25.02.2005
www.orange.fr
Press Release N° 31
Paris, Friday 25th February 2005
JULES VERNE TROPHY 2005
AT CAPE HORN THIS EVENING...
The crew of the Orange II maxi catamaran skippered by Bruno Peyron has every right to be beaming as they approach the Horn. Having set out from Ushant on 23rd January to attempt to smash the absolute crewed round the world sailing record, the 37-metre giant will be rounding the mythical Cape Horn tonight at around 22.00 GMT, after only 32 days at sea. This is an astounding feat, when you know that they will be entering the Southern Atlantic Ocean 7 days ahead of the amazing record set last winter by the American Steve Fossett (Cheyenne) during his victorious circumnavigation in 58 days.
As Orange II rounds the Horn, she will also be setting a new record time for the Pacific crossing between Cape Leeuwin and Cape Horn, set by Peyron's previous boat, Orange I, in 2002.
This will be the third time that Bruno Peyron has rounded Cape Horn. Previously he passed the infamous cape on his two winning journeys for the Jules Verne Trophy, in 1993 on board Commodore Explorer and in 2002 on board Orange I.
The weather conditions forecast for tonight's rounding of the Horn look clement with 25-knot westerly winds. However, this weekend the story is likely to be very different. On Sunday, Orange II looks like paying dearly for rounding the Horn with rough seas, strong 40-knot winds gusting to 70 knots.
Extracts from today's radio session with Bruno Peyron:
The state of mind before the Horn: We're just keeping focussed, as the weather is a little bit unpredictable. The wind is fairly unstable blowing between 20 and 28 knots. It's difficult for us to find the right sail combination. We're making between 22 and 34.5 knots. The sea is choppy. Now is not the time to do anything stupid. We've just seen a first patch of blue sky, which is really nice. We're 230 miles from The Horn. We decided to tack a little further up, as the winds may not be so favourable closer to the Chilean coast, because of the likely effect of the coast.
Ushant - Cape Horn in 32 days: Honestly, it is a bit difficult to realise, as in general after thirty days, we would be off New Zealand. In the Whitbread, they reached the Cape of Good Hope in thirty days. I'm more surprised by the fact that we're managing to get almost the maximum possible out of the boat. We're pushing her all the way almost all the time, except in the periods, when we ease off, when we're down to around 92% of her capability.
The relief of reaching the Horn: You have to be careful about this idea. In 1993, it was really a moment of relief, as on the previous day we had 85 knots of wind. You have to be cautious, because it could well be the same on the other side. However, it's certainly a sort of symbol when you reach the other side, as it means you have left behind the hostile environment... even if it could be like that on the other side. This will be the third time I have rounded the Horn after the previous two Jules Verne Trophy races. I hope to be as successful as on the previous two occasions. It's a place that is really magical. It can be violent or very beautiful and peaceful. Between the storms, there are calm zones. The islands around the Horn and the Patagonian channels are fabulous places. On board we have a lot of experience. Together we have more than thirty round the world trips under our belts, so I don't need to point out the symbolic value of this exceptional spot. We're already looking ahead to the North Atlantic. We can see 5-6 days ahead.
Crossing the road: In 1993, we did the Jules Verne Trophy in a dragster, which was low in the water. We therefore established some safety rules, such as asking the helmsman, whether we could "cross the road" (to go from one hull to the other). This morning it was manageable, with smallish waves. Ludo wanted to go to the Right Bank to have a coffee without putting on his oilskin. When he returned, he asked the helmsman for permission. Bernard Stamm reasonably let him go across, and then the next thing was Ludo stuck in the middle of the net, soaked to the skin, so everyone burst out laughing!
Physical well-being: From time to time, there's a queue to see the boat's doctor. They go into his surgery. Roger Nilson is the doctor, and looks after the navigation and loves taking pictures too. We're not on board a toy, so we can't let the excitement get out of control. We're naturally focussing on our work, and know we're happy with each other, without having to make any comments such as telling each other that it's going well. Let's just hope it continues like that. But it will be down to each of us, if it does continue or not. You can't get through a journey like this one, without pushing hard at times. When I look at the faces, I think back to 93.
Around the world in 50 days? That really annoys me. It's like back in 93, when everyone kept saying after we rounded the Horn that we would be finishing in less than 80 days. Get it into your head that that is not the goal. The objective is to finish in less than 58 days. In 1993, during the whole climb back up, the pressure was on us... Firstly, we'll be trying to keep things under control, as best we can, working hard to try to bring the men and the boat home in good condition.
How things have changed: What has happened in our sport over the past half century is quite impressive. Sailing is a sport that has undergone an extraordinary evolution in just a short time, rather like car racing in the early days. In 93, we thought we could sail for 11 or 12 weeks non-stop without damaging anything, but we had no idea how to get a boat ready for such conditions. We sailed very conservatively, and set ourselves a rule of always sailing below 20 knots. Since then, we have acquired experience about the strength of the materials and the boats, and we have started to design racing boats specifically for this voyage.
