Today at a press conference in Paris, Olivier Klein, CEO of the Commercial and Insurance Bank of BPCE Group, announced the appointment of Loïck Peyron as skipper of the Maxi Banque Populaire V. The native from La Baule, holder of 42 Atlantic crossings and 3 laps around the World, will therefore lead the largest ocean racing trimaran ever built on the next Bank’s attempt on the Jules Verne Trophy. Within the Team Banque Populaire, led by Ronan Lucas, Loïck Peyron joins Jeanne Grégoire and Armel Le Cléac’h.
 

A performance goal
 
Owner of the Maxi Banque Populaire V, a Figaro Bénéteau and a 60-foot monohull, Official Partner of the French Sailing Federation, the French Sailing Olympic Team, of Eric Tabarly Association and of the CNOSF, Banque Populaire “is in full sail” and heads for 2012, reaffirming its performance objective. After having designated Armel Le Cléac’h to helm her new monohull for the next Vendée Globe, she has now entrusted Loick Peyron with the helm of her maxi multihull for the next record attempt round the world sailing crew non-stop and unassisted.

Loick Peyron, with impressive credits on all types of boats, is a multihull specialist who has developed numerous boats in this category. His experience with world tours and the G-Class is unquestionable. At the helm of the Maxi multihull Innovation Explorer, he ranked second in “The Race”, the first “no limits”

Loïck is a perfect ambassador of the Banque Populaire’s values. Enterprising, intelligent, audacious and always ready to face new challenges, he is also one of the most popular sportsmen in France for many years

 

Olivier Klein, CEO of the Commercial and Insurance Bank of BPCE Group has, during the press conference, stressed the consistency in the selection Loïck Peyron. “The Maxi Banque Populaire V is an illustration of the credo that animates every Banques Populaires: confidence in the willingness of men to reach their full potential through their projects and work, through their desire to excel, their personal commitment, as their team spirit. Every day in our regions, Banques Populaires accompany daring and enterprising people to make their desire to act a reality. This project also demonstrates the taste of the Bank for challenges. Loick Peyron, by his exceptional career and his appreciation of challenges seemed the perfect candidate to lead this ship so emblematic of our company. ”
 
Loick Peyron said he was “very pleased to be entrusted with such a great project within a high quality team. ” He also “thanked Banque Populaire, the historic sailing sponsor, for her confidence. ”

 

A new chapter in the sailing history of the Bank, a major player in the nautical world, has begun. It is now time for Loick Peyron and his crew to write the lines.
 The beginning of the season will be dedicated to training, in the next few days off Lorient, home port of the largest multihull. Then, from June 17 to 21st, the Maxi Banque Populaire V and her team will take part in the Record SNSM and in the historic Fastnet race in August.

Then, the time will come to prepare for the Jules Verne Trophy which standby’s period is set for early November 2011.

 

About Banques Populaires
 The Banque Populaire network consists of 18 regional Banques Populaires, of the
 Credit Cooperative and of the Casden Banque Populaire. Independent, these banks exercise in all areas of commercial banking and insurance in a close relationship with their customers. Banque Populaire, with 7.8 million customers (including 3.8 million members) and 3,300 branches, is part of the second largest banking group in France: BPCE Group

 
Loick Peyron
 Portrait and credits extract
Skipper of the  Maxi Banque Populaire V
 Born on December 1, 1959 in Nantes
 Married, 4 children
 
Son of a sailing enthusiast, Loïck learned how to sail alongside his two brothers Stephen and Bruno at the Pouliguen, in the Loire-Atlantique region. In 1972 he was twelve years old when his uncle Jean-Yves Terlain took him to attend the launching of Vendredi-13, with which he will later participate in The Transat. Impressed, the man who is sometimes today referred to as  “the Last of the Mohicans, “is, as a child, already dreaming of becoming a professional skipper. From that moment the young man devoted himself to speed on sea and becomes passionate, in a permanent quest for performance.

That is it; he will sail around oceans and undertakes his first transatlantic crossing at eighteen years old.

In the 1990s, at the helm of the trimaran Fujicolor, he won many races and no fewer than 4 titles of ORMA* Championship in 1996, 1997, 1999 and 2002. Loïck Peyron has been consistently sailing, always multiplying experience on different boats. No sailing boat model escapes him and he has, over the years, built himself a formidable record in racing ocean. He has, in particular, won three times The Transat, (race alone), participated in three rounds the world, crossed 42 times

the Atlantic, including 15 times solo.

Loick also has qualities in communicating in an outstanding way, always eager to share his passion for sailing. Officer of the Legion of Honor, he is, beyond a harden sailor, a major advisor in the field of shipbuilding in line with big names like Eric Tabarly
An Exceptional carrer
 
•   In 1985, he won the Race of Europe aboard “Lada Poch”.
 •   In 1985, he won a leg victory in La Solitaire du Figaro.
 •   In 1987, he won La Baule-Dakar aboard “Lada Poch 2″.
 •   In 1990, he finished second aboard “Lada Poch 3″, on the Vendee Globe Challenge although he had to divert to give assistance to Philippe Poupon who capsized.
 •   Between 1992 and 2005,  8 times winner of the Trophée Clairefontaine and 2 times twice of the Transat.
 •   Between 1993 and 1999, he won 13 victories and two second ranks out of 15 Grand Prix.

