June 6, 2005

‘THE CHALLENGE’
Maxi Triamaran's Circumnavigation of Australia

From the 16th of June the maxi trimaran Geronimo will attempt to set a record for a fully crewed maxi multi hull boat to circumnavigate 6500 miles around Australia.

Geronimo will leave from Darling Harbour Sydney with a crew of seven French and four Australian sailors. A number of the French crew members were recently part of the crew who raced on Geronimo in the Oryx Quest 2005 – the first non stop round the world race to start and finish in the Middle East.

French sailing luminary skipper Olivier de Kersauson will lead the crew, and with many sailing records to his name, is confident the Challenge can be achieved in less than a month. It is the first time that a maxi multihull will make an attempt for this record, a very complex and complicated voyage with tropical weather, trade winds, and a dangerous southern passage in the winter.

The Challenge circumnavigation attempt will require the boat to adhere to the World Sailing Speed Record Council’s new rule for Record Courses:

‘A skipper may nominate any starting/finishing point on the Australian mainland that is acceptable to the WSSRC. The vessel may sail either way around the continent as defined. The course shall enclose Sydney Heads, Great Barrier Reef, Cape York and the Thursday Islands group, Cobourg Peninsula, Melville and Bathurst Islands, North West Cape, Cape Leeuwin, South East Cape (Tasmania)’.

The Challenge record is ratified by the World Sailing Speed Record Council (WSSRC) and International Yacht Racing Union (IYRU) observer John Brooks.

This Challenge will set the benchmark for other international sailing maxi yachts to beat - no limits.

The trimaran is named Geronimo, after the famous Apache Indian chief and is from the design office of Marc Van Peteghem and Vincent Lauriot-Prevost. Geronimo is sponsored by Capgemini and Schneider Electric. It was built by the famous Multiplast Boatyard in Vannes, France and launched in 2002 and has recently been structurally refitted in preparation for the Challenge by well know local boat builder of international standing BoatSpeed Performance Sailcraft, located Somersby on the NSW Central Coast. Geronimo is the only maxi-trimaran in the world, built in high modular carbon fibre.

Timing for The Challenge from Sydney couldn’t be better as the Australian National Maritime Museum at Darling Harbour is currently exhibiting Les Génies De La Mer – Masterpieces of French Naval Sculpture - a collection of stunning wooden sculptures that adorned ships of the French Navy, as well as vessels of state from the time of the Sun King Louis XIV (who created Versailles) to the time of Napoleon from the Musée national de la Marine in Paris. It’s a true celebration of French Naval achievements on and off the water.

Trimaran Design; Length – 34 metres;
Beam – 22 metres;
Overall height – 43 metres;
Sails downwind – 1000 sq m;
Waterline – 30 metres;
3DL North Sails; 390 sq m mainsail; 100 sq m stay foresail'; 170 sq m solent; 3 Different gennakers

SuperYachting Challenges wish to thank Sergio Tacchini, Global Star Australia, The Bulletin, MIC – Maritime International Communications, Protector Boats,Capgemini, Schneider Electric, Tourism New South Wales and The Weather Channel.

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