www.orange.fr
Jules Verne Trophy 2005
Press release
Saturday 5th March 2005 – 16.00 GMT
Orange II at the Equator tomorrow morning
Bruno Peyron’s maxi catamaran has been sailing around the world now for forty days and is expected to cross the Equator on Sunday morning between 03.00 and 06.00 GMT. She will be crossing the Equator for the second time since starting out from Ushant on 24th January after less than 41 days at sea. She should be improving on the time set by Steve Fossett’s crew over the same stretch in 2004. The American skipper took 50 days and 3 hours to reach the North Atlantic before setting the outright round the world record in 58 days 9 hours and 32 minutes.
So there are likely to be two new records set by Orange II on Sunday morning, as she re-crosses the Equator. She will be improving on the time taken by Steve Fossett since the start and is likely to set a new record time between Cape Horn and the Equator. For this leg, the best performance to date was also that of Cheyenne during her round the world voyage in 2004 with a time of 10 days 6 hours and 47 minutes. By crossing the separation line between the North and South Atlantic on Sunday morning, the French maxi catamaran should finish this stretch in a few hours over 8 days.
A tricky weather system ahead in the North Atlantic
These fabulous achievements do not hide however the reality of the weather lying ahead for Bruno Peyron and his thirteen crewmen in the final stretch of the North Atlantic. The route does not look as simple as the one taken by Cheyenne in 2004. That record does not look like being beaten. However, the most important thing for the skipper now is to try to do his best for the final 3000 miles of the voyage.
«We took in a reef and we’re sailing abeam the wind at 25 knots,» explained Bruno Peyron this lunchtime. Orange II has picked up speed again after being becalmed on the 39th day off Brazil. Before passing between the South American coast and the island of Fernando de Noronha, the catamaran is heading north perpendicular to The Equator. They are taking advantage still of some decent conditions, as afterwards things are likely to deteriorate. «Things are looking tricky after the Equator» Bruno Peyron confirmed. «Straight on, there’s no way through. The problem is that there is a high above the Equator. Each time I have taken a look at the weather charts for the North Atlantic over the past three days, I have preferred to close them up quickly, trying to convince myself that anything could happen between now and then, telling myself there’s no reason to get worked up about it for no reason. However, with each new forecast, things look worse!
To be clear about it, I feel that we’re in for a real punishment during this last leg of the voyage. Maybe it’s time for us to pay for the almost too perfect route we have been on since the start, with some real dream sequences, enabling us to cover huge distances at 30 knots to obtain a lead of ten days 3/4 of the way through the voyage. So be it. If that is the case, we will try to make the best of a bad job, just as we did our utmost with the perfect situation. We are going to have to find the right angle upwind to reach the waypoint we have set ourselves to get through the high. After that, we should be able to hop on to the series of lows, which will take us to the finishing line.»
Day 40
Latitude : 7 10.48' S
Longitude : 33 19.44' W
Speed over 24 h : 18.8 knots
Distance over 24 h : 452 nm
Speed since the start : 23.2 knots
Total distance : 22282 nm
Reindexing distance : 3796.20 nm
Lead on day 40 :
- J.Verne record : +3768 nm (ahead)
– Absolute Record : +3219 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.
- The Record between Cape Leeuwin and Cape Horn (10 days 23 hours 35 minutes)
- The Record between Tasmania and Cape Horn (8 days 18 hours 06 minutes)
Press Release N° 38
Paris Friday, 4th March 2005
JULES VERNE TROPHY 2005
Orange II is picking up speed again off Salvador de Bahia
Since lunchtime today, the crew of Orange II has started tackling the final race against the clock to grab the Jules Verne Trophy and the outright round the world record. Thirty or forty miles off Salvador de Bahia in Brazil, the giant catamaran has picked up some wind and is starting out on her final challenge in the Atlantic to reach Ushant as quickly as possible.
This fortieth day of racing around the world began at 17 knots, after they spent a day stuck in a transition zone, covering only 179 miles... «This tricky transition zone was forecast for that area, » Bruno Peyron reminded us this lunchtime. «We mustn't grumble about the weather, as we had really taken advantage of it over the previous 38 days. We can look at it quite philosophically, and as we have a lead of nine and a half days, there's no need to panic!»
This pit stop allowed them to carry out a complete inspection of the boat, as well as allowing the crew to rest and get ready for the final stretch of this round the world voyage. This calm zone off Salvador de Bahia can be explained by the transition between the north easterly trades and the St. Helena high. There was no way Orange II could avoid it. «We didn't take a detour, as we had to cross through this calm zone,» Peyron confirmed. «The passage through the South Atlantic is very difficult from a weather perspective. A year ago, Steve Fossett managed to do it on a straight line in a record ten days, which was quite exceptional. We were lucky enough to fall into this area at a spot that more or less suited us. We really paid the price yesterday, and now things are starting to pick up again. We're making 18 knots!»
