Orange II smashes the round the world sailing record

Orange II sets a new round the world record of 50 days, 16 hours, 20 minutes & 4 seconds © Franck Gicquiaud / Littoral Ouest

Orange II sets a new round the world record of 50 days, 16 hours, 20 minutes & 4 seconds © Franck Gicquiaud / Littoral Ouest

Orange II and Bruno Peyron's crew have just set a new round the world record in 50 days, 16 hours, 20 minutes and 4 seconds, achieving an average speed of 22.2 knots.

• Ahead of Cheyenne (Steve Fossett), the previous outright record holder by 7 days 17h 12'41".
• Ahead of Geronimo (Olivier de Kersauson), the previous Jules Verne Trophy holder by 12 days 21h 39' 42"

Mission accomplished!

By crossing the finishing line off the Island of Ushant in the dark of night under clear skies at 02.23 GMT this morning, Bruno Peyron and his 13-man crew have just achieved a remarkable performance. They have smashed the records set last year by the American Steve Fossett and the French yachtsman Olivier de Kersauson. No one on board would have dared to imagine when they set out at 10.03 on Monday 24th January that they would achieve such a record. The Orange II maxi-catamaran, launched on Monday 22nd December 2003, proves quite clearly that she is the fastest ocean racing yacht in the world. Having already smashed the 24 hour sailing record (706.20 miles) and the Mediterranean record (Marseilles/Carthage) last summer, she has just added this supreme challenge to her list of successes. This catamaran skippered masterfully by Bruno Peyron, who built up a top level crew around him, has a fine future ahead of her, having shown she can literally swallow up the oceans. However, this morning, they were not talking about the future, but simply celebrating their achievement before heading into Brest docks to moor up at the Quai Malbert, where Orange II is expected later this morning at around 09.30 GMT. As she crossed the finishing line, the south south westerly wind was blowing at 25/27 knots. The maxi-catamaran crossed it at 28 knots just 0.5 miles from the coast. «We tried to get it just right, as we have done throughout the journey,» Bruno Peyron said with some real emotion in his voice.

Bruno Peyron, during the radio report just after crossing the finishing line: «It's more emotion than joy. It corresponds to the long hard slog. So there's no explosion. It's intense, violent, just like this round the world voyage. I really love this night, and we're going to try to make the most of it. Everyone is out on deck, and I don't think we'll be sleeping much before we get back on dry land, even if we haven't really made any plans. This is a genuine record, which is beyond dispute. The boat is certainly a classy creation and was handled by a superb crew. W'll have plenty of time to talk about it again."

Olivier de Kersauson, the chairman and former holder of the Jules Verne Trophy, congratulated Bruno Peyron and his crew on their fabulous performance around the world. «The hurdle of fifty days is now within reach, showing the huge amount of progress that our sport makes each year. No other racing sport can claim to have made this progress, as each new generation of boat pushes back the limits still further. The Jules Verne Trophy remains the outright reference for human and technological commitment, and Bruno Peyron has just added a new chapter, his third, to its history.»

Major moments:

• The best day: 689.4 miles, 6th February, going down the South Atlantic.
• The worst day: 166 miles, on 9th March, off Cape Verde.
• Number of days above 600 miles: 12
• Maximum lead over Cheyenne's time: 10 days, on 3rd March
• Three new intermediary records in the process of being certified by the World Speed Sailing Record Council (WSSRC) 2005 /2008 : best time from the Equator to the Equator and the fastest crossings of the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

More Information:

• Orange II website