Looking back over the route taken by Orange in 2002

64 days, 8 hours, 37 minutes and 24 seconds to circle the globe from Ushant, leaving the Cape of Good Hope, Cape Leeuwin and Cape Horn to port: a journey of 28,035 nautical miles (nearly 52,000 kilometres) at an average speed of 18.15 knots. Bruno Peyron and his maxi-catamaran Orange snatched the Jules Verne Trophy, improving on Olivier de Kersauson's record of 7 days, 5 hours, 44 minutes and 44 seconds. We look back on his achievement.

Thursday 14 February

The adventure experienced by the 13-man crew of Orange began just before midday on Thursday 14 February with a dream start: a calm sea and an ideal wind from exactly the right direction. Just as she began to pick up speed… it happened – a catastrophic failure that stopped the catamaran in her tracks; the masthead broke right through and collapsed. Orange immediately set course for her yard in Vannes under jury rig. It transpired that 6 metres of mast needed to be entirely rebuilt. The combined efforts of Gilles Ollier's specialist teams and Peyron's own crew shattered even the most optimistic forecasts and Bruno Peyron was able to announce his intention to set off again on Saturday 2 March.

Saturday 2 March.

Just 15 days after coming within a hair's breadth of complete disaster, Orange was once more on the start line off Ushant. The officials of the World Speed Sailing Record Council recorded the start of Orange's new record attempt as 08:36:21 on the morning of 2 March.

At the same moment, somewhere off the Brazilian coast, the record holder, Olivier de Kersauson, was abandoning his own attempt. Bruno Peyron and his 12 companions were now heading out into the planet's largest expanse of emptiness, punctuated by the mythical 3 capes of Good Hope, Leeuwin and the Horn and some highly symbolic waypoints, including the crossing of the Equator. Back in 1997, Sir Peter Blake had set the fastest time for covering the 3,400 sea miles from Ushant to the Equator, covering the distance in 7 days, 4 hours. With the wind full astern, Orange set off on long reaching tacks as the miles fell away. But the price to pay for entering the South Atlantic is always the tricky passage through the Doldrums, and it was here that Peyron suffered and Blake retained his record. Orange crossed the Equator at 06:36 on Sunday 10 m

March, 7 days and 22 hours after leaving Ushant, putting Peyron 3 days and 6 hours ahead of the existing record.

At the start of the southern autumn, the South Atlantic presented an unusual prospect.

The south-east Trades were proving rather asthmatic and the great low pressure systems of the Southern Ocean were late arriving, being unable to shift the anticyclones centred over Argentina. They had no option but to round St. Helena by gliding a long way westwards towards the coast of Brazil. Orange adopted a rather unorthodox sailing style called the "long route” that was to become something of a trademark in the coming days as Peyron avoided trimming too close to the wind. Unable to make headway south, Orange was obliged to cross through the anticyclone off Tristan da Cunha. Finally, the wind moved to south-westerly and Orange rounded the Cape of Good Hope on the night of Thursday 21 March after 18 days, 18 hours and 40 minutes, thus setting a new intermediate time.

The Indian Ocean was even worse, with severe winds and mountainous seas.

Having entered the Indian Ocean through a mouse hole less that 100 miles off the South African coast and some 700 miles north of the route taken by Olivier de Kersauson in 1997, Orange set out immediately to track the low pressure systems of the Southern Ocean, heading south-south-east. But the Indian Ocean hadn't finished making life difficult for Orange. The dangers of the notorious Agulhas shallows and the fierce current that flows through them down the east coast of Africa were further compounded by the violence of a deep depression, bringing Peyron and his crew face-to-face with a furious Roaring Forties storm. Once again, Peyron was having to search to find the best compromise between speed and preserving a boat whose 20 tonnes were banging, riding, fighting and being buried by enormous waves.

