09.03.2005
www.orange.fr
Press Release N° 42
Paris, Wednesday 9th March 2005
JULES VERNE TROPHY 2005
ORANGE II PICKING UP WIND AGAIN AFTER THE RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE
Orange II has made her way through the ridge of high pressure, which has been slowing her down off the Cape Verde Islands. Some 2500 miles from the island of Ushant, the maxi catamaran is making 15 knots headway towards the north west. She is not on a direct route towards the tip of Brittany, as there is still another hurdle ahead, the Azores high, which is unusually low down. In spite of a record bad day yesterday of just 166 miles, Bruno Peyron's crew still has a cracking lead of more than 9 days over Steve Fossett's record.
Bruno Peyron, during the video link-up early this afternoon:
« There's a twelve-knot wind and the boat is making 17 knots, but it's not very regular. It's vital for the helmsman to reindex focused to keep up the speed with the apparent wind. Things are picking up very slowly. We've got through a part of the ridge of high pressure and now we just have to sit it out. We're slowly getting out of this trap, which could have become quite tough to put up with, if it had continued for too long. The weather situation is the same as yesterday with this huge ridge of high pressure stretching out from Portugal. We're heading off to the north west to get around it. Afterwards, we'll be joining up with a classic low-pressure system. The weather's fabulous, there isn't much wind, but we're making do with what we have. There's always the risk of getting held up again, as there's a low-pressure system to the north of the Azores and we're going to be getting out of this area in fits and starts. However, it's not quite as messy as it was. It's not because of that we'll be going any faster, but we do have a better understanding of what is happening in the Atlantic.»
Philosophy...
Understanding better what is happening in the North Atlantic is allowing the crew to address this situation quite calmly. «When you understand what is going on and you're on the right track, it's a little easier to stand. We knew we didn't have any choice and that we would have between two and four very slow days. So the situation is not as bad as the catastrophe we had in mind 3 days ago. We're getting the right sails up at the right moment, and there's no point in getting worked up, as people, who get all excited racing never do well in calm weather.» Serene and confident, the 14 men aboard Orange II have all the qualities of great sailors and excellent racers. They made their way perfectly through the ridge of high pressure and are now getting ready for their return to Brittany. Their arrival is still planned for mid-March. «Things are looking clearer, as one major hurdle is now behind us, but there is still one more ahead, the high. Our ETA varies between the 15th and 17th March. One route plan has us arriving on the morning of the 15th but I don't believe that at all. I'm thinking more of the sixteenth or seventeenth. Once again, we'll see things more clearly after the hurdle.» We'll have the answer by Friday...
Extracts from the radio link-up with Yann Elies, Bernard Stamm and Jacques Caraës
Yann Elies :
«This round the world voyage was like a whirlwind, which really spun us around. It's difficult to see the beginning or end. Everything is taken to the limit all the way to the finish. We're almost afraid to see it come to an end soon, even if we are keen to get back with our families. These are fabulous adventures that I would like to experience as part of a crew or as a solo yachtsman. I'm really enjoying it, and would like to do it again. We can feel we're getting close to the end and that all our hard work is going to lead to the smashing of the record. Then there is the fact that we'll soon be back on dry land and with our friends and families that we can't wait to see ... but it's all going to stop, the comradeship and our life together makes us feel a bit nostalgic, so we want to make the most of these final moments together!»
Bernard Stamm :
«We're not yet getting ready for the finish. It's all still a bit abstract. We've tried instead to pick up the wind that is ahead. On board, there are no major problems and now that it's fine, and we've picked up some wind, there's nothing but joy. The ability of this boat to go so quickly is astounding. She never stops, and continues to swallow up the miles all the time. It's really impressive and I'm not likely to forget it.»
Jacques Caraës :
«I'm pleased the video link ups work well. We weren't sure whether the equipment would work throughout the journey. For the final stretch, we're going to have to ration our supply of diesel and so, with Bernard, we're going to have to keep an eye on our video links to be able to continue back to Ushant. I've really enjoyed filming the crew, who are only too happy to be filmed. However, my priority is towards the progress of the boat, and I have to work on the manoeuvres like on the other watches. When I'm on stand-by, I deal with sending back the footage. But my priority is to help out on the boat and above all I am a crewman.»
Extracts from the radio link-up with Bruno Peyron
Sugar trading: «During the periods of flat calm weather, after so much work on the boat since the start, things are a bit slow-moving. So we have to keep busy, as Jean-Baptiste explained, everyone is trying to nibble away at sweets, and drink tea, and we're starting to run short. So we had a little meeting a few days ago to discuss the problem. We decided that we would distribute anything that would improve the daily lot to everyone, so we opened up sugar trading a food market on board Orange. The price of sugar or coffee is not stable. It depends on the ETA we have in mind. We set out with 58 bags and we're a little ahead. As JB got the sugar ration a little wrong, some are missing it more than others. Rather than let a friendly war develop, we gave everyone their ration to the finish, and everyone can do what they want with it. Of course, it's not to be taken too seriously!»
