Monday, April 25, 2022
Since its origin, in January 2011, the philanthropic association of general interest OceanoScientific primarily targets young people in CE2-CM1-CM2 classes with the aim of making them RESPECT and LOVE the Ocean. To this end, Carla Di Santo, Scientific Coordinator & Diving Manager of theOceanoScientific Expeditions, assisted The Sea Workshop on Wednesday April 13 to take a group of twenty-four girls and boys aged six to twelve on a snorkeling trip to raise their awareness of the marine environment and to discover the animals of the Mediterranean shallows in their natural habitat. These children are from one of the programs offered by Synergy Family, co-founded by Laurent Choukroun and Frank Tortel, which has offered for more than ten years the opportunity for all kinds of activities aimed at individual and collective development. This trip to sea, financed by"Marseille Capital of the Sea", registered in operation "A step towards the sea", resulting from the collaboration of four partners: Marseille Capitale de la Mer, Synergie Family, Le Cercle des Nageurs and the CMA CGM Foundation. Thus, children learn to swim and live edutainment experiences to understand, love and respect the sea. Let us remember on this occasion that "Marseille Capital of the Sea" brings together the living forces of the Marseille city, whether economic, cultural, industrial, craft, sporting, gastronomic, environmental, academic, social, or institutional, to enhance the sea as an urban resource. The association team OceanoScientific is therefore happy to support this initiative to raise awareness of the major role of the sea in our urban lives.
Tuesday, July 27, 2021
News 2015
Friday 18 December 2015
On the way to a better World…
TheOceanoScientific Explorer "Boogaloo" collecting scientific data at the ocean – atmosphere interface off the costs of Portugal during last spring. The more the scientists will get reliable in-situ data, the more the evidence of climate change will be proved. Photo OceanoScientific
After days and nights of negotiations, often carried out with hesitation: one step forward and two steps back, the COP21 has finally reached an agreement gathering the 196 parties: 195 countries and the European Union. Some will say it is a failure because the text that was signed is not binding enough. Some others, which we are part of, consider it is a huge success, gathering the representatives of the 196 countries -the whole world- on the same way, turned towards the future, with the best intentions, what a remarkable effort! This is a success because we are now all on the same starting line with a common aim ahead of our bows. It is sure that some countries will commit more or less quickly in a virtuous circle. It is not that they do not want to. Simply that they cannot. We must take them into account without pointing them. But let's try to help them not to turn tail and run in the wrong way. Our elected representatives will have to take care about that. And we should not forget that when mentioning the ecosystem -ecological one by definition- it would also be useful to mention "the financial ecosystem", may we combine these two words… It imposes indeed its rules in the whole world and its resources are mainly based on the business of fossil raw materials intended to energy production. Forgetting that will be like hiding one's head in the sand and the back in the air, like ostriches. That is inefficient. Dangerous as well. This shows a part of the complexity of this worldwide problem. That is why the fact that all the countries showed their will to build a better World during this Conference of Paris, is already a success. This was orchestrated with spirit by Laurent Fabius, his teams and all the NGOs, which were often supported by major scientists, committing themselves body and soul in this fight. Especially at the time when the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) just published its yearly report mentioning for the 2015 season the highest number of strong hurricanes ever detected in the Pacific (9) for more than 40 years (1971), including the most violent one ever, named Patricia, with winds exceeding 320 km per hour, as a consequence of the reinforcement of El Niño during the summer. 2015 ends therefore with a positive note, even a historical one. 2016 will therefore be the Year 1 of a huge fight with 196 participants, especially in favour of the Ocean, fruit of all the efforts of the Ocean & Climate Platform and of our modest contribution. Happy New Year to all…
Tuesday 17 november 2015
Healthy Ocean - Preserved climate
The 2015 Paris Conference on Climate (COP21) will take place from Monday 30 November to Friday 11 December. This is the most important diplomatic event ever carried out in France. Forty thousand people will attend the event, including the heads of states of 195 countries, as well as the European Union, i.e. 196 major players. All will be working on the basis of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports, that are the fruit of more than 2,500 experts' work, including 35 prestigious French scientists, among which Jean Jouzel, vice-President of the IPCC and 2007 Nobel Prize with Al Gore. The Ocean Climate Platform, including the OceanoScientific foundation, supports an ambitious universal and legally binding agreement, and points out that the Ocean remains the forgotten piece of the climate negotiations.
"Taking action for a healthy Ocean and a preserved Climate",this is the message of the Ocean Climate Platform members, for the COP21 and beyond. So that the Ocean we are plying with greed
keeps on bringing us its countless benefits. Photo OceanoScientific
During the COP last editions and especially during the COP15 in Copenhagen in 2009, which was a fiasco despite the voluntarist involvement of the French government, the Ocean was the forgotten piece of the debates. The Ocean is the main global climate regulator. Covering 71% of the surface of the Globe, it produces over 50% of the oxygen in the air we breathe, absorbs approximately 30% of the CO2 and 93% of the excess heat generated by human activity. Because it is now urgent to fix this inconsistency change, on the brink of COP21, the Ocean Climate Platform presents nine concrete recommendations, based on the excellent work done by its Scientific Committeeincluding for example Françoise Gaill, Gilles Bœuf and Laurent Bopp, just to name three of its 25 members.
These nine recommendations in favor of the Ocean, keystone of the adaptation to climate change, are:
1- Provide decision-makers with a state of science on suitable concerns and measures regarding oceans and climate change, including via an IPCC Special Report on Oceans.
2- Consider the importance of healthy and functional ecosystems to face climate change, by catalyzing the implementation of a consistent and resilient network of marine protected areas.
3- Acknowledge the role of marine and coastal ecosystems as natural carbon wells (blue carbon).
4- Develop Marine Renewable Energy (wind-power, hydro-power, tidal-power and wave-power) while preserving marine biodiversity.
