READY, STEADY, GO ! THIS MORNING FOR
BRUNO PEYRON AND CREW ON BOARD ORANGE, IN AN ATTEMPT TO BEAT
THE ROUND BRITAIN AND IRELAND RECORD UNDER SAIL
On stand-by in Cowes (Isle of Wight) since Saturday, the maxi-catamaran
Orange co-skippered by Frenchman Bruno Peyron and Brit Neal
McDonald, crossed the starting line of the Round Britain and
Ireland Record at 8 past 10mn and 13s (GMT) this morning.
She crossed the line under main sail / solent and her speed
was around 19 to 20 knots.
In October 1994, the time to beat was set by the American
Steve Fossett on his 60-foot trimaran Lakota - Orange has
to make it round in less than 5 days, 21 hours, 5 minutes
and 27 seconds.
To break this record, Orange and her crew hve to be back in
Cowes before Sunday 18th August at 5 h 4 m 46 s (GMT).
This morning, as the boat was getting
underway Bruno Peyron explained that this attempt on the Round
Britain Record will be sailed in a clockwise direction via
the west coast of England, rounding the south-west tip of
England, then Ireland and Scotland before coming back down
along the north-east then east coast of England.
« The weather conditions are not ideal for this attempt
», stated the skipper of Orange, « but we cannot
wait any longer and come what may we will try to set a reference
time on what is a very difficult route in view of its complexity
and the variety of weather systems we will be encountering.
»
For this record attempt, there is a crew on 13 on board Orange,
including 5 different nationalities : Bruno Peyron (Fra, skipper),
Neal Mc Donald (GB, co-skipper), Lisa Mc Donald (GB), Roger
Nilson (Sweden), Vladimir Dzalba Lyndis (Fra), Andrew Henderson
(Australian), Neil Graham (GB), Damian Foxall (Irish), Jason
Carrington (GB), Jean-Baptiste Epron (Fra), Yann Reniaud (Fra),
Olivier Vigoureux (Fra) and Philippe Naudin (Fra), former
crew with Philippe Poupon and Florence Arthaud, replacing
Frenchman Ronan Legoff who is injured.
Next press release : 17h00 (UK time)
Press Office Maxi-Catamaran Orange : Mer & Média
Bénédicte Etienne : Mob : +33/(0)6 07 08 24
57 - be.mer.media@wanadoo.fr
Copyright free Images TV:
APP / Richard Simmonds : +44 (0) 776 886 6371 - rsimmonds@appbroadcast.com
2P2L / Gérard Supau : +33/(0)6 07 42 57 92 - gsupau@wanadoo.fr