Courtesy on board: «Our mission is to do the best we can. We would be disappointed if we didn't manage to do that. After 44 days at sea, we want to do all the manoeuvres and reef taking perfectly. A lot of things are done with courtesy on board. All the time, it's "please and thank you." Imagine that at 35 knots at 4 in the morning in the deep south. With just a little effort, it has become quite natural for us all. I suggested it in 1993 and it worked so well that I've done it every time since. Everyone accepted willingly. On board there is a mix of positive aggression, as we're all competitors. This continual courtesy is vital. I worked in the merchant navy and in such a closed universe, it's one of the vital keys to a social life.»
The purchase of the Défi Français: «We knew about it, as on board there are people involved in it, like Florent Chastel. We heard the news in advance, even if it was in confidence. It's great news for the Défi team. I'm pleased for them and for all those, who will sail on board her. Once again, it just goes to show we were right to look towards the Asian countries.»
Data
Day 44
Latitude : 16 41.80' N
Longitude : 38 19.12' W
Speed over 24 h : 6.9 knots
Distance over 24 h : 166 nm
Speed since the start : 22.6 knots
Total distance : 23820 nm
Reindexing distance : 2506.10 nm
Lead on day 44:
-J.Verne record : +3759 nm (ahead)
-Absolute Record: +3063 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
Jules Verne Trophy2005
ORANGE II MAXI CATAMARAN
Morning press release
Paris, Wednesday 9th March 2005 – 05.00 GMT
IN THE MIDDLE OF A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE
For the first time since Thursday 17th February, the average speed since the start has dropped off to below 30 knots. As on a motorway, any hold up can cost you dearly. That’s is what is happening at the moment to Bruno Peyron and his 13-man crew, who are still battling it out with a ridge of high pressure lying in their path. So this morning, they were still off the Cape Verde Islands having notched up a measly 170 miles over 24 hours instead of the usual 650 miles. This is tough on the nerves, when you are used to flying along on the ocean at more than 30 knots, but it is, after all, part of the game. The whole crew with a list of achievements as long as a day without wind knows this sort of situation only too well. They are therefore keeping calm about this tricky section, the slowest in their round the world voyage. But as Bruno Peyron explained, the exit isn’t far off, even if they can’t make any forecasts yet about an exact ETA at the finish. In spite of everything, it should occur sometime between 15th and 17th March at the latest.
Bruno Peyron, this morning at 04.00 GMT: "We’re right in the middle of the ridge of high pressure, but on the right side of it. We’re going around the high, which is sliding towards us, and tomorrow evening we’ll be to its west. We should then be able to give an ETA. We still have 2,500 miles to cover, and normally that would take 4 days… The lads are used to this sort of situation and we all know that having the fastest boat in the world isn’t much good in these conditions (6 knots from the SSW, reaching on the port side – editor’s note). Life isn’t that unpleasant. Setting the indexsail and code zero under the stars…There are worse things, especially when you know that in just a few hours things will be looking up. For the moment, we’re going to miss the low situated over the Azores, but we’re going to pick up the next one. However, it is located so far south, that according to the forecasts, we’ll be finishing sailing upwind. We’ll get by, especially when what lies ahead isn’t very certain. We have known since crossing the Equator that this stretch wasn’t going to be easy."
DATA
Day at sea: 44th
Date: 9th March 2005
Time: 06.58
Latitude: 16 22.08’ N
Longitude: 38 10.48’ W
Instantaneous speed: 4.4 knots
Instantaneous bearing: 302
Average speed: 5.9 knots
Speed over 24 hours: 7.1 knots
Distance over 24 hours: 170 nm
Speed since the start: 22.6 knots
Total distance: 23,790 nm
Reindexing distance: 2516.70 nm
Lead on day 43:
J. Verne record: +4014 nm (ahead)
Absolute record: +3475 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)
About Orange ...
Orange, a subsidiary of France Telecom, is one of the global leaders in mobile telephony. Orange France is the leading operator in mobile telecommunications in France with a market share of 47.7% and more than 21.3 million clients on 31st December 2004.
index partners: Orange, France Telecom
Local authority partners: City of Marseilles, Marseilles Metropolitan Authority
Official supliers: TD Com, International Peinture, Henri Lloyd, UKHO, Lomac, Yamaha, Nera, Valderas Consulting, Telemar Scandinavia, Aramid Rigging, Southern Spars.
Freely available photos (for free press use) : www.maxicatamaran-orange.com (press section)
Video production for the Orange Maxi-Catamaran:
Arnaud de Belinay : +33/(0)6 84 84 14 71 - debelinay@therace.org
Official Photographer: Gilles Martin-Raget : +33/(0)6 07 55 45 85 - gmr@martin-raget.com
Press contacts for France Télécom / Orange :
Sébastien Goalès - France Télécom / 01 44 44 93 93 - sebastien.goales@francetelecom.com
Marie-Cécile Leprat - C Sports Communication / 01 58 47 84 58 – mc.leprat@csports.fr
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