At 0841 (local time, 0741 GMT) this morning Orange II, Bruno Peyron’s maxi-catamaran, crossed the Jules Verne Trophy start line off Ushant. The weather conditions for the start were good with 21-23kts of easterly breeze and flat sea. With one reef in the main and staysail, and Peyron at the helm, the 38m catamaran shot off the in perfect conditions. The forecast for the next 24 hours is for the wind to increase which should give them a good run down the North Atlantic.

In order to better his own benchmark time (64d, 8h, 37mn) Bruno Peyron will have to be back off Ushant by 22 April, at 16:17’24” (GMT).