Jules Verne Trophy for Orange
______________________________________________________________________

With this victorious circumnavigation in a little under 64 days, that's to say 6 days less than the previous record held by the trimaran Sport Elec, Orange brings home the Jules Verne Trophy and the boat ends her second voyage round the world in 14 months.
Indeed, after her brilliant second place in The Race 2001 with Loïck Peyron at the helm, his big brother Bruno has just confirmed on Orange the incredible performance of the maxi-catamarans designed by the Gilles Ollier Design Team and built by Multiplast. Gilles Ollier: "This boat is a veritable metronome. Two non-stop circumnavigations via the three capes! Twice 65 days with only minimal problems!

Of course, Bruno Peyron could have hoped for a better time, the boat is quite capable of it, but remember that Orange left Europe at a date that was not exactly of his choosing, after a second start following a damaged mast head."

A boat in great shape

hours from the finish, Bruno Peyron confirmed that his boat was in perfect shape. "These are really great babies. So you have to look after them. We kept up maintenance all the way round. In the end, we haven't had many problems. It was not like in 1993 (the first victorious Jules Verne for Bruno Peyron on Explorer, another Ollier/Multiplast catamaran, this one only 26 m). But Gilles Ollier, Yann Penfornis, Franck Martin and Jack Michal don't need telling. "I'm very pleased to know that they will be present at the finish of this new exploit, along with all the members of the Multiplast team".
Even if there were three identical boats of the same type built for The Race by Multiplast, they are, all the same, prototypes. And each skipper has his own way of sailing them. Bruno has a reputation for knowing just when to anticipate and never to force the gear. This being so, the power of these multihulls imposes enormous constraints on them. These circumnavigations are veritable endurance races.

Tomorrow!

Catamarans of the Orange type still have many trophies to claim on the great ocean record courses. And with the evolutions that can be made to them, they can expect a great future.This latest circumnavigation by a Multiplast maxi-catamaran will once again provide plenty of information for the yard and the designers. Important data that will be immediately integrated into the final design of the next generation with sights firmly set on The Race 2004. Gilles Ollier: "Already, we have a design study at an advanced stage of what could be the new machines. They will be bigger, more reliable, safer and above all faster. But they'll also need more time to build, about 14 months. At then moment we are in discussions with 5 syndicates, two French and three Anglo-Saxon".

With this new victory by Orange, Multiplast and the Gilles Ollier Design Team can now count 6 circumnavigations by maxi-catamarans designed and built by its design office and yacht yard. With both functions under the same roof, this structure has proved its efficiency and is today one of the only ones in the world to have such experience of large projects.

Jules Verne Trophy
Old record : 71d 14h 22mn 8s. Average 12.66 knots
New record : 64d 08h 37min 24s.
Gain : 7j 5h 44 min 44 s