5- Guide maritime transport energy transition and develop innovative technological solutions for safer and more environmentally friendly vessels.
6- Support in priority adaptation measures for the most vulnerable regions, including coastal zones in developing countries, territories and Small Island Developing States.
7- Strengthen transfer of technology towards the most vulnerable coastal and oceanic states and regions. International cooperation must include marine ecosystems adaptation and protection projects.
8- Explicitly dedicate part of the Green Climate Fundto marine and coastal projects: protection of mangrove, wetlands and vulnerable areas with an extremely high CO2 storage capacity.
9- Improve consistency of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Changewith existing Ocean related agreements, including "Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)".
Let's hope now that the 196 heads of states gathered in Paris will be able to find the best way to help Humanity getting out of this terrible situation in which we have entered. The task is huge, the issues are colossal and interests are divergent. Hopefully, we have Hope for a better world and a preserved Ocean...
Thursday 15 october 2015
Preparing for the expedition 2015-2016
The team of V1D2 headed by Marc Lefebvre gets the OceanoScientific Explorer
"Boogaloo" back at sea in the port of Caen (Normandy - France).
Photo OceanoScientific
The OceanoScientific Explorer"Boogaloo" returned to the water on Wednesday 14th of October in the port of Caen, at the V1D2 yard, where the annual maintenance was carried out after two years of testing navigations. During this period, the boat run 18,531 nautical miles (34,000 km) with the OSC Systemon her board. This maintenance carried out by the team of Marc Lefebvre, also consisted in the preparation of this sailing boat with a scientific vocation for the first expedition of the OceanoScientific Campaign 2015 - 2025, scheduled for the fall-winter 2015-16 and next spring. Not surprisingly, the check of the keel and rigging of the OceanoScientific Explorer designed by the Cabinet Finot - Conq and built -all in carbon- in Normandy (France), brought out the excellent condition of this performing vessel. From now on and for approximately one month, last checks will be carried out and the OSC System will be installed back onboard. This unique material automatically collects every six seconds scientific data of about ten parameters at the ocean - atmosphere interface in order to better understand causes and consequences of climate change, in favour of the international scientific community, receiving every hour this data transmitted by satellite from the OceanoScientific Explorer to the Earth. "Boogaloo" will leave Caen in early November heading for Lorient, and then for the Yacht Club de Monaco, where the great departure of this first expedition of about five months will take place.
Thursday 3 September 2015
Ségolène Royal on deck
Ségolène Royal headed the National Conference for Ecological Transition of the Sea and Oceans for Blue Growth and Climate, with Alain Vidalies on her right, Delegate Minister in charge for Transports, Sea and Fishing, and on her left, her scientific adviser: Gilles Boeuf.
Photo Bernard Suard (MEDDE/MLETR)
Ségolène Royal, French Minister of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy, gathered on Monday 31st of August in her Ministry, the French maritime players, including the members of the Ocean & Climate Platform, among which the OceanoScientific Foundation, in the framework of the National Conference for Ecological Transition of the Sea and Oceans for Blue Growth and Climate. "I suggested and obtained to carry out an Ocean day during the Paris Conference (COP21)" the Minister reminded at the opening of the conference. Then Gilles Bœuf, now scientific adviser of Ségolène Royal, reminded the essential facts illustrating climate disruption: "Life was born in the Ocean 3.9 billion years ago, and until fifty years ago, the degree of acidity of the Ocean was stable. But we now notice thirty additional per cent of acidity because of human activity". Françoise Gaill, Research Manager at CNRS (French National Center of Scientific Research), President of the French Specialized Committee for marine, maritime and coastal research (COMER), and coordinator of the Ocean & Climate Platform scientific committee, insisted on: "the necessity to understand the "Sea System", the importance of supporting the research and the need to put the spotlight back of the spirits on the maritime dimension". On his side, Frédéric Moncany de Saint-Aignan, President of the French Maritime Cluster, said: "it is fundamental that all the players of the French maritime sector get involved in the ocean research". Then people gathered for this occasion took part in the conference on various subjects like the necessary actions for offshore and deep sea areas and the impacts on the coastal areas. The aim of Ségolène Royal is clearly to: "determine ten to twelve priority actions to implement as from 2016 to succeed in the ecological transition, to get used to climate change, to make different activities and uses existing together in a blue growth perspective and to make French initiatives shining, as France is the second largest maritime domain in the world after the United States with eleven million square kilometres under its jurisdiction, including 97% in the French Overseas Territories and 7,200 kilometres of coasts". Through this action, Ségolène Royal expresses her real concern in the climate change as well as in its causes and consequences, as those observed in the Ocean, and her will to act efficiently. Giving a hand to the action of HSH. Prince Albert II of Monaco, the French Minister of Ecology intends to make the Ocean be a major topic of the Conference of the Parties on the Climate (COP21), taking place in Paris from Monday 30 November to Friday 11 December 2015, with the aim to obtain a formal commitment of the 196 participants to significantly reduce their greenhouse gas emission as soon as possible.
Tuesday 18 August 2015
OceanoScientific at PMO-5 in Chili
Pierre Blouch (Météo-France), E-SURFMAR Programme manager, presents the features of his database, in which appear the data collected by the OSC System onboard the OceanoScientific Explorer. Photo Martin Kramp - JCOMMOPS
The fifth international workshop of Port Meteorological Officers(PMOs) was held from 20 to 24 July 2015 in Vina del Mar, Chile. PMOs support observing programs aboard Voluntary Observing Ships (VOS) like the OceanoScientific Explorer. They are responsible for recruitment of new vessels as observers, especially freighters, and also for ensuring the quality of observations. For the nearly fifty participants, this fifth PMO workshop has provided a way to ensure that standard procedures proposed by World Meteorological Organization (WMO) are followed throughout the whole Voluntary Observing Ship fleet, and that the data produced comply with WMO standards. This was also the occasion for Pierre Blouch (Météo-France) and Martin Kramp (JCOMMOPS) to mention the efficient contribution of the OceanoScientific Programme in the VOS fleet, especially in the framework of the OceanoScientific Campaign - ATLANTIC MISSION 2013 - 2014 onboard the OceanoScientific Explorer "Boogaloo"- who will soon be back at sea for the first expedition around the world of the OceanoScientific Campaign 2015 - 2025.
