Jules Verne Trophy, the flagship objective of our campaign with Spindrift 2.”

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and the video: