Banque Populaire V Crew 2012 Jules Verne Trophy Winners (Photo courtesy of BPCE)
The fourteen sailors aboard the Maxi trimaran Banque Populaire V just entered history of offshore racing by becoming the fastest men around the globe with crew, after 45 days 13 hours 42 minutes 53 seconds of sailing*. Loïck Peyron and his crew improved the reference time of the Jules Verne Trophy held by Groupama 3 since March 2010 by 2 days 18 hours 1 minute and 59 seconds.
Historical record for Banque Populaire !
Departed on November 22nd at 09:31:42 Paris time (08:31:42 GMT), after having crossed the imaginary line between Ushant (Finistère-France) and Lizard Point (southern tip of England), the Maxi Banque Populaire V crossed the finish line of the Jules Verne Trophy at 23:14:35 Paris time (22:14:35 GMT) this Friday. She undertook this sailing around the world in 45 days 13 hours 42 minutes 53 seconds days at an average speed of 26.51 knots, covering a total distance of 29 002 miles.
Launched in August 2008 in Lorient (Morbihan-France),the giant trimaran holding the colours of Banque Populaire has also established several referenced time on various partials officially listed by the WSSRC for her first world tour:
Equator / Equator record in 32 days, 11 hours, 51 minutes and 30 seconds
Indian Ocean crossing record (Cape Agulhas / South of Tasmania) in 8 days 7 hours 22 minutes and 15 seconds
Maxi Trimaran Banque Populaire V ( Photo © B.STICHELBAUT/BPCE)
Under the leadership of the skipper Loïck Peyron, Thierry Chabagny, Florent Chastel, Thierry Duprey du Vorsent, Kevin Escoffier, Emmanuel Le Borgne, Frédéric Le Peutrec, Jean-Baptiste Le Vaillant, Ronan Lucas, Pierre-Yves Moreau, Yvan Ravussin, Xavier Revil, Brian Thompson, Juan Vila and onshore router Marcel van Triest, are the new holders of the Jules Verne Trophy*.
Loïck Peyron, skipper of the Maxi Banque Populaire V : The feeling from the guys onboard : Emotion and Happiness ! We have filled a good part of the contract! We will now appreciate our victory between us and will return in Brest tomorrow morning to share this beautiful story with everyone. Our memories are full of wonderful images: the departure, icebergs, albatrosses, the Kerguelen Islands… When you sail around the world in 45 days, you see many things. The only one we did not get is Cape Horn but this frustration is quickly forgotten with the record we now have in hands. We are very proud !
Brian Thompson : “Everyone is really excited on board and we are looking forward to seeing everybody tomorrow morning. This has been an incredible trip around the planet, almost a dream ride. And that is because of the quality of the boat, of the preparation and most of all to the incredible crew on board. I am very fortunate to have sailed with Loïck, the best all round multihull sailor there is, and the rest of the team that are so talented, industrious, dedicated, fun and welcoming to an English guy with schoolboy French! It feels absolutely fantastic. At the same time, to become the first Briton to sail around the world non-stop 4 times, is just amazing and feels very special”
Banque Populaire V Crew Celebrate Winning The Jules Verne Trophee (Photo curtesy of BPCE)
JULES VERNE TROPHY
Start date and time : November 22nd 2011 at 09:31:42 Paris time (08:31:42 GMT)
Arrival date and time at Ushant: January 6th 2012 at 23:14:35 Paris time (22:14:35 GMT)
Distance: 29 002 miles
Average speed : 26.51 knots
New reference time on the Jules Verne Trophy* : 45 days 13 hours 42 minutes 53 seconds
Time difference with Groupama 3’s record in 2010: 2 days 18 hours 1 minute and 59 seconds
* Under the WSSRC approval (World Sailing Speed ??Record Council).
Loïck Peyron and his crew are expected at the Marina du Château, quai Jean-Francois La Perouse in Brest (France) at around 10:30am this Saturday, January 7th.
