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"We're close reaching at the moment in a good 25 knot south-easterly" said Benoït Briand during the radio bulletin. "It's very wet and its quite hot, but it's impossible to leave anything open. On deck, everyone has his own idea on how to dress. There are those in full oilies and bare feet, and others in shorts with an oily jacket. There's a bit of everything!"

If the Orange wanted to skirt the high to the east, she would have to beat in light airs, whilst if she skirts to the west, she will still have light air, but she will be able to reach. "The situation is not as bad as we thought yesterday" at 1300 today. "We know that maxi-catamarans are absolutely no good beating in light airs," declared Gilles Chiorri. So beating for several days in light winds is not a good idea. It would be better to skirt round to the west and multiply gybes, even in light airs, knowing that we should be picking up the succession of major lows below 30° South".

Chasing weight is omnipresent on this type of boat. And when you have to save some weight, the personal effects of each member of crew are of course reduced to their simplest expression. For instance, on the maxi-catamaran Orange, each member of crew was allowed 25 kilos of personal effects, including their sailing clothes.