2000 to date …
 
•   During the 2000-2001 edition of The Race, he finished 2nd aboard the maxi trimaran
Innovation Explorer and undertook  this circumnavigation with crew in 64d 22h 32min38s
 •   In 2001, he won the Transat Jacques Vabre aboard the trimaran “Fujifilm”.
•   In 2005, he won the Transat Jacques Vabre with Jean-Pierre Dick on the 60 foot monohull Virbac-Paprec.
 •   Between 2005 and 2007, he got 8 victories out of 9 races.
 •   From 2006, the Rothschild family appointed Loick Peyron as General Directora of Gitana Team. The team built a 60-foot monohull, “Gitana Eighty,” with which Loick Peyron won The Transat in 2008.
 •   A few months later, during the Vendee Globe, “Gitana Eighty” dismasted fifteen miles behind the leader, forcing Loïck to retire.
 •   Loick Peyron participated in the 2010 “Alinghi adventure “, alongside Ernesto Bertarelli, as co-helmsman in the the America’s Cup battle.
 •   On April 4, after 3 months at sea with Jean Pierre Dick, skipper of “Virbac Paprec 3″, he won the Barcelona World Race (dual race around the world by the 3 caps). The 21 and 22 January
 2011, during the Barcelona World Race, Loick Peyron and Jean-Pierre Dick set a new 24h record on a  60 feet monohull covering the distance of 506.333 nautical miles.

* Ocean Racing Multihulls Association: Class of 60-foot trimarans
Excerpt from interview

Olivier Klein
Director General Commercial and Insurance Bank of BPCE Group.

New challenges and a commitment remaining strong
“We are very pleased to entrust Loick Peyron with the Maxi Banque Populaire V’s helm. He is a friendly sailor with an exceptional talent.  I have no doubt that the Team Banque Populaire with Loïck will perform great things in this exciting adventure. ”

“The appointment of Loïck concludes a series of announcements confirming our willingness to engage in sailing in a performance quest along with a desire of proximity. Performance with our three skippers, Armel, Jeanne and Loïck within the Team Banque Populaire, proximity with all our actions and those of regional banks for the development of sailing in France. ”
 
Loick Peyron
Skipper of Maxi Banque Populaire V

“I am very pleased and honored by the confidence that Banque Populaire has in me. And also aware of the enormous burden and the high liability represented by the Jules Verne Trophy. It’s also great, a difficult challenge to overcome, but if there is something that I know how to do, is to adapt myself. For the human parts and the mechanical aspects, there is a great team around and everything seems well established. I now have to use this tools already created and manage them, it still remains a heavy load. ”

 

Maxi Banque Populaire V has got a high potential
“On the Maxi Banque Populaire V, everything seems to have been nicely done and from the outside, I had a good feeling about the boat’s potential. She has already proven it with the first nice records which are the North-Atlantic crossing, the 24h record and the Mediterranean, and has got everything to beat the Jules Trophy Verne. The almost entire program has been achieved, this boat holds, and for a long time, the most beautiful records. The Jules Verne only remains! We hope to have some chance on the weather as it is now what prevails on this record. One attitude of today’s records hunters is knowing that it can sometimes take several attempts ».

 

 
No reason to change the crew
“About the crew, it a priori turns out that there is no reason change anything, except for some downtime of some of them. Having the experience of the boat and of records is a benefit when getting into a team already in place ».

Ronan Lucas,
Director of the Team Banque Populaire

 

For synergies
“We are very pleased to welcome Loïck in the Team. He benefits from an extensive experience, with whom we hope winning this great challenge that is the Jules Verne Trophy. We have often been competitors in the ORMA championship and have had great battles. He has an undeniable talent and incredible vista. I think it is one of the best sailor in France and even worldwide. ”
 ”In terms of the Team Banque Populaire, now that our fleet is in full force, we will go for synergies and skills of the Team, especially in the fields of electronics, composite, information technology, logistics and administration for the benefit of every Banque Populaire’s boats from the Figaro to the Maxi, including of course our new 60 ‘ monohull. The goal is to place the different sports teams and their respective skippers in the best conditions for everyone to achieve their goals. Achievements and
developments of a boat can be used for the entire fleet. ”

 

“In response to the fleet development and performance objectives, I am surrounded by the Team in place for 7 years that continues and has expanded this winter with a new technical director and referring during the Trophée Jules Verne, Pierre-Emmanuel Hérissé. “PE”, as we all call him, in charge of the technical coordination between the different projects, will also have an eye on the 60 ‘ monohull as it has a long experience of these boats. The Team’s added value lies in its experience over many years in the development and construction of high performance boats such as the trimaran 60 feet Banque Populaire IV and the Maxi Banque Populaire V. So today, we put our knowledge at the service of all our projects. Including that of our Research Department headed by Kevin Escoffier, who is currently working on the ballasts’s redistribution of the Monohull 60 ‘Banque Populaire, while ensuring the follow up on the Maxi’s repairs with Pierre-Yves Moreau, , « boat captain », for her next attempt on the Jules Verne Trophy. ”
 