Banque Populaire Equator (Photo courtesy of BPCE)
Banque Populaire Crew celebrate breaking the equator to equator record (Photo courtesy of BPCE)
Since 12 :17 :30 (French time) this Friday, Loïck Peyron and his men are back in the Northern Hemisphere, 38 days 2 hours 45 minutes and 48 seconds * after leaving Ushant. With this outstanding performance, the Maxi Banque Populaire V not only writes a new distinction to his logbook, but also improves the partial Equator to Equator with a lead of 3 days 18 hours 24 minutes over Groupama 3 in 2010 but above all, faster than any other sailing boat on this race. A good sign for the fourteen sailors entering their final week at sea.
With this new partial shattered, the Maxi Banque Populaire V carries on falling records on her attempt on the Jules Verne Trophy. 32 days 11 hours 51 minutes and 30 seconds * after entering the southern hemisphere, the fourteen record’s hunters shattered the time set in 2005 by Bruno Peyron aboard Orange II, improving it by more than one day. Still enjoying mild conditions, the crew of the Maxi Banque Populaire V, by the voice of his skipper, savors the moment of the crossing: “We crossed the equator at high speed. We are sailing at 35 knots, on a sea almost flat, it’s really fun ! The boat does not suffer, and men even less. Everyone is excited, especially the fresh Cape Horners. Hello northern hemisphere, that’s not bad at all this record! It will now be increasingly difficult to beat it but still feasible and that’s the good news …”. A natural enthusiasm shared by Thierry Duprey du Vorsent, helmsman / trimmer on board, who joined today’s radio vacation : “We are in the northern hemisphere for a few minutes and it already seems like being on our usual playground. It’s been thirty-two days since we left the Northern Hemisphere, which roughly accounts for three quarters of the time in the South and one quarter in the North. It brings us closer to home, which is good. The sailing conditions are beautiful, the sea is completely flat and it is almost straight on the road. There are very little squalls, the nights are quiet, starry … we really encounter exceptional conditions and we could not ask for more, including the boat. The weather conditions enable us to break the record but our anxiety is coming from the technique. We have sailed 20,000 miles without making any pit stop, we must keep the equipment in good shape.”
Loick Peyron smiles as Banque Populaire crosses the equator setting a new record (Photo courtesy of BPCE)
For Brian Thompson, this passage to the North was even more particular: “I was lucky enough to be on the helm doing 35 knots as we counted down 0.02S, 0.01S, 0.01N!! The 3rd small bottle of Champagne we have carried was opened, and some of the bubbly nectar is first given to Neptune, to thank him for a safe passage through the Southern Seas..Then comes the saucisson and the Toblerone, all being shared between the crew and that God of the Sea.”
24,063 miles already in the wake
This return in the North is not the finish line and on board, we specifically know that even after 24 063 miles undergone smoothly, nothing is settled yet. Vigilance is still more than ever a must, as the final conditions for the final stretch ahead appears nicely. With a lead of 1 432 miles and three days advance on Groupama 3 around the same time, a certain serenity sets in, especially as the inter-tropical convergence zone is seen as particularly friendly as recalled Thierry Duprey du Vorsent “The Doldrums are not very active, and thanks to our western position, it should be easy to get through. This will be one of the first times I pass them without a transition zone of dead calm on a single board. Again, we are lucky. We will have to get dressed again in two or three days and get the fleeces and foul weather gears out again. But we will accept it more easily as the finish line won’t be far !”
A fighter named Banque Populaire V
With an average of 26.31 knots since leaving Ushant on November 21st, Loïck Peyron and his men have significantly reduced the time and distance, leaving their fans admiring. Rarely a boat will have scrolled through that amount of miles and still demonstrating such reliability. Qualities that the skipper did not fail to mention this afternoon: “Last night, around 6pm, we were off the coast of Recife in Brazil while we were still off Cape Horn less than a week ago. The Maxi Banque Populaire V is a unique fighter on the planet. We should return to Brest in a week and oddly, it promises to be the most week-long of this round the world course.” But before seeing the end of this last week, the fourteen men still have to compose with the North Atlantic sea before entering the great history of offshore sailing.