The traps in the Atlantic: the first trap is that of breaking something. Then, there are the traps in the weather. We know them: the St. Helena high, the trade winds, etc... Then, there are other traps: we zigzagged around whales, ice and weed in the deep south. In the Atlantic, there aren't many difficulties like these, but as we get closer to civilisation, there are other traps with all the rubbish floating around in the water. In the North Atlantic, you can see something floating around every 300 metres! If it's a branch, that's one thing, but if it's a plank, that's quite another. If it's a container... I can remember our first night after the start, when we received a message telling us that there was a container floating around in the Bay of Biscay...
Data :
Day at sea: 33rd
Date : 25/02/2005
Time (GMT) : 10h10
Latitude : 57 19.24' S
Longitude : 77 10.04' W
Instantaneous speed: 25 knots
Instantaneous bearing: 74
Average speed: 25.9 knots
Speed over 24h : 23.8 knots
Distance over 24h : 572 nm
Speed since the start: 23.8 knots
Total distance: 18289 nm
Reindexing distance: 7455.80 nm
Lead on day 32:
- Jules Verne Trophy record: +3594 nm (ahead)
- absolute record: +2636 nm (ahead)
Website: http://www.maxicatamaran-orange.com
Radio sessions: Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1.15 p.m. GMT at Orange race headquarters and live on Internet. Wednesday's broadcast will be a live video link on Internet and on Orange mobile handsets.
Orange Race headquarters: Fédération Française de Voile
17, rue Henri Bocquillon
75015 PARIS
(Métro Boucicaut)
Audio: Apart from the radio session three times a week, an audio recording is made every morning at 5 a.m. with the boat.
These recordings can be heard and downloaded in MP3 format in the press section of the website: www.maxicatamaran-orange.com
For any individual requests, please contact Bénédicte Etienne on 06 87 30 12 83
Boat's positions:
The position of the boat is updated every quarter of an hour on the website: www.maxicatamaran-orange.com
The records Orange II has to beat
- The Jules Verne Trophy, held since 29th April 2004, by Olivier de Kersauson and the crew of the trimaran Geronimo, in 63d, 13h 59mn.
- The absolute round the world record held since 5th April 2004, by the American Steve Fossett, in 58d, 09h, 32mn.
Orange II's latest records
- The world 24 h record (706.2 miles covered at an average of 29.42 knots) - August 2004.
- The Mediterranean record (17h, 56 mins and 13s, at an average of 25.53 knots) - September 2004.
- The Record between Ushant and the Cape of Good Hope (14 days, 8h and 19 mins) - February 2005.
- The Record between the Equator and the Cape of Good Hope (7days, 5h, and 22mins) - February 2005.
- The Record between the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Leeuwin (7 days, 5 hours and 35 minutes) - February 2005.
- The Record between Ushant and Cape Leeuwin (21 days 13 hours and 54 minutes) - February 2005.
- The Record between the Equator and Cape Leeuwin (14 days and 11 hours) - February 2005.
Last Tack before the Horn
The final counter tack and the maxi catamaran Orange II will reach the end of
the Southern Ocean runway for a landing at Cape Horn before midnight this
Friday evening.
The wind has swung right round to the West and is not providing the giant
multihull with the best angle of attack given that the boat performs less well
in downwind conditions: “We can’t complain” smiles Bruno Peyron as he watches
the speedometer hover between 23 and ...33 knots! “We’re extending the course
just a little by making some big tack changes with the wind on the aft
quarter.” Satisfaction has a place now aboard Orange II, on the point of
adding a few extras to its “record” collection. Steeped in history the famous
Horn will be rounded as tightly as possible: “It’s a legendary place and
everyone aboard hopes to benefit from the fabulous sight of the snow-capped
peaks of the Andes mountain range...”. After 32 days at sea, the boat is
lighter and currently reaching its full potential. Orange II will soon hang a
left to begin its climb back up the Atlantic; the Horn is not a success in
itself and the coming days doubtless have their share of surprises and
difficulties for a boat and its crew who have sacrificed a great deal to
performance. “In the Southern Ocean, you don’t get miles for nothing. They
are paid for by pain and fatigue.” Peyron and his 13 warriors will have earned
the mercies of the Horn this evening. Bruno Peyron: “We’re going to leave the
Pacific with a good ‘score’ being the essence of our exploits. Our downwind
tack has slowed us down a little but I’m not at odds about sparing the boat a
little in this way. The passage of the Horn is always a high point. Everyone
aboard wants to make the most of it. A bit of light would be welcome as we
haven’t seen the sun throughout the whole of our Pacific crossing. The Horn
evokes a lot of memories. In 1993, we experienced it at its worst, 80 to 85
knots of wind and 17 metre waves. It can be a very nasty place. We all know
that there is still everything to play for after the Horn. 4 to 5 difficult
days lay in store for us before we rediscover the more ‘civilised’ lands. We
will be slowed on the approach to Brazil and we’ll make the most of that time
to give the boat a good going over.”
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