During the launch of Orange, Bruno Peyron’s 110ft catamaran, in Marseille yesterday it was announced that Nick Moloney will take on the role as watchleader for the forthcoming Jules Verne Challenge.

The crew is now preparing to set off for Brest, north-west France for final preparations and to wait for the weather window that will set them on their way, possibly sometime after February 8-9. The record to beat is 71 days around the globe.