Monday, July 20, 2015
Preparing the start
The OceanoScientific Explorer "Boogaloo" was hauled out at the V1D2 yard of Marc Lefebvre, in the port of Caen, for the annual maintenance.
Photo OceanoScientific
As from this year, the two months of the summer, July and August, will each year be dedicated to the annual maintenance of both the OceanoScientific Explorer "Boogaloo" in Caen at the V1D2yard headed by Marc Lefebvre and the OSC System, in Kiel at SubCtech, the company headed by Stefan Marx. Of course this summer 2015 will leave its mark on the OceanoScientific Programme as this maintenance is carried out just before the start of the first expedition around the world of the OceanoScientific Campaign 2015 – 2025, that should leave the port of Caen-Ouistreham around the 5th of September, heading for the Marina du Château in Brest, where the scientific base of the OceanoScientific Explorer is located (IFREMER, Météo-France, INSU/CNRS, JCOMMOPS…), and then Monaco, where the official start will be given at the end of October at the Yacht Club de Monaco. The boat will then head for Cape Town, her support base for the navigation around the Antarctica, the main part of this scientific campaign of a new kind. "Boogaloo" will be inspected in details in Caen at V1D2. Her mast was already hauled out and the keel taken apart. After more than 18,500 nautical miles (34,000 km) of sea trials, no damage was reported. This proves well that the OceanoScientific Explorer "Boogaloo" is in very good condition and is able to face the hostile seas of the Great South. On her side, the team of Stefan Marx at SubCtech in Kiel will check the different elements of the OSC System, including the OSC-Water and the OSC-Core. Sensors will be calibrated and mechanical items will be replaced by new ones. After nine years of R&D, the OceanoScientific Programme will now enter in its operational phase to automatically collect every six seconds scientific data of about twelve parameters that are essential for the understanding of causes and consequences of climate change, in sea areas subject to little or no exploration at the ocean - atmosphere interface. This will also be the chance for a world-first: the automatic transmission by satellite in near real-time (every hour) of the data collected around the world, including the Antarctic tour from Cape Town to Cape Town.
Stefan Marx (left), Director of SubCtech, received the OSC System 3.1
in his workshop in Kiel with Yvan Griboval. Photo OceanoScientific
Thursday 2 July 2015
OSC System 3.1 validated
Onboard the OceanoScientific Explorer "Boogaloo" in the Marina du Château(Brest), from left to right: Pierre Blouch (Météo-France), Thierry Reynaud (IFREMER), Dimitri Voisin (Mer Agitée) near the control screen of the OSC System on the on-board computer, Cindy Guillemet (SailingOne) and Martin Kramp (JCOMMOPS). Photo OceanoScientific
The OceanoScientific Explorer "Boogaloo" has anchored in Caen on Tuesday 23 June at V1D2, after exactly 18,531 nautical miles (34,000 km) run since she was put back into service in mid-September 2013. With the OSC System onboard, both finished their trial period before the departure of the OceanoScientific Campaign 2015 – 2025. The first expedition around the world, and especially from Cape Town to Cape Town around the Antarctic, will indeed start in next September-October, and will end in Caen-Ouistreham in late May 2016. This 23 June also marked the end of the preparation of the skipper, Yvan Griboval, back at sea after a 25 years break. From now on, man and materials are ready to start the cycle of offshore scientific navigations under the guidance of the scientific partners of the OceanoScientific Programme initiated on 14 November 2006. Almost nine years passed between the effective start of this project and the start of the operational phase, which aim is to transmit free of charge to the international scientific community data of about ten parameters, collected at the ocean – atmosphere interface in sea areas subject to little or no exploration, thanks to this unique material: the OSC System. Those nine years were carried out under the guidance of IFREMER, Météo-France, as well as with the collaboration of LOCEAN (INSU/CNRS), JCOMMOPS, and later on with the Villefranche Oceanographic Institute. All these collaborations have been driving forces and success factors… always in a joyous and enthusiastic atmosphere. Let's also note that the collaboration between the French company SailingOne, at the initiative of the OceanoScientific Programme and in charge of its development – but also of its funding - and the German company SubCtech(Kiel), created and headed by Stefan Marx, has been very productive. The OSC-Core 3.1 of the OSC System is equipped with an evolution of the OceanPack® developed by SubCtech, which is now marketed all over the world and especially renowned for its innovative pCO2 sensor. Finally, the success of the implementation of the OSC System also lies in the successful association carried out by SailingOne between the specialists of scientific materials on one side, including the team of SubCtech, and the specialists of the on-board computing of offshore sailing boats on the other side, with the talented PhD Dimitri Voisin, who works with the champion Michel Desjoyeaux within the company Mer Agitée (France). As from now on, the general maintenance will last the two months of the middle of summer, and this will be the final preparation before the start of the first expedition around the world. In short, serious matters start there…
Pierre Blouch (Météo-France): "The weather conditions on 4 May at 14h00 UTC, at the height of the storm undergone by Boogaloo, which observations automatically transmitted in almost real-time are pointed here on the map. The evening before, the 19h25 special "Offshore" weather forecast of Météo-France announced, for the Porto area: "Force 8 at some times on 4th of May between 09h00 and 21h00 UTC." The next forecasts maintained this alert level until 4 May evening. Boogaloo has gone through a 9 force during about three hours on that day". Map Météo-France
PhD Dimitri Voisin (Mer Agitée) carried out the OSC-Software that directs the OSC System, its automatic data collection and transmission every hour by satellite. The OceanoScientific Programme innovated as it associated the technology dedicated to scientific instruments of oceanographers, meteorologists, climatologists, and the technology developed at the highest level of performance on offshore sailing boats subject to hostile conditions of single-headed round the world sailings. Photo OceanoScientific
Wednesday 15 June 2015
Ocean and Climate: BETTER TOGETHER
H.S.H. the Sovereign Prince Albert II of Monaco on the rostrum at UNESCO headquarters in Paris on 8 June, to support the Ocean's Call for the Climate, his personal fight since many years as a Sovereign of the Principality and as the President of his dedicated foundation: Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation.
