Orange II relaunched

Bruno Peyron and his team prepare for Jules Verne Trophy attempt

The Orange II maxi-catamaran, sailed by skipper Bruno Peyron and his crew, was re-launched this lunchtime in front of the submarine base in Lorient.

The memory of the loss of the Jules Verne Trophy last winter to Olivier de Kersauson was erased by the new records established this summer: The world 24h record (706.2 miles at an average of 29.29 knots) and the Mediterranean record (17 h 56 mins and 13 secs, at an average of 25.53 knots).

The three months spent on dry land in Lorient bring to an end the preparation and technical adjustment phase to get her ready to tackle once again the round the world crew sailing record.

Bruno Peyron has officially acknowledged today that he will be tackling the Jules Verne Trophy very soon (held by Olivier de Kersauson and the crew of the trimaran Geronimo in 63 days, 13mins 59secs) and the absolute world record (held since last winter by the American Steve Fossett and the crew of Cheyenne, with a time of 58 days, 09mins, 32secs).

Orange France is once again alongside Bruno Peyron and his crew for this new attempt at the Jules Verne Trophy.

The crew for this circumnavigation is currently being finalised and will include 13 or 14 people. Priority has been given this winter to the best helmsmen.

Skipper Bruno Peyron comments: "This large boat was built more than a year ago, to try to make it the fastest yacht on all the oceans of the world in the next five years. Consequently, our ambitions involve various goals, of which the circumnavigation is the top priority. The fact that we have already done that, that we are lucky enough to know the route well, and that we have experience in this type of boat, means that we are in a position, where we can win our bet in the coming years. Going back there for the third time doesn't make it an obsession in my eyes. It's rather like asking an athlete if he is going to try to beat the 100-metre record for ten years. It's the desire to achieve a great performance in a universe we know a little bit better now, but which can still teach us a lot of things...

"The whole team has been busy working this summer to solve the little problems that we have had since last winter. Today, we have rudders that work perfectly. The problems with the crashbox and the transformation of the propulsion system have been resolved. The other area of work concerned the improvement of the boat's performance. This work involves learning to manoeuvre the boat, which is very powerful. We covered more than 20,000 miles in six months, so we know how to push her forward and to make her go quickly. Orange II is today in a perfect configuration.

"I still pay as much attention to the spirit of teamwork and each crewman brings a complementary skill to the others. One thing is new this year. We realised that the quality of the helmsman was even more important than we first thought. Firstly, because the boat is so fast, but requires you to be alert at all times. Then, on the contrary to a monohull, the difference in speed between a good helmsman and an excellent one can be between 3 and 5 knots on a giant multihull. You can well imagine what a difference that makes in terms of mileage at the finish... I thus paid particular attention this year in choosing my crew to make sure that in each of the three watches, there were at least two good helmsmen. In the choice of my crew, I decided to give priority to the Dream team (the winning crew from the Jules Verne Trophy 2002). You'll therefore find names like Yann Elies, Philippe Péché, Ronan Le Goff, Yves Le Blévec, Jean-Baptiste Epron, Florent Chastel, but also those, who were with me last winter or this summer, like Roger Nilson, Jacques Caraes, Sébastien Audigane, Lionel Lemonchois, Nicolas de Castro and Ludovic Aglaor...

"Whatever name you give to it, this route is really astonishing, when you look at the number of attempts that have been made with relatively little success. The most amazing performance is of course, Steve Fossett's, which doesn't need any comment. A perfect journey, good control, a good crew, a fine boat, excellent navigation, and then that little lucky boost, which such a performance requires. It should be said that Fossett's crew managed to gain four days on us uniquely on the final stretch back up the Atlantic between the Equator and the finish. However, luck only smiles on the bold and projects that are well organised. The little stroke of luck only came to them at the end. So if they hadn' t managed 58 days, they would have done 60 or 61. Kersauson's performance is almost more "normal." There was some fine sailing with a well prepared boat, but with some difficult weather, which Fossett didn't encounter, which was the main difference between the two. Both of these performances are very respectable from a sporting point of view, and are now our two goals.

Didier Quillot, CEO of Orange France gave his views: "The magic of the Jules Verne Trophy - offering a continual challenge, and always up for grabs - is due to the fact that it is at the same time a quest and a conquest. Once reached, the new target is set. You fight it out with an opponent or set yourself up as one, but the main thing is always to go ever further, picking up the gauntlet and throwing it down again... For our delight, Bruno Peyron and his crew of 13 are taking up the challenge once again showing never-ending strength and willpower, as they take control of the maxi - catamaran Orange II. Awarded the title of the fastest multihull in 24 hours this summer, this ultra-modern boat illustrates the spirit of our brand, just as it represents our ambitions.

"Orange has always positioned itself as a special partner of sport, with the aim of bringing some real added value in terms of multimedia wireless telecommunications services to the sporting community. This is the case in its major involvement in football and rugby.

"Enabling all sports fans to be at the heart of the event is also the positioning Orange's partnerships achieves in the area of sailing, which is in synergy and complements what the France Télécom Group has developed with onboard transmission systems, allowing the public to be present during major ocean races.

Already a feature has been given over to news about the Orange II maxi-catamaran on the Orange World video service.

Each week from the start of the race, a video report will be broadcast live on compatible handsets.

Some exciting moments lie ahead...