* subject to approval and ratification by the WSSRC (World Sailing Speed Record Council)
Hors quart
Loïck Peyron Skipper
Juan Vila Navigateur, Responsable électronique et informatique
Quart n°1
Yvan Ravussin Chef de quart, responsable composite
Brian Thompson Barreur/ Régleur
Pierre Yves Moreau Régleur, Responsable mécanique et hydraulique
Thierry Chabagny N°1/ Barreur/ Régleur, Responsable accastillage et voiles
Quart n°2
Frédéric Le Peutrec Chef de quart
Emmanuel Le Borgne Barreur/ Régleur, Responsable médical
Thierry Duprey Du Vorsent Barreur/ Régleur, Responsable mécanique
Ronan Lucas N°1/ Régleur, Responsable sécurité
Quart n°3
Jean-Baptiste Le Vaillant Chef de Quart, responsable voile
Kevin Escoffier Barreur/ Régleur, Responsable vidéo et structure
Xavier Revil Barreur/ Régleur, Responsable avitaillement à bord
Florent Chastel N°1/ Régleur, Responsable médical
Marcel Van Triest Routeur à terre
Cliquez ici pour visionner la projection sphérique de la cartographie
Cliquez ici pour visionner la cartographie (mises à jour toutes les heures)
Reference time of the Jules Verne Trophy
Groupama 3 (Franck Cammas) – 48 days 7 hours 44 minutes 52 seconds
Record to beat
To become the new record holder, the Maxi Banque Populaire V has to be back no later than Monday, January 9th 2012 at 16:15:34 GMT.
Lead / Delay at 4pm
1436.2 miles lead on the reference time
Sailing time since departure :
38 days 07 hours 47 minutes 26 seconds or 3 days 18 hours 24 minutes less than Groupama 3 in 2010.
Distance Ushant-Equator: crossed on the 28/11/2011 at 00:26:52 am, French time.
In 5d 14h 55mn 10s of navigation, Loïck Peyron and his 13 teammates realize the fastest time on the distance from Ushant.
Distance Ouessant-Equateur : le 28/11/2011 à 00h 26mn 52 sec, heure française.
En 5j 14h 55mn 10s de navigation, Loïck Peyron et ses 13 équipiers réalisent le meilleur temps sur la distance depuis Ouessant.
Distance Ushant – Cape of Good Hope: crossed on the 4/12/20 at 07:20 am, French time.
In 11 days 21 hours 48 minutes and 18 seconds, Loïck Peyron and his 13 teammates realize the fastest time over the distance established between Ushant and Cape of Good Hope, until then hold by Groupama 3 in 2008 in 13 days 06 hours 1 minute.
In 2010, Groupama took 14 days 13 hours 31 minutes and 43 seconds to reach the Cape of Good Hope, Banque Populaire V thus improves this time of 2 days 15 hours 43 minutes and 25 seconds.
Ushant – Cape Leeuwin: crossed on the 10/12/2011 at 9:29 am, French time.
In 17 days 23 hours 57 minutes and 18 seconds, Loïck Peyron and his 13 teammates realize the record for the distance established between Ushant and Cape Leeuwin, which was previously of 21 days 14 hours and 43 seconds in 2008 hold by Groupama on her first attempt.
In 2010, Groupama took 21 days 14 hours 21 minutes and 54 seconds to reach the Cape Leeuwin
Ushant – Cape Horn: crossed on the 23/12/2011 at 7:50:30, French time
The Maxi Banque Populaire V took 30 days, 22 hours, 18 minutes, 48 seconds since crossing the start line off Ushant to achieve this transition, a lead of more than one day on the reference time on the Jules Verne Trophy.
Pacific crossing time of the Maxi Banque Populaire V: 10 days 15 hours 7 minutes 15 seconds, or 1 day 20 hours 59 minutes 15 seconds longer than Orange II, who holds the record of this stretch in 8 days 18 hours 8 minutes.