Photo P. Chiang-Joo - UNESCO.
The 8th of June 2015 will remain a historical date, celebrating the launching of a new wide and international campaign raising general public awareness about the importance of the Ocean regarding the climate system, and especially raising the 193 UN heads of states awareness. The aim is indeed to put the Ocean, that is to say 71% of the Planet, at the heart of climate negotiations, especially for the PARIS CLIMAT 2015 - COP21negotiations,that will be carried out in next December. The World Oceans Day- or Word Ocean Day could we write – was the occasion for an official celebration at the UNESCO headquarters. The Ocean's Call for the Climate, at the initiative of the Ocean and Climate Platform and its 57 members – including the foundation OceanoScientific - as well as the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO) marked the day. Laurent Fabius, carrying out the COP21 and French Minister for Foreign Affairs, opened this historical day. He confirmed that the COP21 will include one day dedicated to the Ocean and that funds will be dedicated to the protection of its ecosystems. As for the most involved head of state in this area: HSH the Sovereign Prince Albert II de Monaco, he concluded the speeches surrounded by heads of states of small islands badly hit by climate change, in the Pacific as well aes in the Caribbean, and by Karmenu Vella, European Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, who is himself conscious of this scourge as a Maltese. This little territory in the Mediterranean Sea is indeed subjected to the effects of climate change, and is in the front line when it comes to the exodus of African populations driven from their lands because of the dryness, the increasing scarcity of natural resources, the starvation.
All day long, round-table debates and conferences came one after another, in a harmonious atmosphere of sharing. This was the occasion for Yvan Griboval, President of the OceanoScientific foundation to take the floor during a workshop led by Catherine Chabaud on the topic: "The Ocean: a Source of Eco-innovations & Citizen Commitment to building a Blue Society". At this occasion, the OceanoScientific Programme was presented, as well as the OceanoScientific Campaign 2015 – 2025, which will start at the end of next summer. The collaboration with the international scientific community and especially with IFREMER, Météo-France, the LOCEAN (INSU/CNRS) and the Villefranche Oceanographic Laboratory, and under the aegis of the JCOMMOPS, was mentioned. SubCtechwas also mentioned as the German partner of SailingOne in the development of the OSC System, in presence of Stefan Raimund, the representative in France of this innovative company located in Kiel.
It is now time to collect as many signatures as possible for the Ocean's Call for the Climateand to keep on the worldwide mobilization so that the Ocean can be at the heart of Climate negotiations during the COP21 and the next ones. The COP22 will be carried out in Morocco in 2016. All reminded that "The Ocean is Life, it is our Future", as mentioned the eminent scientist Gilles Bœuf. He added "the salinity rate did not change in the Ocean during 36 millions of years and now we can notice it increases", and he concluded: "We should be less arrogant and more humble towards the Ocean". In her long appeal for solutions of good sense, the Swedish Lisa Emelia Svensson, ambassador for Oceans, Seas and fresh Water, insisted on the fact that the fight to protect the Ocean relies on the need to rethink the society on the theme: "BETTER TOGETHER".
Family picture of the Ocean and Climate Platform, in the Japanese Garden of UNESCO headquarters, on 8th June in Paris, around Catherine Chabaud (Innovations Bleues), Romain Troublé (Tara Expeditions) and Stephane Latxague (Surfrider Foundation Europe), three of its initiators with the 57 members of this foundation, committed to give a Voice to the Ocean. Photo Cyril Fresillon - CNRS.
Tuesday 26 May 2015
A Nobel Laureate onboard in Gironde
From left to right: Catherine Chabaud, Jean Jouzel and Yvan Griboval onboard the OceanoScientific Explorer sailing to Bordeaux on the silty waters of the Gironde.
Photo Allyson Noll - Innovations Bleues.