Extract from Loïck Peyron’s credits
 
- 42 Atlantic crossings, including 17 solo
 - 3 around the world races
- 5 ORMA Champion titles

 

•   2011
 o Barcelona World Race: Winner on Virbac Paprec 3 with Jean-Pierre Dick
 •   2008
 o SNSM Record: Winner aboard the monohull Gitana Eighty
 o The Transat: Winner on Gitana Eighty
o Spi Ouest France: Winner on  Domaine du Mont d’Arbois, an Open 7.50 of the Gitana Team
 •   2007
 o Transat Ecover BtoB: Winner on the monohull Gitana Eighty
 o Transat Jacques Vabre: 8th on Gitana Eighty with Jean-Baptiste Levaillant (transatlantic double)
 o Lake Geneva Bol d’Or: Winner on Okalys (D35)
•   2006
 o Julius Baer Challenge: Winner on Okalys (D35)
 •   2005
 o Lake Geneva Bol d’Or: Winner on Okalys (D35)
 o Julius Baer Challenge: Winner on Okalys (D35)
 o Transat Jacques Vabre: Winner, double as co-skipper on the monohull Virbac-Paprec of Jean-Pierre Dick
 o Route des Iles : Winner with Dimitri Deruelle
 o Clairefontaine Trophy: Winner
 •   2003
 o Transat Jacques Vabre: 2nd, double as co-skipper on Belgacom trimaran Jean-Luc Nélias
 o Figaro: 6th
 •   2002
 o Clairefontaine Trophy: Winner
 •   2001
 o Transat Jacques Vabre: 3rd on the trimaran Fujifilm
 o The Race: 2nd on the catamaran Innovation Explorer
 •   1999
 o Clairefontaine Trophy: Winner
 o Transat Jacques Vabre: 1st on Fujicolor II with Franck Proffit
 o Course de l’Europe: 1st on Fujicolor II
•   1998
 o Clairefontaine Trophy: Winner
 o Route du Rhum: 5th Fujicolor II
 o Course de l’Europe: Winner on Fujicolor II
 •   1997
 o Clairefontaine Trophy: Winner
 o Course de l’Europe: Winner on Fujicolor II
 o Transat Jacques Vabre: 3rd on Fujicolor II
 •   1996
 o Transat: Winner on Fujicolor II
 o Clairefontaine Trophy: Winner
 o Transat Quebec-Saint Malo: Winner on Fujicolor II
 o Grand Prix de Fecamp: Winner on Fujicolor II
 •   1995
 o Clairefontaine Trophy: Winner
 o Course de l’Europe: Winner on Fujicolor II
 o Grand Prix de Fecamp: Winner on Fujicolor II
 o Grand Prix de Saint Nazaire: Winner on Fujicolor II
 •   1994
 o Multihull Trophy: Winner on Fujicolor II
 o Twostar: 2nd on Fujicolor II
 •   1993
 o Multihull Trophy: Winner on Fujicolor II
 o Transat Jacques Vabre: 3rd monohull on Fujicolor II
 o Course de l’Europe: Winner on Fujicolor II
 Etc..

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On Saturday 22nd January at 12:11:45 pm (Paris time) the Maxi Banque Populaire V took off Ushant on her first attempt on the Jules Verne Trophy with a reference time of 48 days 7 hours 44 minutes and 52 seconds to beat.         
Thirteen days later, in the South Atlantic, just before entering the Indian, the wonderful adventure carried out by Pascal Bidegorry and his men stopped suddenly after a collision with an UFO *, damaging heavily the daggerboard. The crew decided to sail the giant trimaran back to Lorient after having performed some repair on the injured piece.

After 15 days delivery, the crew arrived this morning in Lorient, the opportunity for them to come back on this unique experience of this first attempt.
Pascal Bidegorry – skipper – off watch: “We continued to work well on this delivery. The objective was to carry on sailing as if we were still in the record … not with the full performance of the boat for sure but in the organization on board as the crew has done during the first twelve days of racing. It was important not to stop and to keep the same dynamic. I have had the time to ask myself all the questions possible. There are three tiny jobs to do (laughs) but I’m more determined than before. The boat is good, it’s a fact, everyone says so, but I really enjoyed sailing with the guys. We have everything to make this project a success. It is not trivial to spend thirty days at sea and it will definitely greatly serve us. The Team has done a tremendous job and we all grown up a bit. We learned to live together, living the boat’s performance. Living together at 20 knots or at 35 knots is not the same. We do not handle the boat as we used to do. I tried to learn by watching others and seeing the intelligence with which they conducted their boat and their men. It is not that simple. We did not break the boat. We sailed well. We hit something but we made no mistakes.
We are hoping to leave again this winter. There are roughly ten working days on the boat. We must make a complete check up as we sailed 30 days on this 40 meters multihull.

 Since we decided to turn around, we have not stopped looking at St. Helena and the trajectory of the competitors in the Barcelona World Race and the one of Thomas Coville. We know very well that it is not fun for anybody to turn back. We weighed the pros and cons, but it was a good choice.”

