Jules Verne Trophy - Geronimo - Orange II - Cheyenne zur Übersicht 11.02.2004 THE GIANT ORANGE II CHRISTENED THIS MORNING IN LA TRINITE SUR MER The new maxi-catamaran ORANGE II was christened at 11.35 a.m. this morning alongside the Loïc Caradec Quay in La Trinité sur mer, in the presence of her patrons, Laura Flessel (winner of two Olympic fencing medals and three times World Champion), via a live link-up from abroad Alain Prost (4 times Formula 1 World Champion), Didier Quillot, CEO of Orange France and Bruno Peyron, the maxi-catamaran Orange II's skipper. The latter officially presented the thirteen members of the crew, who will be by his side to defend the Jules Verne Trophy, held by him and the crew of Orange I since May 2002 (64 days, 08 hours, 37 minutes and 24 seconds). There was some fine winter sunshine, and the crowds were out on the quayside in La Trinité sur mer for the christening of this exceptional giant. Almost 38 metres long and 17 wide with a mast reaching up to almost 50 metres above the water, this little baby can hardly not be noticed in this little Breton harbour in La Trinité. Although she is not the biggest in the world, Orange II seems to have all it takes to try to show she is the fastest around the planet. Fotos: www.trimaran-geronimo.com/ Alongside the skipper and his crew, Didier Quillot, CEO of Orange France, paid homage to the work accomplished by the designers and all those on dry land, who have been working for months, discreetly preparing this new giant. His words went out to Bruno Peyron and his crewmembers, who will have the difficult task of defending their title and maybe even improving on their 2002 time. Didier Quillot: «Oran! ge France is faithful to the Jules Verne Trophy adventure with Bruno Peyron, as it is both an exceptional sporting challenge and an example of magnificent human endeavour... This boat represents for Orange a symbolic form of expression and a unique opportunity to enable people to experience the adventure at first hand, thanks to the different communication services offered by Orange. For France Télécom, the Orange boat is also a superb display of its technolgical innovations, in particular those that have been installed on board, which should allow them to send each day high quality pictures. And for the first time, interviews with live high definition images from the middle of the ocean. I hope Bruno Peyron and his men will provide us once again with a lot of excitement, just as they did in 2002, and I wish them fair wind for their new adventure...». After the traditional bottle of champagne was smashed by the fencing champion Laura Flessel, the boat's christener, she offered several words to the crew of Orange: «I believe this challenge is a fitting one corresponding well to the magnificence of the boat, which is really exceptional! As a woman who has faced individual challenges, I am very impressed by this collective human adventure. Best wishes. I offer you all my encouragement and wish all the crew of Orange good luck». As for Alain Prost, another of the boat's patrons, he also made a speech via a live link-up from abroad. Alain Prost: «I am really pleased and honoured to be able to be the patron of the Orange II boat. I have loved sailing for a very long time. It's a sport that isn't very far removed from Formula 1, that I participated in for years, with its mixture of team spirit of course, but also with its permanent reliance on technology, passion, motivation and human endeavour. I'm no! t merely happy, but also eagerly looking forward to being able to climb aboard the boat. I wish you all the best and every success, as it is always very difficult to tackle such a record, when you are already the holder. But I am quite certain that with this new boat, everything will go well. So, good luck. I'll be thinking of you and hope to bring you some good fortune». 14 men in the footsteps of Phileas Fogg... The crew of Orange II has now been selected. 14 men will be on board for this undertaking, 2 of whom will be outside of the watch schedule: Bruno Peyron (skipper) and the Swede Roger Nilson (navigator). The 12 crewmembers will be assigned 3 watches with 4 members in each. These twelve men are: Hervé Jan (officer of the watch / helmsman), Jacques Caraes (adjustor / video), Halvard Mabire (officer of the watch / helmsman), Yann Eliès (officer of the watch / adjustor), Ronan Le Goff (first mate / chandlery), Sébastien Audigane (helmsman / safety), Yves Le Blevec (shore co-ordinator / composites), Florent Chastel (first mate/ rigging), Jean-Baptiste Epron (supplies / video), Klabbe Nylof (helmsman / mechanics), Vladimir Dzalba Lyndis (medical / safety) and Nicolas de Castro (first mate / laminates). Final trials and! training sessions With the christening ceremony over, the boat went back out early in the afternoon with some guests of honour. «Everything is ready on board» declared Bruno Peyron «all of the supplies have been stowed on board and we can set sail, as soon as we have finished the sea trails. As initially planned, our aim is still to be ready and waiting from the 15th February. We will be setting out full of confidence, as Orange II is a fine, powerful and reliable boat, and we have at our disposal a magnificent crew, two thirds of whom were present during our previous trip in 2002. I cannot forget that two other giants are already at sea and that they have every chance of smashing our current record. I must not forget either that until now, only four crews have obtained the Jules Verne out of 13 attempts in all. The match is open and is not without danger..., but you can be certain that if we have the chance to bring! it home for the third time, we will achieve that, and Marseilles will have found its rightful place with this Jules Verne Trophy that is so jealously desired». Jean-Claude Gaudin, senator and Mayor of Marseilles, has moreover passed on his good wishes to the skipper of Orange: «I wish Bruno good luck with this new adventure. During the next few weeks the colours of Marseilles and the Metropolitan authority of Marseilles-Provence will proudly be worn by Bruno and his maxi-catamaran's sails, and we will be keeping up with everything that is happening in the Jules Verne Trophy». Download on "PDF format": CP_6GB.pdf About Orange ... Orange France is a subsidiary of Orange SA, which includes all the Mobile Phone activities of the France Telecom Group. Orange France is the leading mobile phone operator with a market share exceeding 48,8%, and more than 20,3 millions of customers (December 31th 2003 figure). Maxi-catamaran Orange official suppliers : France Telecom Mobile Satellite Communications, TD Com Henri Lloyd, UKHO, Eduardo Valdéras, Nera SatCom, Telemar Sweden, International Peinture Marseilles, Official Port Copyright-free pictures (for press purposes) upon request : Gilles Martin-Raget +33/(0)6 07 55 45 85 - gmr@martin-raget.com Press Contact Maxi-Catamaran Orange : Bénédicte Etienne - C Sports Communication : +33/(0)6 87 30 12 83 - benedicte.etienne@csports.fr Pierre Giboire - Agence Mer & Média - pg.mer.media@wanadoo.fr Press Contact France Télécom / Orange : Sébastien Goalès - France Télécom : +33/(0)1 44 44 93 93 - sebastien.goales@francetelecom.com Marie-Cécile Leprat - C Sprts Communication : +33/(0)1 58 47 84 58 - mc.leprat@csports.fr Copyright © 1996-2004 - SEGEL.DE