Jules Verne Trophy - Geronimo - Orange II - Cheyenne zur Übersicht www.orange.fr Press Release N° 10 Orange Race HQ, Paris, Wednesday February 18th, 2004 Jules Verne Trophy 2004 FIRST HOURS AT SEA FOR ORANGE II At 11h30 this morning, Orange II was contacted by the Paris Race HQ for the first audio session of this new Jules Verne Trophy attempt. First sensations, first words spoken after only a few hours of racing. Bruno Peyron: "We were on the starting line as early as 1:00 this morning, and we waited patiently for the optimal conditions to show up before actually starting. The light was magnificent, the weather ideal, and our new giant was gliding along perfectly for her first Jules Verne Trophy. Everybody was on deck to capture this moment of emotion, the departure for a round-the-world journey is always somewhat special. I was at the helm when we crossed the line, then Yann (Eliès) took over, before handing the wheel to Klabbe (Nylof), who will be our 4th watch leader, at the position that Hervé Jan was supposed to occupy. Everything has been going fine since the start, everybody is concentrating on boat speed, we're currently sailing at more than 28 knots. We have 20 knots of north-easterly wind, which allows us to remain between 25 and 30 knots of boat speed. This morning, we checked the last weather charts before setting off. For the next 24 hours, we should have excellent conditions until we encounter a low positioned off the Portuguese coast. It will be a tricky bit, since the wind is quite weak behind it. This is why the Ushant / Equator record is not among our top priorities. We'll try to be there in less than 7 days, but nothing's certain until we actually get there". Philippe Darbois, head of Orange's Sponsoring Dpt. spoke on behalf of all Orange's employees during his intervention: "I wish to tell Bruno that Didier Quillot (Orange CEO) and all the company's employees asked me to bring all their support to the whole crew. I hear you're all very concentrated on board. On our side, it's rather excitement that dominates! We're already in the race, and we'll follow your progress very closely. Fair winds, and see you soon". BACK BEFORE APRIL 22ND? In order to beat the absolute RTW record that he set on May 5th, 2002, Bruno Peyron has to be back with his crew before April 22nd, at 17h17mn24sec. Curiously enough, the skipper had ended his first (and successful) Jules Verne Trophy on April 20th, 1993. "Sure, it would be nice to be back on that day, it's still a great memory! April 20th certainly won't be our N°1 goal, but it will sure be a symbolic objective". COMPETITION! Bruno Peyron indicated he did not follow Steve Fossett and Cheyenne's route that closelyƒ "We're sailing in different weather patterns, and even though he still is a bit late compared to our 2002 record, he should logically be able to earn a 48-hour advantage in the two coming weeks. Cheyenne is at the moment where we had slowed down in 2002. Anyway, whatever happens, it will be a nice duel to watch from afar". Download the press release on " PDF format " : CPGB11.pdf BRUNO PEYRON ABOARD THE MAXI-CATAMARAN ORANGE II HAS CROSSED THE LINE It was 08:41 (local time, 07:41 GMT) this morning when Claude Breton, Chairman of the WSSRC, has announced that the Orange II maxi-catamaran had crossed the Jules Verne Trophy starting line. On board, Bruno Peyron and his crew of 14 will try and break the current round-the-world record, held since May 2002 by Orange I (64d, 8h, 37mn). In order to better his own benchmark time, Bruno Peyron will have to be back off Ushant by April 22nd, at 16:17'24'' (GMT). When the line was crossed this morning, the weather conditions were good. The seas were calm, and the boat was sailing with one reef in the main and staysail, in 21-23 knots of easterly wind. Most of the crewmembers were working on deck, Bruno Peyron at the helm. For the coming 24 hours, the wind is expected to increase. Next update : this morning at 11:30, for the first audio session, live from the Paris race HQ. AUDIO SESSIONS They will take place 4 times a week at 11:30 on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Race HQ address: France Télécom - PC Course Orange — 91, Boulevard Saint-Michel — 75 005 Paris Access: RER train, « B » line, Luxembourg Station. Opening hours: Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 09:30 to 19:00. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays: 12:00 to 19:00 Press Office phone N°: 01 56 24 20 95 — 01 56 24 23 47 — 01 56 24 23 46 IMAGES A helicopter has been flying over the boat this morning in order to shoot copyright-free (for Tvs and international agencies) footage. These images are available upon request from the Press Office, and a feed will be broadcasted this afternoon from the SERTE in Paris. Stills are also available. INTERNET You can download all the press releases, the press file, and high-res pictures (copyright-free) on the website: http://www.orange.fr Download the press release on " PDF format " : CPGB10.pdf Copyright © 1996-2004 - SEGEL.DE