At the invitation of his friend Catherine Chabaud (Innovations Bleues), organising the France Tour for Climate Solutions under the aegis of the Ocean & Climate Platform, the eminent climatologist Jean Jouzel, the Nobel Peace Prize 2007 with Al Gore, sailed onboard the OceanoScientific Explorer "Boogaloo" during the sailing up of the Gironde estuary and the Garonne (French river), from Royan to Bordeaux. After Sète and Bayonne, the big loop carried out by the sailor Catherine Chabaud, also a member of the Economic, Social and Environmental Council(ESEC) with Jean Jouzel, is making a stop in Bordeaux, at the same time than the forty skippers of La Solitaire du Figaro - Eric Bompard, who will start the race on Sunday 31 of May. This is the occasion for Catherine Chabaud - who just received the prestigious prize of "Monaco Award Women of the Year 2015" at the Yacht Club de Monaco - to entrust the flag of the Ocean & Climate Platform to the sailors. They will be sailing in the Bay of Biscay, the Irish Sea and the English Channel, with the colours of this group of associations and non-governmental organizations conveying the voice of the Ocean in contemplation of the international conference PARIS CLIMAT 2015 – COP21. This two-week event is carried out under the aegis of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), of which Jean Jouzel, awarded by the CNRS Gold medal, is vice-President. Of course, climate change was at the heart of the talks during this navigation, but the crew also enjoyed the great landscape of this part of France well known around the world, passing in front of the Médoc, Saint-Estèphe and Saint-Julien facing the Côtes de Blaye, then the Côtes de Bourg to the port side and Margaux to the starboard… And in this framework, it should be noted that if the sea level goes up, as predicted by the IPCC reports based on the studies unanimously supported by the international scientific community, all this beautiful region will directly be impacted. And as we all know, adding some water in such "grands crus" would be very sad…
Thursday 7 May 2015
Express Atlantic and Force 10
The very bad weather is behind us, a rainbow appears and there's just 43 to 45 knots wind (Force 9) left. The OceanoScientific Explorer is sailing under a froth spray and with breakers. Her strong wake shows her ability to sail well and fast in extreme conditions. Photo OceanoScientific
Passing the Strait of Gibraltar on Saturday 2nd of May at midday, the Cape St. Vincent (southwestern point of Portugal) in the middle of the night between Sunday and Monday, then passing the Finisterre Cape (northwestern point of Spain) on Tuesday morning, and arriving in the port of Lorient La Baseon Wednesday 6th of May at 11pm (local time), the OceanoScientific Explorer "Boogaloo", has definitely boosted on this Atlantic part of the trip around the Iberian Peninsula, from the Mediterranean Sea to the coasts of Brittany. The stop was scheduled in Bayonne, but the crew finally preferred to join Lorient for personal reasons, before getting back to the "France Tour for Climate Solutions", carried out by Catherine Chabaud (Innovations Bleues) under the aegis of the Ocean & Climate Platform. The crew will sail to the mouth of the Garonne river, and then up to Bordeaux. The OceanoScientific Explorer will arrive on Friday 22nd of May. Let's notice that the 1,600 nautical miles (3,000 km) of this route from Sète to Lorient will have been run in ten days, including a 34-hour stop in Cartagena. This is a real record thanks to very hard conditions, including three hours with 50 to 55 knots wind, maybe even more during the gales (Force 10 / Storm), with a chaotic sea.
"The automatic pilot could not handle the steep slopes of waves" explained Yvan Griboval, the skipper of the OceanoScientific Explorer, on this Thursday morning in Lorient. "These were indeed rare conditions. I was at the helm during almost the all three hours of this situation, which looked like the South Hemisphere. These were extreme conditions, but limited to a small area, which were not forecasted. Only the wind force was expected, but this has nothing exceptional for such a performing sailing vessel, designed for plying the hostile seas of the Great South. Only the sea conditions were problematic. We were indeed between 30 to 50 nautical miles from the Portuguese coasts, where the sea bed moves from 3,000 meters depth to 1,500, and then suddenly to less than 100 meters. The result is breaking waves and a very short surge cycle. "Surge" is even not the appropriate term. The "Devils' brew" might be more appropriate! In those conditions with only the mainsail up with the third reef, we had enough power to avoid suffering the breakers. But if we hurtled down one of those waves, it ended up with a violent crash. We could therefore not bear away (to make leeway to go before the wind) and have to keep with the wind on the beam. This was like we had to run in wave corridors and have to stay on the crests without trying to hurtle down, even if we often had to enter by force in the breakers. At such an extent that once, we have been flooded by at least a two-meter high breaking wave and longer than the 16-meters of the OceanoScientific Explorer. With a Spinlock harness life jacket (really a must have!) at the helm, the cockpit door closed, the trigger of the automatic inflation of the jacket was enough flooded to think I was at sea… and to hit the compressed air cylinder. So I spent a few hours with a funny yellow fluorescent necklace-pillow around the neck. It keeps warm. At heart it was not unpleasant, only surprising…" related Yvan Griboval, rather delighted by this nice experience before starting the OceanoScientific Campaign 2015 – 2025, which first expedition around the world will leave the Yacht Club deMonaco in next October.
During this energetic sailing, the version 3.1 of the OSC System has keeping its automatic collection every six seconds of data of about ten parameters at the ocean - atmosphere interface, and its automatic transmission every hour to the dedicated platforms of UNESCO agencies.
In two weeks, the OceanoScientific Explorer will leave Lorient as the ambassador of the Ocean & Climate Platform in the framework of the France Tour for Climate Solutions, for the promotion of the international conference PARIS CLIMAT 2015 – COP 21, with Catherine Chabaud at the helm for the occasion.
Almost 2,000 nautical miles have been run since the 2nd of April when the OceanoScientific Explorer left the Yacht Club de Monaco, for the France Tour for Climate Solutions, carried out by the team of the association Innovations Bleues. Map Sailwx
Monday 4 May 2015
Back in the Atlantic
Overtaking the Gibraltar rock with a sailing ship, even a performing vessel, it is like cycling on the highway, you have to be careful about big trucks and avoid being on their path! This is always an intense sailing moment… Photo OceanoScientific
Since Saturday 2nd of May at mid-day, the OceanoScientific Explorer "Boogaloo", currently with the partners' colours of the "France Tour for Climate Solutions"carried out by Catherine Chabaud(Innovations Bleues) and coordinated by Jean-Ronan Le Pen, is back in the Atlantic. The boat overtook Gibraltar about one month after she passed this cape in the other way, on 3rd of March, coming from the Marina du Château (Brest - France) and heading for the Yacht Club de Monaco. Boogaloo, the platform of this trip around French coastlines, left Monaco on 2nd of April. This was just after Catherine Chabaud and many prestigious guests held the official conference launching this event for the promotion of the PARIS CLIMAT 2015 - COP21 international conference, with HSH Prince Albert II de Monaco. This event was held in the meeting room of the Yacht Club de Monaco, whose flag flies on Boogaloo.
