Orange II. Ultimate tacks
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Wind is back for Orange II abeam Azores Islands. The maxi catamaran sailing now full speed towards the finishing line of that anthological round the world. Orange II is awaited on the line Wednesday February 16 in the morning.
It's around 50 days that new record must be done, so around 8 days less than time reference of Cheyenne last year, still considerate as exceptional in 58 days, 9 hours and 32 minutes.
After having crossed the finishing line, Orange II will join Brest harbour where she will be berth quay Commandant Malbert, just underneath the castle and near the arsenal.

Doha 2006 still ahead

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Since the start of the race February 5, and a close battle with trimaran Geronimo alongside Australian West coasts, Doha leads in that atypical round the world. She actually sails in South Atlantic towards Cape of Good Hope, last but one important mark before Mauritius Island and back in Persian Gulf.
Sure, since Cheyenne has dismasted alongside Argentinean coasts and the retirement of Geronimo in Indian Ocean, game is less passionate for Doha 2006 who is today more than 3500 miles ahead Deadelus. Never the less, she sails quick and properly, and confirm her supremacy. The proof of it is, with different skippers, that generation of boats design by the Gilles Ollier Design Team and built by Multiplast shipyard, remains extremely high-performance machines. Brian Thomson

Groupama III on a steady keel
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Construction of Franck Cammas's new maxi-trimaran Groupama III is well underway at the Maultiplast shipyard. Two and a half months into the project, Yann Pennfornis in charge of the construction, talks about how things are going. Secretary of State for the Sea, François Goulard was visiting the yard along with the CEO of Groupama, Jean-Luc Beaucherel.
Yann Penfornis : "...Since work started in the build shed last December, we have installed the surface plates to make the central hull preforms, crossbeams and floats. Then we added the ribs and wooden plating of the preforms, which were then laminated, coated and painted. The preforms are used to make the moulds except for the central hull which is moulded directly.