Orange II entered the Pacific Ocean 4 days ago and here it is almost at the midway mark. Bruno Peyron estimates a possible passage of Cape Horn from Friday 25 February, 32 days after leaving the island of Ouessant. All depends on how the crew of the giant catamaran get on with chasing the train of depressions crossing the Pacific at the same time.

Whilst evoking an ETA at Cape Horn for the 25th, Bruno Peyron remains very guarded: « I don’t really believe in it as the weather files are less reliable in the Southern Pacific, but the end of day on the 25th is possible. This route is forcing us to drop down very far South and I am not sure that we are going to go there as we don’t have any precise information in relation to the ice.» The ice remains an important issue aboard. Deprived of radar the skipper is ensuring that there is always one man on the lookout during the watches. With a pair of infra-red glasses, he keeps an eye out for any ice field which may threaten the honed bows of the catamaran. « This permanent watch, on the forebeam with infra-red glasses enables us to get a clear image of any icebergs and growlers as they did during the Whitbread. We’re going fairly fast in relation to them though…» To reduce the risks, the crew is also surveying the water temperature. « To the South of New Zealand, there were some massive icebergs in water of 10-11 degrees. When the temperature drops to 5°C, that means we’re very close…but by then it’s already too late! » As a result Orange II isn’t likely to continue with the train of depressions as far as these Southern limits which may cause the boat to lose a little time with regards its ETA at the tip of South America.

In any case the giant may well be able to add another record to its collection as its Pacific target is the time set by Cheyenne in 2004 with a time of 11 days 20 hours and 18 minutes. With its current averages of nearly 600 mile days, Bruno Peyron’s maxi catamaran is already practically at the halfway point along the course separating Tasmania from Cape Horn. And Bruno Peyron still has every intention of attacking the record. « We are on the attack because the seas are allowing us to. We’re off at 28 knots again at the moment, but it dropped to 22-24 this morning. The last depression slowed us down and further back there is quite a nasty tropical depression which is going to chase us afterwards. It has made the wind clock round and it’s practically North. As a result we have wind on the beam in relation to the true wind and we’re creating an apparent wind which is heading into us. We’re not going very quickly, around 25 knots. It will be daybreak in an hour’s time. Tonight we will ease the pace up as we open the sails a little. We won’t be as heavily armoured, nor as violent, nor as flat out! »

Orange II has less than 10000 miles to go today to make Ouessant. Its average speed since the start is 23.4 knots. It is swallowing up the Pacific at 25 knots. And the boat is in perfect condition. « At the start of the course across the Pacific, we have a greater potential than at the start of the Jules Verne » adds Bruno Peyron. « The manoeuvres are well oiled. We are pushing on the boat without causing it to suffer and that will continue to improve. It’s as if we have started a new competition today, two thirds of the way around the world and after a month and a half of preparation! »

Extracts from the Radio Session with Bruno Peyron

Global state of fatigue stabilised: « It has really stabilised. I was frightened when we entered into the Southern Ocean. It was good to work on it with the crew so that everyone was aware of fatigue. Everyone is at the same level of fatigue now which enables us to dose the machine at the global level of the group. »

On the homeward leg : « There are no problems with morale aboard. There is power, ‘niak’ and no energy problems. When you look at the dials that just gives you an extra morale boost. We have a collective understanding that we are can succeed! Sometimes we ask ourselves what we have done to deserve this and so we say to ourselves that we’re not allowed to spoil it all. And the more ground we gain the more we have to make sure that we are attentive. »

The future of giant multihulls : « This boat is the fruit of ten years of work. We worked on it in 1993 when we created The Race and worked on some boats to win this race. Orange II and its 37 metres was the size we envisaged in 1994. I decided to reduce that to 33 metres for safety reasons and because we had to make three boats in the same mould. That gave us some technical data to make this new boat. I must admit that we hesitated between this version and the smaller, lighter, extreme trimaran. That is in fact a boat that will exist in a year and a half under the name of Groupama for Franck Cammas. I am waiting to see what will come of these extreme trimarans. They will be very dangerous (in terms of speed) in medium and light winds, but I am not sure if they will be faster than us in a course around the world. »

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