Banque Populaire V enters the North Atlantic (Photo courtesy of BPCE)
Banque Populaire Mediterranean Record (Photo by B.STICHELBAUT/BPCE)
The maxi-trimaran Banque Populaire V has set a new TransMed record from Marseille to Carthage, Tunisia taking 2 hours 47 minutes and 47 seconds off Groupama 3′s previous record.
The new record time is now 14 hours 20 minutes and 34 seconds, subject to confirmation by the WSSRC.
The 40m trimaran sailed from Marseille at 03:56:56 GMT Saturday morning and finished at Carthage, Tunisa at 18:17:30 GMT for an average speed of 33.24 knots over the 477 mile course. She hit a peak speed of 43.1 knots.
Banque Populaire Crew (Photo by B.STICHELBAUT/BPCE)
Subject to ratification of the WSSRC
Banque Populaire (Photo by B.STICHELBAUT/BPCE)
Cheer with the crew of the record of the Mediterranean
Thierry Chabagny – coxswain/ruler
Florent Chastel – number one
Kévin Escoffier – coxswain/ruler
Emmanuel the One-eyed one – coxswain/ruler
Ewen Clech – number one
Jean-Baptiste the Valiant one – coxswain/ruler
Ronan Lucas – number one
Pierre-Yves Moreau – ruler/number one
Yvan Ravussin – coxswain/ruler
Xavier Revil – coxswain
Erwan Tabarly – coxswain
Marcel Van Triest – router with ground
The Hydroptère Project Boats (Image courtesy of The Hydroptère Project)
The Hydroptère project is not limited to the performance of the 60-feet trimaran which has beaten two world speed records at an average speed of over 50 knots in 2009 in the Mediterranean. Alain Thébault and his team decided to extend the limits of the project and planned to develop two new boats, with the ultimate objective of sailing around the world in approximately 40 days on l’Hydroptère maxi.
To reach this objective, the team with the help of the ”papés” (retired engineers) and of their scientific adviser, The Swiss Technological Institute in Lausanne, decided to follow the same experimental process as that employed by Alain Thébault in the development of l’Hydroptère and to consider an intermediate step, that being to build on a reduced scale a test model i.e. l’Hydroptère.ch.
At the same time in Lorient, l’Hydroptère is in a shipyard and she should be back in the water in spring.
l’Hydroptère.ch will serve as a lab boat whose main purpose is to test geometries and behaviours in varied real conditions for the development of l’Hydroptère maxi.
As a Swiss-French project l’Hydroptère.ch is being built in two shipyards, one in Brittany and one in Switzerland. She should be launched beginning of summer 2010.
l'Hydroptère
said Philippe Merk, CEO of Audemars Piguet, the project’s new sponsors.
prestigious firms that solidify our roots. The arrival of Audemars Piguet alongside private bankers Lombard Odier moves me deeply. This strong support is a great motivational force for me and the team. In an ongoing humble family spirit, our ambition is now to unfurl our wings on the open seas, collectively and around the world,” concludes Alain Thébault.
Banque Populaire V On Standby (Photo by BPCE/Benoit Stichelbaut)
Role : Bowman
Other : in charge of security
Role : Bowman
Other : in charge of the hydraulic mechanic and fittings
Role : Helmsman / Trimmer
Other : Vidéo
Role : Watch leader, Helmsman / Trimmer
Other : sails
Role : Watch leader Helmsman / Trimmer
Other : in charge of the video and composite
Role : Watch leader, Helmsman / Trimmer
Other : in charge of the medical
Role : Helmsman / Trimmer
Other : in charge of the electronics
Role : Bowman
Other : in charge of the composite and fitting
Role : Bowman
Other : In charge of the medical and rigging
Role : Helmsman / Trimmer
Other : food on board
Role : Helmsman / Trimmer
Role : Weather Router, Navigator
Vestas Sailrocket (Photo courtesy of sailrocket.com)
The UK based VESTAS SAILROCKET team have returned to Walvis Bay in Namibia for one more assault on the outright speed sailing record. The 28 day record period will commence on the 2nd of October.
