Four hours into the Jules Verne Challenge Bruno Peyron spoke about the start: “We were on the line as early as 0100 this morning, and we waited patiently for the optimal conditions to show up before actually starting. The light was magnificent, the weather ideal, and our new giant was gliding along perfectly for her first Jules Verne Trophy. Everybody was on deck to capture this moment of emotion – the departure for a round-the-world journey is always somewhat special. I was at the helm when we crossed the line, then Yann (Eliès) took over, before handing the wheel to Klabbe (Nylof), who will be our 4th watch leader, at the position that Hervé Jan was supposed to occupy.

“Everything has been going fine since the start, everybody is concentrating on boat speed, we’re currently sailing at more than 28 knots. We have 20 knots of north-easterly wind, which allows us to remain between 25-30 knots of boat speed. This morning, we checked the last weather charts before setting off. For the next 24 hours, we should have excellent conditions until we encounter a low positioned off the Portuguese coast. It will be a tricky bit, since the wind is quite weak behind it. This is why the Ushant / Equator record is not among our top priorities. We’ll try to be there in less than seven days, but nothing’s certain until we actually get there.”