The first stopover was in Nice (France). Then the team of Catherine Chabaud, skipper of the OceanoScientific Explorer for the occasion, left Nice heading for La Seyne-sur-Mer near Toulon (France). For this occasion, some important persons came to talk about climate change, like the French scientist Françoise Gaill (CNRS) of the Ocean & Climate platform scientific committee, which supports this trip. Some others came to share experiences about the long-standing efforts and actions taken to protect the marine environment, like Patricia Ricard, the very passionate president of the Paul Ricard Oceanographic Foundation, settled in the nice île des Embiez (France). From La Seyne-sur-Mer, the OceanoScientific Explorer sailed to the heart of the city of Sète (France). Once again, the team was warmly welcomed by local leading figures. This proves the real concern about climate change and its consequences. On her side, Catherine Chabaud kept her good crop of Solutions for the Climate, thanks to private or association initiatives as well as local authorities.
On late Sunday 26 of April in Sète, the OceanoScientific Explorer went back at sea, in rainy weather and greyness, with a moderate gale of 20-25 knots true wind, this time with her traditional crew: Yvan Griboval, skipper and volunteer president of the philanthropic foundation OceanoScientific, and his faithful first mate, Maxime Dréno. They set sails to Bayonne (France), that is to say a trip of 1,600 nautical miles (3,000 km) around the Iberian Peninsula that should be carried out in about twelve days of sailing. The way-down to Gibraltar was quite easy and fast, with only one stopover in Cartagena, a harbour much appreciated by the crew, to such an extent that we could wonder if the technical reasons of these numerous stopovers do not hide a real affection for this very welcoming harbour… The fact remains that the reason for this stopover -except the need for gasoil to face the calm of the Alboran Sea- was to avoid the backing wind to take the best of the favourable wind, about twelve hours later, forecasted by Navimail (Météo-France) used onboard the OceanoScientific Explorer. This is the way the sailing ended in the Mediterranean Sea, the Alboran Sea, then in the Strait of Gibraltar, firstly crossed in the strong haze and then with the sun shining with stern wind. A 26,1 knots burst of speed has to be mentioned, only three-tenth from the all-time high of this sailing vessel with a scientific vocation! The vessel tacked for the first two hundred miles in the Atlantic, with a 8 to 15 knots wind until the Cape St. Vincent, at the south-east end of Portugal. 30 to 40 knots of breeze are forecasted, in a Southwest - West airstream. This should propel the OceanoScientific Explorer in record time to the Cape Finisterre, the westernmost point of Spain.
During this "France Tour for Climate Solutions": from Monaco to Sète, then from Bayonne to Dunkerque via Brest and Caen-Ouistreham (both scientific and technical bases of the OceanoScientific Programme), and along the Iberian peninsula, the OceanoScientific Exploreris equipped with the version 3.1 of the OSC System, which collects automatically every six seconds data of about ten parameters at the ocean - atmosphere interface, and automatically transmit them free of charge to the dedicated platforms of UNESCO agencies. This is the last test before this unique material starts the OceanoScientific Campaign 2015 – 2025. The first expedition around the world and around the Antarctic will indeed leave Monaco in next October.
The OceanoScientific Explorer left Monaco on Thursday 2nd of April to start the "France Tour for Climate Solutions". After several stopovers, including the last one in Cartagena (Spain), the boat is now back in the Atlantic since Saturday 2nd of May. Map Sailwx
Friday, April 24, 2015
The 2015-2025 OceanoScientific Campaign
presented at the SOT-8 in Cape Town
JCOMM's Ship Observations Team during its eighth session in Cape Town (South Africa) on 20 April 2015 with Cindy Guillemet (SailingOne - OceanoScientific) in the foreground on the left.
Photo JCOMM
The JCOMM, Joint Technical Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology of World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), carried out the eighth session of the Ship Observations Team( SOT) from 20 to 24 April in Cape Town (South Africa). Once again, the OceanoScientific Programme was invited to report on its actions to the international scientific community. This was the occasion for Cindy Guillemet (SailingOne - OceanoScientific) to mention the results of the last OceanoScientific Campaignscarried out onboard the three-master Bark EUROPA and the OceanoScientific Explorer "Boogaloo". Both expeditions have enabled the automatic collection every six seconds of scientific data of about ten paramters at the ocean-atmosphere interface, in order to better understand causes and consequences of climate change. At her side, Pierre Blouch, E-SURFMAR service manager and meteorological manager of the OceanoScientific Programme, as well as Martin Kramp, JCOMMOPS Ship Coordinator, the JCOMM Support Centre, also answered scientific and technical questions of the participants, especially in terms of real-time and delayed mode automatic data transmission. Scientists from all over the world are indeed interested with those data. This meeting has also enabled Cindy Guillemet to present the programme of the OceanoScientific Campaign 2015 - 2025over the world, which will stop each year in Cape Town before sailing around the Antarctic. The first expedition will leave Monaco in next October.
Friday 10 April 2015
Meeting Nice schoolchildren
Yvan Griboval, President of the OceanoScientific foundation, presents to schoolchildren the features of the OceanoScientific Explorer and her role in favour of the international scientific community.
