24.08.2004
www.orange.fr
Press Release N° 13
Tuesday, 24th August 2004
NEW-YORK / CAP LIZARD RECORD
THE ADRENALINE IS PUMPING FOR THE FINAL SPRINT
«In one hour, we will have exactly 24 hours left to cross the finishing line... which is about 605 miles away from us», explained this afternoon a Bruno Peyron in a hurry to get back out on deck! Because if Orange reindexs at above 30 knots, the job in hand isn't without its dangers: indeed, advancing on rough, choppy seas, the giant catamaran is battling it out on her final stretch home.
Positioned at 49° 58.16' North and 21° 45.88' West today at 4 p.m. (CET), Orange II was on a bearing of 76°, with her bows pointing directly towards The Lizard. The gybe that was planned for late yesterday occurred at just the right moment, allowing the crew to get back on a favourable course. «I believe it's quite reasonable to think that we should be able to finish on a single tack, and the boat has proved that she is capable of doing better than the 605 miles that we have left to do in the final 24 hours», added the skipper. «But it's going to be tough, because the seas have got up... We won't have the usual worries that those attempting this record face— that is a weather system on which they have sailed right across and which gives up the ghost in the final stretch — as I know we will be keeping the wind with us. On the other hand, forcing our way through with the windward hull in the air is a little bit daring! Sometimes the keel is coming 1.5 or even 2 m out of the sea, as if Orange II was just a little dinghy! We have to be very careful, and may well have to ease off a little»...
A battle out on deck
It's easy enough to understand. The crew and the machine will certainly not be able to take it easy for the final sprint. With their minds on the job, hard at work all the time, the men are naturally tired and are now facing intense stress: the margin is minute to smash the record, and they have to keep going at an optimal speed without breaking the boat. «This is where you can see the real difference between a tough guy — those, who have trained the hardest — and the others: I'm one of the latter category, as I have really spent too much time in the office over the last few months! Out on deck, the manoeuvres are carried out more and more efficiently, and changing the gennaker now takes 13 minutes. Lowering 700 sq.m of cloth, rolling it up tidily, and then hoisting another 500 sq.m sail immediately... Doing that in less than a quarter of an hour requires a lot of energy! But I really must leave you now, as we're taking in the second reef, and I think it needs to be done urgently». Optimistic but cautious, Bruno Peyron thought he may be able to take advantage of a slight easing off in the evening, but nevertheless admitted: «being at the helm in the middle of the night with seas like that is going to force us to brake a little»... There's no rest for the brave!
The finish tomorrow...?
If conditions are confirmed, the Orange II maxi-catamaran should cross the finishing line tomorrow afternoon. Once the line has been crossed, Orange II will head for La Baule which she should reach on Thursday. The boat is due to do a little sailing around La Baule Bay early on Thursday afternoon, before berthing in Pornichet Harbour around 2.30 p.m. The skipper and the crew of Orange will follow that with a press conference at around 4 p.m. at the Villa Mortureux, in the port of Pornichet. More details will be given tomorrow according to the boat's progress.
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