Still on track for a new intermediary record from Cape Horn — Equator
This speed means moreover that the skipper of Orange II can still hope to set a new intermediary record between Cape Horn and the entry into the North Atlantic. «Our first goal is the record for Cape Horn — The Equator. If we manage to set a new record, that will be very encouraging! For the moment, we're still ahead of this record, and if we don't break anything, we're in with a chance of smashing it. In the longer term, our goals reindex the two great round the world records.»
Peyron, who was more than ten days ahead of the time taken by the American Steve Fossett admits that he places the success of his project before that of setting an exceptional time. «I would prefer to finish one second before the time is up to beat the outright record in a boat in perfect condition, rather than 3 or 5 days ahead in a damaged boat. We're not taking any unnecessary risks. We are still nine and a half days ahead. If we set out yesterday with the same weather as Cheyenne we could complete the circumnavigation in 47 days, but that's only on paper and mathematically. We were nevertheless lucky to be able to take advantage of a series of weather patterns since the start. If we have to suffer on the final leg and lose a day, or two or three, we'll still be smiling!»
The journey up the North Atlantic to reach Ushant and then Brest looks more complicated. Orange II will have to go right around via the north west before heading back down towards the tip of Brittany. «The weather pattern is such that there is a solid barrier in the middle of the North Atlantic. If we head off to the right to try to get around it on the edge of the high, we will have to sail at slow speed in heavy, dangerous seas. If we head off to the left, it will be kinder on the boat and we'll be getting better angles to the wind, and it should allow us to pick up the first flow between Bermuda and the Azores.»
Extracts from Bruno Peyron's radio session
A dive to carry out the inspection: It's not that unpleasant to get into water at 27°C. I'm not as knowledgeable about composites as some others on board, but I wanted to see it for myself. We set up two teams, one for the stratification and the other for the sails, the traveller cars and the mast head etc. It took two and a half hours or three at the most, and everything went well. This stop was planned. It could have allowed us to carry out repairs and to strengthen the rudder. However, we decided not to do it, as our specialists, with the approval of the boatyard, decided that it would hold out until the finish. Apart from that, there is a dent under the port bow. We must have slammed down on something heavy and that deformed the crash box at the front, but that's not a structural element in any case.
Boat in fine fettle: The boat is in perfect condition. It is perfectly intact apart from the little peripheral problems. There's nothing wrong with the sails, the fittings, etc. It is better than new, as we adjusted things, as we went around the world. However, we shan't be pushing her 100%, as we're not here to break the 24-hour record or take unnecessary risks to set the time of the century. We shall be going on the attack less than we have up until now. In any case, the weather for the North Atlantic looks bad, so we won't have that opportunity anyway, as we're going to have to go the long way around. It looks like being a long detour to get back to Ushant.
Finish: I think we'll be going in to Brest, as that is where the whole story began during the first Jules Verne Trophy. There are a lot of people in Brittany, who have been following this adventure, so we owe it to them to share our joy. Brest is ideally situated geographically to achieve that, as the Brest Roadstead is magnificent and everyone can be with us... After that, we'll be heading for our shore base in Lorient. We'll pop over to see our friends in Le Pouliguen and, of course, we'll try to finish this little tour in the Old Port in Marseilles.
Fossett's flying record: It must have all been prepared scientifically over several years. Well done! You could see it coming, as if he took the decision to start out, he must have been ready. Well done again!
Radio session with Yann Elies, watch leader on board Orange II
Yann Elies : «I still haven't shaved. I'm trying to keep the beard growing until the finish, so that my wife can see it, as the photo doesn't really show it all. There are a lot of fine things in the adventure around the world and pure racing side by side like each summer during the Figaro events. I have thus found the perfect mix for a sportsman like myself. The best example is my win in the final stage of the single-handed event, where my experience as a round the world yachtsman enabled me to work well with my equipment. I was the last one to keep up the large spinnaker. From the point of view of looking after the equipment and the human aspects, it gives me a lot. Going back to yesterday's stop, you could say there were three stages. Firstly, we try to get everything ready for it. Things worked out well, so the stop was only a short one. When you are there, it's difficult to put up with it, as you can see the ETA for the Equator being postponed, which is not very encouraging. Then, when the wind picks up, you cheer up too, and everyone is smiling again!»
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.
- The Record between Cape Leeuwin and Cape Horn (10 days 23 hours 35 minutes)
- The Record between Tasmania and Cape Horn (8 days 18 hours 06 minutes)
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