Juan Vila – skipper – off watch: “It was a great experience, very intense moments of ups and down, as always in this type of race. Everything went really well. It’s a shame but we are hoping to go back there soon. In my navigator role, I always spent a lot of time inside, making a bit of a virtual race on the computer. But I was also on deck to help for all maneuvers. It allowed me to see both parts of the navigation and given the desire to be leaving again. I know that after a day ashore, I’ll be looking at the files, telling me: when are we going back? “.

Yvan Ravussin : Watch leader – watch n°1 : “It was a great start from Brest on this first attempt. Whether the boat or the crew, it really was pure joy and our only wish is to go back there! We know that mechanical hazards are part of our sport but I really thought we were under cover on this kind of big boat. Even if it is not the first time I make repairs at sea, this one was really big!  We must keep in mind that this first attempt was a perfect way to learn more about this machine and gives us an incredible urge to see what she can do on the whole tour”.

Brian Thompson : Helmsman / Trimmer – watch n°1 : “ I’m feeling perfect and not too tired! We have been sailing back for 14 days which obviously were not that fast because of the daggerboard and we were not on the edge on the delivery. It was the first time I was sailing for that long on this boat and I must say it has an incredible potential: to reach the Cap Verde in 3 days is quite impressive. It is just a shame we had to withdraw. I was at the helm when we hit the UFO and we were doing a really steady 37 knots and t was really beautiful night. It was not a huge impact and we did not think it was such a big thing. When we crossed the Equator I made a dedication of saucisson to Neptune but I’m not sure it was enough. I guess he was a bit angry I did not give him any French wine!”

Thierry Chabagny : Helmsman / Trimmer – watch n°1 : “Thirty days at sea on a boat like that, it’s a very rich experience!  They allowed me to learn a lot more on all the maneuvers, sail trim … all the hours spent at the helm helped me developing sensitivities that I had not before leaving. I also realized that I really wanted to go back to try to finally finish this round the world we all dream about but still is very hard. Humanly, you realize it’s like a small company and that concepts such as respect and listening are very important. It went really well between us. I did a lot of solitaire, and little crew. It’s interesting to see in the eyes of others what you show. So you tend to try to do better, to correct even if the truth always comes out. I think we also all been “chosen” for our ability to get along with others and there was no problem at all. We really shared every moment and it was a real treat! “.

Pierre-Yves Moreau : Bowman – watch n°1 : “We were waiting to be in calmer waters to remove the daggerboard. We were really disappointed when we lifted it because it was heavily damaged. There was a lot of patch-up to do, some cutting with the means onboard. We cut nearly two meters of it, which allowed us to re-sail with the boat. The crew is good and well! I was very happy with my watch, it was complementary. We had fun but it was serious as well.”

Fred Le Peutrec : Watch leader – watch n°2 : “Having sailed thirty days on the boat with the crew are all assets for the future. There was no scratch, no complaint; we were all so disappointed when the collision happened. It’s rare to get it on the first try. What you learn is acquired for the successful attempt. We did not attack the area in which you make the nicest memories,  ie the south. But it’s always a great pleasure to sail fast on a well balanced boat, to be at the helm with a machine that bursts at 37, 38, 40 knots in the middle of the night. These are real pleasures. It stopped too quickly but this is only a postponement. It’s part of the exercise, it is not only a race but the frustration does not go beyond the bearable.”

Emmanuel Le Borgne : Helmsman / Trimmer – watch n°2 : “The departure was very nice with perfect conditions to reach the Doldrums. We knew long before arriving to Equator that the South Atlantic would be complicated, but we kept a small hope that things would improve. The mechanical problem has unfortunately forced us to review our strategies and we have had to take the decision to withdraw. I was sleeping at the time of the shock but it was not that violent. We had already hit a whale on our way to New York which was much more violent. Paradoxically this transverse shock is has provoked much more damage. The delivery back nevertheless allowed us to continue in validating things on board, such as watches organization, maneuvers and it oddly went quite fast. In any case, this first attempt was too short but very meaningful. We arrived at the door of the South, which remained closed so we will quickly go and knock a second time.

Erwan Tabarly : Helmsman / Trimmer – watch n°2 : “ It’s a great experience to sail on one of the fastest boats of offshore racing.  It is a great honor and a great pleasure to sail with this crew. I enjoyed every moment as a great privilege. I have very nice memories even if we would have liked to finish it for sure. We must bounce back and we won’t stop there. There will be a sequel and it will be for next time. ”

Ronan Lucas : Bowman – watch n°2 : “We nearly spent a month at sea and I have not seen it ! The first fifteen days have been a succession: The Canaries, Cape Verde, equator, the attack of the South, St. Helena … it goes really fast and we are always focused on the next move. Then there’s the disappointment that the record is lost. It is a lot of energy for a hazard that cannot be controlled. We had no success this time, next time we will. We do have satisfactions though, the boat goes fast, the crew is competent. We were 400 miles ahead when we withdrew, with no perfect conditions. There is disappointment because there was a lot of energy spent by the crew, the technical team and the sponsor who supports us for a long time. Everyone believes it. We have just touched the mythical moments of a round the world race and we would have liked to go further. ”