Here is a run down from Paul of the first days attempts.
“And so it begins… with what looks like a rather mild day.
It’s just gone quarter past two and that makes it high tide. We spent the morning doing final tweaks and instrument calibrations. The wind has swung into the WSW but isn’t building at a great rate. My gut feel says it will get to around 17-19 knots tops.
We are all geared up anyway and will go out for a shakedown run. I’m sure we will find out more about our level of preparedness out there… than tinkering in here. Also, we have a new team member in Jeff Mearing who will get to see first hand what is expected. I warned Jeff that many a potentially great career… has been ruined on the first day;) It’s always fun bringing in new people as you wonder what they will make of the whole days activities.
I hope we do get to do a semi decent run as I’m looking forward to re-acquainting myself with the beast. The last time I sailed it… I wasn’t sure if it was going to be the last, period. But we both now have a great opportunity to try once more for the highest accolade in speed sailing, the outright record.
This will be the final record attempt for this wonderful boat. It has endured a long and eventful life to reach its current level of performance and its structure bears the scars of many a hard earned lesson. This is truly a unique and significant craft which has shown the potential of a radical concept for achieving both stability and efficiency in high speed sailing craft. The team, together with the sponsors and supporters have shared a fascinating journey but their ultimate objective, to be the outright fastest in the world, remains. The journey will only end when this objective is reached, one way or the other.
Already, since committing to this final attempt, the bar has been raised by the mighty French Hydroptere. In fact the outright record has been broken 6 or 7 times by 3 (and nearly 4) different craft since Sailrocket was first launched in 2004. VESTAS Sailrocket has already beaten the record as it was when she was launched, but now she needs to go almost exactly 4 knots faster again to achieve the new outright record of 51.38 knots*.”
Walvis Bay (Photo courtesy of www.vestassailrocket.com)
Pilot/ project manager, Paul Larsen- Firstly, Congratulations to the Hydroptere team, we’ve got some work to do… but we wouldn’t be in this game if we didn’t like a challenge. Whilst it has been great to race the other true ‘boats’, it is the outright record we all strive for. This means that ultimately we have to beat the board riders as well. The MI (Macquarie Innovations) boys showed that they were within reach, now thanks to Hydroptere, the boat record IS the outright speed sailing record. Soon it’s going to be our shot to see if we can turn it up some more.
Nothing focuses the mind like competition. The record hasn’t fallen so many times recently by chance. Sometimes the limits are as much psychological as they are physical. When the level you need to attain gets so high that your current best isn’t enough then your options become limited and in some respect the job gets easier. You simply have to change your sights and find another gear. In this case it is ‘all or nothing’. We will no longer focus on the mile record as the Walvis Bay course is a little too short to challenge the new benchmark. We will go down there with our eyes firmly on the outright prize. 50 knots is last year’s story… we simply have to go well over that now. I look forward to taking this wonderful boat out to do battle one more time. There’s a final chapter to be written and I’m sure she still has a few knots up her sleeve. It will be one hell of a ‘suck-it and-see’ ride on the ragged edge that’s for sure!”
VESTAS Sailrocket Designer, Malcolm Barnsley- Now, in order to achieve our ultimate aim, we need to go almost exactly 4 knots quicker. We have learnt so much since we started. Through constant development we have managed to solve most of the relatively minor issues surrounding a new concept and allowed the real potential to begin to shine through. All of the boat projects have shown that when it all comes together, there are still large performance jumps that can be made at the top end. On paper, the 500m record is definitely within reach but everything has to be just right and if we do make it I doubt it will be by a big margin. Even in a place like Walvis Bay, which provides fantastic conditions on a regular basis, it will take a special day. Let’s hope we get those perfect conditions to make chasing down those four knots as easy as possible!