Photo Allyson Noll - Innovations Bleues
Upon the stopover in Nice of the "France Tour for Climate Solutions", carried out by the association Innovations Bleues, headed by the sailor and former elite athlete Catherine Chabaud, Yvan Griboval met schoolchildren from 8 to 13 years old. He told them about climate change, the OceanoScientific Explorer features in front of which they were standing, and her role in favor of the international scientific community with the 2015-2025 OceanoScientific Campaign , which will leave Monaco at the end of next October. This event was carried out in the framework of the fifth edition of the operation "School at the harbour", carried out by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Nice Côte d'Azur. Thousands of children were walking around the harbour of Nice from a workshop to another during the all day of Thursday 9th of April. Three topics were discussed around the OceanoScientific Explorer. Jean-Ronan Le Pen (Innovations Bleues), kingpin of Catherine Chabaud team and coordinator of this trip around French coastlines, explained children the aim of this operation, the causes of climate change and also insisted on the importance of the international conference Paris Climat 2015 - COP21, and finally presented the "Voilier du Futur". On her side, Catherine Chabaud met managers and elected representatives, including Eric Ciotti, Head of the Alpes-Maritimes French Department, who came to visit the team of the "France Tour for Climate Solutions" and encourage the team to "efficiently keep on its mission" started on 1st of April at the Yacht Club de Monaco. After the presentation of Yvan Griboval, Lars Stemmann, eminent researcher of the Villefranche Oceanographic Institute(LOV - INSU/CNRS) explained to children the essential role of plankton for the climate, talking with simple words so that even 8-year old children could understand the role of plankton in the production of the oxygen we breath. At the end of this long day, Catherine Chabaud was very enthusiastic: "This trip around French coastlines starts very well! The public is paying close attention, which confirms that causes and consequences of climate change are a major concern for French people of all ages. Let's keep on increasing this impetus during our next stopovers, in order to take part in the development of efficient solutions against this scourge that affects all of us, and in favor of future generations". Next stopover: La Seyne-sur-Mer / Toulon, the OceanoScientific Explorersteered by Catherine Chabaud will leave Nice on Saturday 11 of April morning, with the colours of the Ocean & Climate Platform.
Friday 3rd April 2015
France Tour for Climate Solutions
Pierre Casiraghi (Yacht Club de Monaco) was the first at the helm of this "France Tour for Climate Solutions", onboard the OceanoScientific Explorer, from Monaco to Nice, with Catherine Chabaud. Photo OceanoScientific
On Thursday 2nd of April, the OceanoScientific Explorer exceptionally with Catherine Chabaud as a skipper and Pierre Casiraghi at the helm, left her anchoring of the Yacht Club de Monaco heading for Nice, which is the first stopover of the "France Tour for Climate Solutions", created by Catherine Chabaud and Yvan Griboval with the support of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation and many other private and public partners, including COFELY Services (French GDF - SUEZ Group). The day before, on Wednesday 1st of April at 18.30, this event carried out by the association Innovations Bleues(Blue Innovations in English - Member of the Ocean & Climate Platform), was officially launched during a conference held in the Meeting Room of the Yacht Club de Monaco, with H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco. His commitment in favour of the environment, especially the ocean environment, serves as a reference worldwide. This France Tour is carried out under the patronage of the climatologist Jean Jouzel and the oceanographer Françoise Gaill. Catherine Chabaud will meet the general public, elected representatives and economic players to talk about innovative solutions to fight against climate change: Energy transition, water management, circular economy, biodiversity protection, territory planning, mobility, etc. With the Innovations Bleues team, her association, and the support of institutional, private and media partners, Catherine Chabaud will highlight some model habits already existing in the territories she visits, through conferences, meetings and interviews. The solutions collected will be brought together for a "Blue book of Coastline Solutions for Climate" that will be presented during the international conference Paris Climat 2015 – COP 21on next December. This aims at raising awareness of the Heads of the 193 UN member states about solutions from the coastline and their positive impact on the Ocean and Climate. The route of this France Tour will enable the collection of scientific data at the ocean-atmosphere interface thanks to the OSC System installed onboard the OceanoScientific Explorer, in order to better understand causes and consequences of climate change.
Wednesday April 1, 2015
In scientific phase
The first tests of the OSC System Version 3.1 have been carried out around Monaco, in front of the Oceanographic Museum, in homage to Prince Albert I of Monaco, a major inspiration of the 2015-2025 OceanoScientific Campaign . Photo OceanoScientific
The last few days of March have been spent on the installation of the OceanoScientific System (OSC System) -now the Version 3.1- onboard the OceanoScientific Explorer "Boogaloo". To do so, the 16-meter boat was moored at Monaco Marinepier, where she was warmly welcomed during about fifteen days, in the Principality port. Then the boat moved to her event anchorage in front of the wonderful Yacht Club de Monaco. For this occasion, Stefan Marx (SubCtech/ Kiel - Germany) came to oversee this installation and putting back into service. He also made some changes in the Version 3.0 that was previously tested between November 2013 and May 2014, on a 10,000 nautical miles (18,520 km) route in Atlantic and Mediterranean sea between the Marina du Château (Brest - France), the Doldrums, Grenada Island, Horta (Azores - Portugal), Palma (Balearic Islands - Spain) and Monaco. On his side, Dimitri Voisin (Mer Agitée), PhD, also proceeded to adjustments in the OSC-Software following the request of scientists managing this project within IFREMER and Météo-France. The OSC-Software is also tested in the workshop of Dimitri Voisin (Port-La-Forêt - France) within the ocean-racing stable of Michel Desjoyeaux. The OceanoScientific System (OSC System) is this unique material for the automatic collection of scientific data at the ocean-atmosphere interface every six seconds and their automatic transmission in near real time to the dedicated agencies of the UN. This material was implemented by SailingOne, in collaboration with SubCtech (Germany), IBM France and Mer Agitée. Data collected are offered to the international scientific community by the foundation OceanoScientific. Let's remind that the OSC System won the 2013 "French-German Prize of Economy - Environment category". From now on, this OSC System 3.1 will be tested during about thirty sailing days along French, Spanish and Portuguese coasts, with the colours of the Ocean & Climate Platform, between Monaco and Caen, where the technical base of the OceanoScientific Explorer "Boogaloo"is located. The boat will arrive there in mid-July for the annual maintenance by V1D2, before the first expedition around the world of the 2015-2025 OceanoScientific Campaign starts, from Monaco to Monaco, via Cape Town and the Antarctica tour, from October 2015 to April 2016.