Jérémie Beyou  : Watch leader – watch n°3 : “The principle of the delivery is not to push the machine too far but we still want to see certain things at the same time. The question was therefore to know where to stop. It was interesting to see how we could sail fast with the boat, the closest possible to its maximum capacity but taking the daggerboard issue into account, to see how we get out there and record the data. This delivery has allowed us to talk more with others including those of other watches which we were just crossing over while racing. This human factor is on top of the stack of criteria for success. ”

Kevin Escoffier: Helmsman / Trimmer – watch n°3 : “ It was great! We saw that the boat was fast and I had a lot of fun. After a year and a half like we had, it feels really good to finally be leaving. It is obviously disappointing having to stop due to a daggerboard because expect that the boat has nothing at all. Those are unpredictable aspects of our sport and we have to take it as it is. We have to take the positive points out of this experience: the boat is in perfect conditions after 30 days at sea. Obviously we would have preferred to go further but this first attempt is a significant additional experience for a future departure. What impressed me most about this course are the first two days. We already had a fierce desire to go sailing, but we got super good conditions to go really fast. I have some beautiful memories of hours spent at the helm.”

Xavier Revil  : Helmsman / Trimmer – watch n°3 : ” First is the first time I spend that length of time at sea and I loved it! I am eager to go back. Everything went really well and I quickly got into my watch rhythm. The first night was a little difficult but you quickly adapt to the boat life and it give me a lot of confidence for the future. For my first crossing of the Equator, we had a little party on board. As we were fully concentrated in the race, it helped to have a pleasant moment altogether. I was in charge of the food on board and it went fine as well. There was no lack of anything but the only issue I faced was that it is not easy to satisfy everyone in terms of taste. As for the boat, we have learnt a lot and some improvements and adjustments will be made on the food. The most important is that everybody was happy. “

Florent Chastel : Bowman – watch n°3 : “There really were only positive aspects during these 13 days of racing, apart from the collision with the UFO. The boat’s ability to go fast in little air is impressive and although the weather has not always been very supportive, we still managed to stay a bit ahead of the reference time during most of it. It was a good session which does not end the way we would have liked but we must now do everything in order to be leaving the soonest. In any case, the boat has the full potential to get this trophy.”

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With a lead of 324 miles over the reference time, the Maxi Banque Populaire V was handicapped for more than 48 hours by a damaged daggerboard due to a collision with a UFO*.  The crew have tried everything to repair the broken piece and resume their round the world tour. However, after 24 hours of intensive care, Pascal Bidegorry and his men must face the facts: it is not possible for them to continue this journey with a daggerboard that does not fulfil its potential when one looks closely at the long upwind voyage ahead to the Kerguelen Islands. After fourteen days of sailing that has seen an impressive performance from the boat, the fourteen men on board are therefore forced to quit in their first record attempt of the Jules Verne Trophy.
Reached by telephone late this morning, Pascal Bidegorry talked through this difficult but reasoned decision:

“Yesterday, we spent the day sawing the end of the damaged daggerboard. We managed to clear a good part of it and scraped inside it to make it fair.  Right now, the guys are trying to fill it in with whatever they find. Then we will have to fair the outside. The boat is a true composite workshop at the moment, which is not ideal at 46 ° south, in the cold and permanent fog. We are left with two meters of daggerboard instead of the usual 5.80 meters. At the scale of a boat like ours, it does not help performance and we have a lot of upwind conditions ahead to get up to the Kerguelen Islands, conditions under which the total length of the daggerboard is essential. We have been working on it for two and a half days and despite all our determination, we fully realize that we cannot put it back before noon tomorrow at the earliest. We need to be objective, we are racing a record and need to be competitive. Not carrying on is more than obvious today, especially since we know that there are a lot of upwind conditions awaiting us. We cannot sail as fast as we wanted in the south. We have left the boundaries of what is the essence of our mission.

We have thus decided to leave some time for the team in charge of the “yard-work” to finish repairing the damage properly. Then slowly but surely we will return to Lorient. We are big boys, we came here alone and we will come back under sail. For now, we are still heading east. We should have a wind shift within a couple of hours to make a northern route. We should get very soft conditions within 24 hours, which will allow us to finish the repair. Then we will start again in the trade winds, downwind to the Doldrums. ”

The disappointment and frustration of the Maxi Banque Populaire V’s crew and of Banque Populaire itself are inevitably strong today, but everyone knows that this decision is right, as there is still two thirds of the world left to sail around in this attempt.

After leaving Brest on Saturday, January 22, the Maxi Banque Populaire had performed well, confirming its potential as a hunter of records. Nevertheless, on the night of February 2nd to 3rd, what is suspected to be a whale destroyed Pascal Bidegorry and his men’s hopes in the South Atlantic, a few hundred miles away from the Cape of Good Hope. Forced to retire after two and a half days spent trying to find a way out, they do not intend to stop and will therefore head north to their Lorient base Lorient, a trip that will take 18 to 20 days.

