Jules Verne Trophy - Orange II - Geronimo - Cheyenne zur Übersicht 29.04.2004 63 days, 13 hours, 59 minutes and 46 seconds. The Capgemini and Schneider Electric trimaran crossed the Jules Verne Trophy finish line at 13:17:26 GMT (15:17:26 local time) today, Thursday 29 April. Geronimo and her crew therefore circled the globe in 63 days, 13 hours, 59 minutes and 46 seconds (subject to ratification by the WSSRC within the next 24 hours). Geronimo crossed the line between Lizard Point and the Créac'h lighthouse in mid-channel, her time being monitored by radar and satellite rather than by sight from either of the lighthouses at the ends of the line. Geronimo's latest news are on http://www.trimaran-geronimo.com The Jules Verne Trophy and the Round-the World Record On April 5, American adventurer Steve Fossett on board the catamaran Cheyenne broke the world record for sailing crewed around the world via the 3 capes and with the prevailing winds, having registered a time of 58 days, 9 hours, 32 minutes, 45 seconds. Now ratified by the WSSRC (World Sailing Speed Record Council), the official body responsible for certifying sailing records, Cheyenne's time is 5 days, 23 hours, 4 minutes and 39 seconds faster than the Jules Verne Trophy record set in 2002 by Bruno Peyron with the catamaran Orange (64 days, 8 hours, 37 minutes, 24 seconds). Cheyenne's unassisted, non-stop, round-the-world voyage with the prevailing winds and currents was achieved at an average speed of 15.52 knots and was made possible not only by favourable weather conditions, but also by undoubted maritime and technical expertise. It constitutes a new and serious benchmark for circumnavigations under sail via the 3 capes. Nevertheless, we are sorry that this voyage could not have been achieved within the context of the Jules Verne Trophy, which, in our view, embodies an unequalled spirit of shared adventure. That is why we will continue to publish data relating to the 2002 circumnavigation by Bruno Peyron and his crew on board Orange under the title "Jules Verne Trophy Holder". The reasons why the record set by Steve Fossett and his crew do not meet the criteria of the Jules Verne Trophy are wide-ranging and relate in the main to disagreements between experts. We would simply make the point that this Trophy, founded by French sailors Titouan Lamazou and Florence Arthaud, is awarded by the "Jules Verne Trophy" Association 1901 only to its own members, who in addition to the founders, include Peter Blake, Ellen MacArthur, Robin Knox-Johnson, Bruno Peyron and, of course, Olivier de Kersauson. In his conscious desire to be constrained by no rules, Cheyenne's skipper made the decision not to be bound by the regulations of the "Jules Verne Trophy" association and not to pay the €30,000 membership fee to join this relatively exclusive club, in the knowledge that he could not be the holder of this Trophy. This free choice does not detract in any way from the competitive performance of Cheyenne and her crew, against which Geronimo competes with the full support of her partners Capgemini and Schneider Electric. The Editorial Committee www.trimaran-geronimo.com The WSSRC web site: www.sailspeedrecords.com Copyright © 1996-2004 - SEGEL.DE