On 23 March, Orange was making nearly 20 knots under bare poles! But the wind just blew stronger. 10-metre waves were breaking faster and faster over the maxi-catamaran, throwing her about like a cork. 1000 miles off the Kerguelen Islands, Orange was hove to. The priority was the preservation of life and boat and the averages were falling. On Sunday 31 March, Orange crossed the longitude of Cape Leeuwin, still 1 day and 7 hours ahead of Olivier de Kersauson's record, having notched up another intermediate record of 29 days, 7 hours and 22 minutes for the passage from Ushant to the Australian cape. Nevertheless, the Indian Ocean had cost them dear, with nearly two whole days lost between the Cape of Good Hope and the most easterly point of Australia. The passage had also taken its toll on the boat and two of the giant catamaran's aft beam internal bulkheads had delaminated. Yves Le Blévec relaminated the damaged sections, applying carbon fibre reinforcement. Orange had paid her dues. The boat's repeaters were now gobbling up the miles. Lighter after 35 days at sea, Orange had rediscovered the pace set from the start line. The wind was stable and strong around the low pressure areas. This was the time to attack: the boat had the wind behind her and was driving flat out at over 30 knots. Temperatures were falling. On went the radar and everyone's thoughts were of icebergs.

Saturday 13 April, 12:28 p.m. French time:

Orange was still making excellent progress when a shadowy form was seen to port. It was Cape Horn. After 42 days, 2 hours and 52 minutes of racing, the maxi-catamaran Orange emerged from the Pacific Ocean, having crossed it in 12 days, 19 hours and 30 minutes.

The Southern Ocean was behind, but she was still in hostile latitudes. An enormous depression was forming off Buenos Aires, right across her direct track. There was no choice but to avoid these "boat-breaking” seas, so on her 47th day, Orange once again revisited Tristan da Cunha and the high pressure calms. Nevertheless, a way though had to be found, with the boat gibing continuously. They sailed by the barometer, searching for pressure. Peyron pushed his hunch to the limit, sailing over 1000 miles east of Kersauson's route. The sea was tough after the depression had passed through and Orange had avoided it by just a few hours. But the crew was ecstatic: the warm wind from Africa was blowing in their backs; they had found the trade winds. On Wednesday 24 April, Orange recrossed the Equator. Despite increasing her route by 23% on the incredible detour to the east, she had still set a new record time for the passage from Ushant to the Equator via the 3 Capes - 53 days, 4 hours and 49 minutes.

There was little appetite to celebrate their rapid return to the North Atlantic since the 12 cm. diameter titanium ball that carries the 1200 kg mast was cracked around half its circumference. If it failed, the entire spar and rigging would be lost. Once again, it was Le Blévec who saved the day by sealing the damaged area beneath a shroud of carbon fibre. Peyron and Chiorri played things even safer than usual, taking their maxi catamaran towards the American coast as Orange crossed Kersauson's 1997 route. Would they pass through the Azores? No, because the famous high pressure weather system was well and truly in position. Once again, they found themselves having to leave the most direct route. The emphasis now was less on beating the record than the safety of the crew and boat, which could well have been compromised by long windward tacks… But suddenly there it was – the pressure had returned to starboard.

Sunday 5 May 2002 at 18:13:45

Thursday 2 May at 6 p.m.: "Prepare to gibe!” This time, Brest wasn't far away, but still they had to be patient until the slack winds could take them over the finish line. On Sunday 5 May 2002 at 18:13:45, they had made it… after 64 days, 8 hours, 37 minutes and 45 seconds at sea…

Passages:

1- Ushant – Cape of Good Hope in 18 days, 18 hours, 40 minutes
2- Ushant - Cape Leeuwin in 29 days, 7 hours, 22 minutes
3- Cape Leeuwin - Cape Horn in 12 days, 19 hours, 30 minutes
4- Ushant - Cape Horn in 42 days, 2 hours, 52 minutes
5- Ushant – Equator in 53 days, 4 hours, 49 minutes
6- Equator - Ushant in 11 days, 3 hours, 48 minutes
7- Cape Horn - Ushant in 22 days, 5 hours, 45 minutes

More about the Jules Verne Trophy