Innovation Explorer renamed

The Race organiser Bruno Peyron finds a new sponsor

Bruno Peyron, leading oceanic catamaran skipper and organiser of The Race, has announced that his boat, formerly Innovation Explorer, is to be renamed Orange after France Telecom's mobile telephone subsiduary.
The 110ft catamaran which Peyron's younger brother Loick campaigned to second place behind Club Med in The Race, has been undergoing work at the shipyard in La Ciotat in the south fo France since June and her new paintjob finished a week ago will be...you guessed it...brilliant orange.

Her first outing will be the Jules Verne Trophy, in which in theory she will line up against Olivier de Kersauson's new trimaran Geronimo.

In 1993 Peyron became the first person to win the Jules Verne Trophy, when he succeeded to sail around the world non-stop in a fraction under 80 days. This was a huge achievement at a time when the record stood in excess of 100 days. A year later the record was bettered by the late Sir Peter Blake and Sir Robin Knox-Johnston on board ENZA New Zealand and then in 1997 fell to Olivier de Kersauson, the current holder, on board Sport Elec.

"The Jules Verne Trophy is, in my mind, the most prestigious record of all and we will not take the risk of testing something technologically new," commented Peyron. "We have, of course, a few little secrets that we will not reveal, but nothing too innovative. The boat has already made a magnificent trip around the world and she does not have much new to prove ".

Peyron says Orange will be relaunched on 20 December, first sea trials will take place on 23-26 December. She will be officially christened in Marseilles in mid-January and will then be delivered to Brittany ready to be on stand-by by mid-February.

The Jules Verne Trophy allows yachts to leave whenever they want, so that teams can pick what they feel is the most suitable weather conditions. What Peyron and de Kersauson view as the best conditions, may vary. "If the weather allows, we hope to meet Olivier de Kersauson and his crew to try and organize a joint departure and a veritable duel in real time. The result will only be better ... ," said Peyron.

Peyron has also announced that the next running of The Race will take place in February 2004. As to what the next type of boat for the Volvo Ocean Race should be... Peyron has very fixed views. If it is 110ft catamarans then they can already consider themselves to have one entry...