Without doubt, these fourteen great sailors and the Maxi now have a mission to take on this world tour. This is how Pascal Bidegorry concluded the today’s vacation:
“I am determined to do this round the world and to beat that record. We have both a reliable boat on which we worked really well and a sporty degree of quality that makes me think that the Maxi Banque Populaire V deserves so much better than what we are offering it today. We must continue to work for the future. ”

If this Jules Verne Trophy attempt ends this Saturday 5th February, we must recall that this was the first attempt of the giant trimaran bearing the image of the Sailing Bank, tenaciously committed forover 20 years in offshore racing and its mechanical hazards.

* UFO: unknown floating object
Maxi Banque Populaire V’s crew list
Off Watch :
Pascal Bidégorry : skipper
Juan Vila : navigator

Watch n°1
Yvan Ravussin : Watch leader, in charge of video and composite
Brian Thompson : Helmsman / Trimmer
Thierry Chabagny : Helmsman / Trimmer
Pierre-Yves Moreau : Bowman, in charge of fittings and composite

Watch n°2
Fred Le Peutrec : Watch leader
Emmanuel Le Borgne : Helmsman / Trimmer, in charge of medics
Erwan Tabarly : Helmsman / Trimmer, in charge of electonics
Ronan Lucas : Bowman, in charge of security

Watch n°3
Jérémie Beyou  : Watch leader
Kevin Escoffier: Helmsman / Trimmer, in charge of video
Xavier Revil  : Helmsman / Trimmer, in charge of food
Florent Chastel : Bowman, in charge of medics and rigging

Marcel van Triest : Shore weather routeur

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After running into an ‘unidentified floating object’ overnight from Wednesday to Thursday, Pascal Bidegorry and his men had to head North for a while, in order to reach better sea and wind conditions to lift the daggerboard out of its case and evaluate the extent of the damage. The operation, which took about three hours, showed that the impact tore 2m20 of the submerged part and confirmed the disappearance of the crashbox. Brought back on deck, the daggerboard currently takes full attention from the Maxi Banque Populaire V crew, which is doing everything possible with the means available on board to get back to normal racing on this Jules Verne Trophy.
Pascal Bidegorry came back on the operation on the phone this morning: “At night, we arrived in an area allowing us to lift the daggerboard without too much difficulty. The handling took us nearly three hours during which we lied off. Emmanuel Le Borgne took the “benefit” of it to dive under the Maxi Banque Populaire V to assess possible damage onto the rudder blades and hull bottoms. There is nothing serious on those matters. Once the dagg on the deck, we found out that there is a missing piece of roughly 2m20. The shock was so intense that it broke the structural bar of the dagg. We are currently trying to cut out the end of it, which is reduced to shreds. However the mission is not that simple at all with the few tools we have. We are using a hacksaw and a drill. Once cut, we will study the possibility to stratify it.  Our objective is to shut the lower part of it to make it waterproof. Otherwise, it would continue to delaminate with speed.”

A lot of work is expected for the next 24 hours, during which the Maxi Banque Populaire V will have to sail at a reduced pace.

“We are sailing under Solent with 6 knots of wind, and what is sure is that all this does not help us gaining time! We hope we will able to lift the gennaker fast enough but for now we need it to steady the dagg. We will do everything to succeed in this approach. We will move forward, hour by hour, trying to relaunch this Maxi Banque Populaire V history in this Jules Verne Trophy. We will make the appropriate decision once we have tried everything to resume on our progress around the world with normal navigation and safety conditions. But for now, we carry on and facing the events, I tell myself that I am very fortunate to sail with a highly united crew who do not hesitate to roll up its sleeves in adversity! “.

So these are difficult times that lie ahead for Pascal Bidégorry and his men who nevertheless keep their full determination to continue this wonderful story. Activity looks intense at sea, but in this thirteenth day of racing, the Maxi Banque Populaire V still leads by 195 miles on the timetable. The race against time continues.

The record in figures
Record to beat
To become holder of the Jules Verne record, the Maxi Banque Populaire V has to be back no later than the 11th March 2011 at 7 pm 55 minutes 37 seconds (Paris time).

Reference time
Groupama 3 (Franck Cammas): 48d 7h 44min 52s

Lead / Delay at 3:00pm
 156.1 miles ahead of the reference time

Maxi Banque Populaire V’s crew list
Off Watch :
Pascal Bidégorry : skipper
Juan Vila : navigator

Watch n°1
Yvan Ravussin : Watch leader, in charge of video and composite
Brian Thompson : Helmsman / Trimmer
Thierry Chabagny : Helmsman / Trimmer
Pierre-Yves Moreau : Bowman, in charge of fittings and composite

Watch n°2
Fred Le Peutrec : Watch leader
Emmanuel Le Borgne : Helmsman / Trimmer, in charge of medics
Erwan Tabarly : Helmsman / Trimmer, in charge of electonics
Ronan Lucas : Bowman, in charge of security

Watch n°3
Jérémie Beyou  : Watch leader
Kevin Escoffier: Helmsman / Trimmer, in charge of video
Xavier Revil  : Helmsman / Trimmer, in charge of food
Florent Chastel : Bowman, in charge of medics and rigging

Marcel van Triest : Shore weather routeur

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It was 5.56 am (Paris time) this morning when the Maxi Trimiran Banque Populaire V crossed the Equator, just 5 days 17 hours 44 minutes and 15 seconds since leaving Ushant. The maxi trimaran skippered by Pascal Bidegorry recorded the second fastest time in history on this section of the record attempt (Ushant to Equator). In doing so they have covered 3575 miles, at an average of 25.9 knots, keeping a slight advantage on the reference time of the Jules Verne. The crew is now recovering after a difficult crossing of the Doldrums and before the next challenging obstacle: The Saint Helena High.

