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From Stephanie, temporarily on the MVGP Greenpeace for morning tea!
Dear all,
NB WE ARE NOW OPERATING ON TAHITI TIME ie 12 hours behind Central European Time.
Vessels are starting to arrive at the 12 mile zone -- in spite of a fairly breezy day with a moderate swell, it is great to see all the white sails arriving on the horizon.
The Cook Islands vaka (traditional canoe) with its escort vessel, the Cook Islands government patrol boat Te Kukupa arrived around 8am this morning. The Te Kukupa was warned about entering the 12 mile zone by a French warship.
The NZ trimaran Triptych has also arrived off the 12 mile zone. A French patrol vessel called it up around 9am to say it wanted to deliver a letter about the exclusion zone restriction. The Triptych said it would accept the letter on the condition that the French vessel would take one from those on board to President Chirac protesting the tests.
A single-hander Chilean vessel the Bebinka has arrived, along with the French yacht Kidu; both have come from the Gambier Islands south-east of Moruroa.
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The Ukrainian yacht Lelitka is also around, as is the Bifrost and Vega. Quite a party.
There are two frigates, the Vendemiarie and the Prairial still with us, and we have just put the helicopter up to make a reconaissance and film from outside the 12 mile zone of the atoll. Two French military helicopters were immediately put in the air to closely monitor the Greenpeace chopper, but one has since landed back on the Vendemiaire. Other French patrol vessels are also around monitoring the flotilla.
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Cheers Stephanie
