While we sleep, it is broad day light on the otherside of the planet. That is precisely where the maxi-catamaran Orange II is as it continues its high speed dashacross the Pacific Ocean. The figures speak forthemselves : during this morning’s radio session at 0400 GMT, Orange II wasclocked at 32.4 knots of instantaneous speed and it is maintaining an averagespeed of 30 knots. No less than 626miles have been made over the last 24 hours, at an average of 26.1 knots…Bruno Peyron’s crew is clearly still on the attack in fairly manageable seasand a wind enabling them to make high speed in the right direction. The boat is filing along towards Cape Horn< /place> which it may reach byFriday. As a result their lead over therecord times around the world set by Steve Fossett’s crew may extend stillfurther during the 3 days which precede the passage of the legendary cape. After one more day in these latitudes on thelookout for the danger of icebergs, Orange II will begin to distance itselffrom this ice convergence zone. For thetime being the whole team is concentrated on the quest for pure speed, the keyto which may be a new record for the Southern Pacific crossing in a few daystime…

Extracts from this morning’s radio session with Bruno Peyron : “The wind and sea conditions that we are encountering at themoment are enabling us to make pure speed and continue to attack the SouthernPacific. We are well placed forward of awarm front, on the edge of the ice convergence z one, likely to begin to use arotation in the wind that will clock round in a favourable direction. We haven’t got a big swell enabling us to makelong surfs, but the seas are very manageable and the waves are such that ourgiant can easily make 33-35 knots of boat speed. We’re continuing to keep a lookout foricebergs as 3 growlers were encountered here during the Vendée Globe and thewater is at 5° so we’re being careful… The depression that has been with ussince Australiais continuing to carry us along. Itshould follow us until the Horn and perhaps even after it as it joins up withanother depression that will climb up to the NE after the Cape. At the passage of the Horn, we maysuffer a little as the wind will clock round to the W forcing us to make a fewtacks. If all goes according to planthough, we may be able to round the Horn on Friday mornin g and get another twodays ahead of Fossett’s record time. Anyforecasts are received with caution… The boat is really running very well andits speed is even beyond the speed polars recorded this summer. I am not surprised by the fantastic potentialof this boat, but I didn’t expect to exploit it as much as we have and be ableto attack in this way. The conditions are allowing us to permanently exploitbetween 90 and 100% of the boat’s potential…”

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