Crossing the Equator
Crossing the equator is a not just a geographic area of note, but it also remains a true religion for sailors and the passage of this imaginary line has been celebrated as it should be on board the Maxi Banque Populaire V. The fourteen men have were glad to ease off the pressure they were under through the Doldrums and enjoy the mixture of superstition and tradition.

Three crewmen (Ronan Lucas, Xavier Revil and Pierre-Yves Moreau), who were crossing it for the first time, qualified as rookies for the traditional ‘crossing the line’ ceremony. For this impromptu party, Yvan (Ravussin) made a mixture of olive oil, tea, Tabasco, soya sauce, lemon, nuts, pepper and coffee!  “I asked them to wake me up to celebrate it altogether” explained Xavier. “Yvan’s preparation was really tasty! I am sure he put everything he could find on board! But it was important to share this moment as we had been fighting hard for the past 24 hours to reach the Equator! And the sailing conditions were perfect to do so, at 28 knots under gennaker: rather exceptional apparently.”

It was then Neptune’s turn to be celebrated. For Brian Thompson, who was crossing it for the thirteenth time, this moment was particularly important : “ I made an offering to Neptune of some of France’s finest saucisson, something I would have enjoyed , but better to propitiate the god of the sea, just in case, and to keep the tradition. This is my 13 crossing now, so it has worked so far!”

The Santa Helena dilemma

Getting through the Doldrums was not an easy task for the Maxi Banque Populaire V as the skipper, Pascal Bidegorry, explained: “It’s liberating to get out of there! It was pretty tense yesterday as it is not obvious how to sail in under 2 tiny knots of wind! We should gradually reach better conditions and we are now sailing at 27 knots in 15-17 knots of wind with full mainsail and solent. The wind still oscillates a little, but should stabilize in few hours with a clearer sky.” Such conditions give the crew some time to recover a little, before having to tackle another tricky system.

Indeed, the weather situation is not very clear off the Brazilian coast. With the Saint Helena High blocking the shortest route to the Cape of Good Hope, Banque Populaire V might have to get round this high pressure area spread out from East to West. “The situation is not very clear for now but we might have to go around the northern side of it, which would imply taking a big detour to reach Good Hope. We are attentively looking at the satellite images received every hour. One certain thing is that we do not have a crystal ball to look into but we definitely won’t let any opportunity go, and make everything we can to increase our lead on the reference time” concluded Pascal.

Maxi Banque Populaire V’s crew list
Off Watch :
Pascal Bidégorry : skipper
Juan Vila : navigator

Watch n°1
Yvan Ravussin : Watch leader, in charge of video and composite
Brian Thompson : Helmsman / Trimmer
Thierry Chabagny : Helmsman / Trimmer
Pierre-Yves Moreau : Bowman, in charge of fittings and composite

Watch n°2
Fred Le Peutrec : Watch leader
Emmanuel Le Borgne : Helmsman / Trimmer, in charge of medics
Erwan Tabarly : Helmsman / Trimmer, in charge of electonics
Ronan Lucas : Bowman, in charge of security

Watch n°3
Jérémie Beyou  : Watch leader
Kevin Escoffier: Helmsman / Trimmer, in charge of video
Xavier Revil  : Helmsman / Trimmer, in charge of food
Florent Chastel : Bowman, in charge of medics and rigging

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Moored at the Port du Chateau in Brest since October 20, the Maxi Trimaran Banque Populaire is ready for his big rendezvous: the Jules Verne Trophy.. As of the 1st November, Pascal Bidegorry and his Team have officially entered the stand-by period, during which weather data will be scrutinized very closely to undertake and beat the referenced time of this circumnavigation around the globe.
All set for departure

The Banque Populaire Team is all set. Strong of their experience and victories on the North-Atlantic crossing, the 24 hours record and lately the trans-Mediterranean record, Pascal Bidegorry, the fourteen men on board and the onshore router, Marcel van Triest, peacefully deal with the beginning of the stand-by period : “We are fully prepared since the Maxi Banque Populaire is moored in Brest. We have now been focusing on the weather and stand ready to seize the slightest opportunity. Marcel van Triest and Juan Villa, our embarked navigator, work together regularly as new weather data fall every six hours. For my part, I make two daily meetings with them in order to get a more accurate visibility. To preserve myself, I however try to be more detached from the presence requirement involved by the stand-by period. Jeremie Beyou is thus in charge of taking over the crew. We adapt the organization based on lessons learned from our previous records. ”
Forced to delay their attempt last year due to the absence of a satisfactory weather window, the skipper concedes that: “Ideally I would like it not to last! I was at the start of the Route du Rhum in Saint-Malo last weekend and I can admit that I felt a bit envious. First the show was beautiful and I really enjoyed seeing all those multihulls sailing, but also because they knew they were leaving at 13h02 on Sunday! The issue with records is that you never know when one leaves. We have a vision for a few days only. The objective for us is to try to live this period the best possible way and to have a simple life outside the stand-by, for those working on land and for our families. ”

