After a listless start today, the ORMA 60 trimarans picked up some wind in the late afternoon just before dusk. Photographer Jacques Vapillon caught Pascal Bidégorry and Yvan Ravussin slicing westwards in the Nigel Irens-designed Banque Populaire IV.

Banque Pop is a superb machine and Bidégorry a seriously talented sailor. He was winner of the TJV two years ago and 2nd in last year’s Route du Rhum and is marginally my tip to beat Franck Cammas on Groupama.

If, as many think, the ORMA 60s are on the way out, fill your boots now because they are supreme speed machines with every go-faster gadget imaginable: elliptical foils, wingmasts that cant fore and aft, retractable rudders with trim tabs, hydraulic forestays – all the stuff the deserting multi guys have been bringing across to Open 60s.

These are some of the features that we are going to see on the next generation of maxi multihulls. Bidégorry and Banque Populaire are in the throes of building amonster 131ft trimaranto have a crack at the outright world record next year.