Tuesday 10 March 2015
Moored at the Yacht Club de Monaco
The OceanoScientific Explorer was warmly welcomed at the Yacht Club de Monaco by the children of the Sport Section and members of the club. Behind them, from left to right: Gary Papageorgiou, Y.C.M. staff member, guest onboard the OceanoScientific Explorer for this navigation Brest - Monaco, Yvan Griboval (skipper), Pierre Casiraghi (Executive Committee mission representative of the Y.C.M.), who came as a friend to welcome the crew and Maxime Dréno (crewmember - preparer). Photo Cécilia Conterno - Yacht Club de Monaco
In the late morning on this Tuesday 10th of March, the OceanoScientific Explorer "Boogaloo "anchored at the Yacht Club de Monaco (Y.C.M.) pier of honour, where the crew was warmly welcomed by the youths of the Sport Section and by members of the club. It was also the occasion to have an affectionate thought for the French sailor Florence Arthaud, who tragically died the day before. The vessel left Brest, where she had anchored in the Marina du Château, one of her scientific bases, on Thursday 26th of February for 2,000 nautical miles (3,700 km), that have been run in less than twelve days and only two stopovers: Cartagena (Spain) and Toulon (France), only to fill up. The variable winds of the Mediterranean Sea require indeed to switch between sailing and motoring to arrive safe in port within a reasonable time. During the last week of March, the OceanoScientific Explorer will be equipped at the Y.C.M. with the Version 3.1 of the OceanoScientific System (OSC System), which automatically collects every six seconds scientific data of about ten parameters at the ocean - atmosphere interface. This data are automatically transmitted by satellite to the dedicated platforms of the UN agencies, in order to better understand causes and consequences of climate change. In this framework, a collaboration is carried out with the Villefranche Oceanographic Institute(LOV). The aim is to add some oceanographic and atmospheric sensors to the OSC System (Version 4.0) before the OceanoScientific Explorer leaves Monaco, at the end of October, to sail around the World and around the Antarctic. This sailing lasting about six months will be the first of the ten expeditions of the 2015-2025 OceanoScientific Campaign. In the meantime, the OceanoScientific Explorer "Boogaloo" will be used for the "Tour de France des Solutions pour le Climat" (France Tour for Climate Solutions), in sight of the International Climate Change Conference Paris 2015 - COP 21 and in the framework of the Ocean & Climate Platform actions. This event, created and coordinated by the sailor Catherine Chabaud (Innovations Bleues), - also skipper of the OceanoScientific Explorer for this occasion - will be launched on Wednesday 1st of April (18.30) during the maritime Conference of the Yacht Club de Monaco, in collaboration with the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, on the topic: " Challenges and Solutions for the climate, oceans and coats".
Wednesday 4 March 2015
Gibraltar in the wake
The OceanoScientific Explorer sails fast between the cargos in front of Gibraltar Rock, passing from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean Sea in great conditions. It is not always the case… It is even rare! Photo Yvan Griboval - OceanoScientific
"Boogaloo", the OceanoScientific Explorer has overtaken the Rock of Gibraltar on Tuesday 3rd of March in the late afternoon, after five days and three hours sailing, since she left Brest, where she anchored in the Marina du Château, one of her scientific bases, on Thursday 26th of February. The boat is heading for the Yacht Club de Monaco and the Laboratoire d’Océanographie de Villefranche-sur-Mer (LOV). These roughly 1,000 nautical miles (1,952 km) have been run in a rather short time if considering the North-West of Spain taken windward with a moderate gale from the South-West and the 18 hours under power in calm and slow speed, the motor of this high-performing sailing boat is indeed mainly dedicated to enter and leave a port, not to sail fast. Passing the famous Rock opening the Mediterranean door will definitely be an unforgettable memory of this sailing for the crew composed of Yvan Griboval (skipper), Maxime Dréno (crewmember and preparer) and Gary Papageorgiou (YCM guest). On one hand, the crew indeed entered in the Mediterranean Sea downwind, tacking before the wind on long straight courses… between the cargos. On the other hand, the sun and blue sky were back after more than four days sailing in a cold wet greyness. Finally, a 30 to 35 knots wind speed enabled the OceanoScientific Explorerto hold a speed from 20.5 to 24 knots with mainsail and a spinnaker of 320 square meters for the end of the Strait, in front of Gibraltar. A nice memory! From now on, the crew has to compromise with calm zones - which might require a stop in Cartagena (Spain) to fill up - head wind and the tail of a strong depression, which will trouble the water surface in the middle of the week. The arrival at the pier of Monaco Yacht Club is still scheduled this weekend or in the very beginning of next week: Aeolus and Neptune will make the decision with precision…
Monday 2 March 2015
The OceanoScientific Explorer back in campaign
The OceanoScientific Explorer leaves Brest on Thursday 26 of February at 15.30, with Yvan Griboval (skipper), Maxime Dréno (crewmember and preparer) and a guest: Gary Papageorgiou from the staff of the Yacht Club de Monaco, where the boat should arrive after about ten days at sea and around 2,000 nautical miles run.
Photo OceanoScientific
After a long time of maintenance from late summer till early winter, in her technical base at V1D2 in Caen (France), where she was launched for the first time in 2007, the OceanoScientific Explorer is now on her way to Monaco and Villefranche-sur-Mer (Laboratoire d’Océanographie de Villefranche- LOV), after she left Brest on Thursday 26 of February, where she had stopped as usual in the city of her main scientific partners (IFREMER, Météo-France,JCOMMOPS, etc.) at the pier of the Marina du Château with once again a warm welcoming. "Boogaloo", as she was originally christened, has taken the best of a tiny favourable weather window to quickly leave the Bay of Biscay to avoid a nasty gale from the southwest at the north-west tip of Spain, even though she had to overtake it windward with a moderate gale. Then, the way down along the Spanish and Portuguese coasts was done at around fifteen knots, mainly into the wind, but on a direct course to pass the Cape da Roca on Lisbon latitude. The mild weather should be holding in the three days to come, passing Gibraltar included.