The international view

Brian Thompson, who won the Jules Verne Trophy abord Cheyenne in 2004, does not hide neither his willingness to depart. “I am really looking forward to it. To me, the Maxi Banque Populaire is clearly the greatest ocean racing multihull ever built. Because it’s the latest, the biggest one and because it has proved itself by getting the transatlantic and the 24 hour records, which are the benchmark for speed !”           
However, based in Cowes on the Isle of Wight, the logistic is not the same for the British sailor.  “The plan is that 24 hours before a possible departure, the crew is asked to come to Lorient. Then we monitor the weather, prepare everything and then move to Brest before departure. I think we will be going quite soon, but if there is a possibility that we are not going for a long time, then the Team will regularly gather and spend some time together training in Lorient.”

It can be felt that, while it is now time to wait for a favorable weather system, there is a fierce desire to go from the whole Banque Populaire team. Systems and their evolutions will be thoroughly analyzed to give Pascal and his men the opportunity to depart and beat the referenced time established last winter by Franck Cammas and his crew in 48 days, 7 hours, 44 minutes and 52 seconds

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After 7 weeks of yard work for a complete check up, the Maxi Banque Populaire V is now all set for the start of the term! The skipper, Pascal Bidegorry, is pleased to announce his crew list and welcomes three highly experienced sailors on board, enriching its existing strong core team for their attempt on the Jules Verne Trophy. As of today, everybody is in Lorient to start training and validate the different changes made on the trimaran before entering the stand-by period of the Jules Verne Trophy on the 1st of November.
A spectacular crew!

Since her launch two years ago, Banque Populaire V has been victorious in every record undertaken: the North-Atlantic crossing, the 24 hours record and lately the trans-Mediterranean record. For this attempt around the world, Pascal Bidegorry and Ronan Lucas have logically kept the core crew which participated in these victories: Yvan Ravussin, Emmanuel Le Borgne Jeremie Beyou and Florent Chastel, who have been sailing with Pascal for many years, along with members from the Banque Populaire Team, such as Ronan Lucas, Kevin Escoffier and Pierre-Yves Moreau. Sailors sharing other competences such as Xavier Revil, Thierry Chabagny and Erwan Tabarly were also part of these records.

Three highly experienced sailors join today the existing sailing team. First, Fred Le Peutrec who benefits from a strong experience in multihull sailing and won the Jules Verne Trophy last year aboard Groupama 3.      
The crew will also be composed of two international sailors who have sailed around the world on the most famous races: Brian Thomson and Juan Vila. Brian is recognized as being one of the most experienced British sailors with a vast experience in offshore sailing and holds no less than twenty-five sailing records to date and won the Jules Verne Trophy aboard Cheyenne in 2004. On the other side, Juan totalizes no less than 4 participations in the Volvo Ocean Race (winner in 2001) and 5 participations in the America’s Cup, including one victory in 2007 on board Alinghi.

Pascal Bidegorry explains: “I wanted to enrich the crew with solid experienced of round-the-world sailors and it now the case with their arrival. We have already had the opportunity to sail all together in the Mediterranean and on the convoying return, and there is an excellent atmosphere when they are on board, which does not waste anything! I am delighted with this 2010 vintage. It goes the right way and supplements a crew which is already famous for his great quality. We will have interesting navigations in the coming weeks “.
Heavy program!

After a few days in the water at her base in Lorient, the Maxi Banque Populaire V is already sailing with her crew. There is no time to waste to engage the season the best way: “I’m obviously very pleased to be back sailing aboard the Maxi Banque Populaire V” confided Pascal. “We will peacefully put the boat back into racing conditions; confirm the changes made on the wardrobe as on the new sails. We will also test some small modifications made on riggings in order to ease maneuvers.  This week will be devoted to sailing by the day and we plan in staying a little longer at sea next week.”    

With the mix of competence and experience, added up to the heavy work that will be carried out before the stand-by period, it can safely be said that Pascal Bidegorry and the Banque Populaire Team are seizing every opportunities to make this Jules Verne Trophy a victory.
The crew on the Maxi Banque Populaire V for the Jules Verne Trophy

Out of the watch system
Pascal Bidégorry: skipper
Juan Vila: navigator

Watch n°1
Yvan Ravussin : Watch leader, in charge of video and composite
Brian Thompson : helmsman – trimmer
Thierry Chabagny : Helmsman – trimmer
Pierre-Yves Moreau : Bowman, in charge of fittings and composite

Watch n°2
Fred Le Peutrec : Watch leader
Emmanuel Le Borgne : Helmsman – trimmer, medical attendant
Erwan Tabarly : Helmsman – trimmer, in charge of electronics
Ronan Lucas : Bowman, in charge of safety

Watch n°3
Jérémie Beyou : Watch leader
Kevin Escoffier : helmsman – trimmer, in charge of video
Xavier Revil : helmsman – trimmer, in charge of the food on board
Florent Chastel : Bowman, in charge of riggings and medical attendant

Marcel Van Triest : weather router

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