Hydroptere (Photo by Gilles Martin-Raget)
On Friday 4th September in the Hyères Harbour, the French tri-foiler l’Hydroptère claimed a new world sailing speed record over 500 meters with an average speed of 51.36 knots.
In doing so, l’Hydroptère replaces kitesurfer Alex Caizergues’ previous record of 50.57 knots set in Namibia last year.
Skipper Alain Thébault and his crew also smashed the speed record over one nautical mile, increasing it from 43.09 knots to 48.72 knots.
The new claimed record comes nine months after the 60ft trimaran pitchpoled as she decelerated from a claimed peak speed of 61 knots. The capsize caused serious damage to the boat which has since been rebuilt.
Shortly after the record was claimed, the team issued the following statement:
By a 28-knot west wind , Alain Thébault and his crew took full advantage of the flying trimaran’s potential and earned the title of the fastest sailing craft on the planet*. With a top speed of 55.5 knots (103 km/h) and an average speed of 51.36 knots, today l’Hydroptère takes her place in the history of sailing.
After the attempts in 2008, only one day in 2009 was enough for Alain Thébault and his crew, Anders Bringdal, Jean-Mathieu Bourgeon, François Cazala, Damien Colegrave, Stéphane Dyen, Matt Hodgson, Jérémie Lagarrigue, Pierre Trémouille, Gérard Navarin and Jacques Vincent to fine-tune l’Hydroptère and beat this record.
“Today the crew was just majestic for this fantastic record, the true representation of a collective work, an “hydropterian” team very close and determined. The accelerations at over 100 km/h (top speed at 55.7 knots) create intense sensations on board that we have never experienced before. Alain Thébault concludes this first day of trials with the famous sentence from Yoda in Star Wars: “There is no try… It’s do or do not!”. Today we did it!”.
“We should not forget that this record is above all a technological adventure and a team work which could not have been possible without the support of our partners” adds Alain Thébault. “It is, indeed, thanks to my partnership with Thierry Lombard, managing partner of the private banking house Lombard Odier (the foundation year is mentioned in the mainsail), that l’Hydroptère has had the support of a “principal partner” since 2005 and that we started the quest for these records and we could beat them.”
Thierry Lombard is also at the origin of the partnership with the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL). The Swiss institute brings its support in high-tech matters such as aerodynamics, composite materials, structural behaviour and video-imaging. Today “Official Scientific Adviser for
l’Hydroptère”, the EPFL puts the knowledge of its professors and students, its creativity and calculation power at the flying trimaran’s disposal.
After this tremendous success, l’Hydroptère team is already dreaming of new projects. Sailing at the helm of the boat configured as before for open seas and taking on long distance records is clearly the team’s most immediate challenge. Thus l’Hydroptère is the only sailing boat capable of beating the absolute sailing speed record and of sailing in open seas.
At this moment, the new laboratory model is being built. l’Hydroptère.ch, an experimental platform that will fly over Lake Geneva, will be launched in Spring 2010 and will help developing l’Hydroptère maxi which will circumnavigate the globe.
Three boats to challenge the different oceanic records: the Atlantic, Pacific and around-the-world.
*Subject to ratification from the WSSRC
How is it possible for a 5-ton sailboat to fly between the air and the water at more than 80 km/h using only the force of the wind ? This spectacular and complex challenge brings into play several physical principles and just as many areas of study. The current sailboat serves as an experimentation platform. Its on-board measurement system gives feedback on the behavior of the boat, in particular the stresses it experiences, which in certain zones can be equivalent to a load of nearly 50 tons.
L’Hydroptère will not just set records, but also advance technology related to humans and their environment. Research done to push back limits for the L’Hydroptère project will advance knowledge and lead to developments in applications far beyond sailing, with an impact in numerous other domains. The scientific work done at EPFL involves top researchers, but students also participate in confronting this extraordinary challenge. With its combination of research, passion and adventure, L’Hydroptère will play a unique role in educating a new generation of scientists.
