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Bruno PEYRON: "the evolution of the weather system we've been observing for the last few days is confirmed, and we decided to leave the dock from our Lorient base tomorrow early in the afternoon, to head towards the Jules Verne Trophy starting line - a line we'll cross between 04:00 and 12:00 GMT. As we hoped, the nice high pressure cell is slowly moving north, and will generate 20-knot easterly winds. We work with Roger NILSON (onboard navigator) and Roger BADHAM (our Australia-based meteorologist) on several simulations, and the result lets us foresee a departure on Wednesday morning (February 18).

We should have a good speed for the first days at sea, thanks to these easterlies, but those might reach 35 knots as soon as the second racing day. The first difficulty we'll encounter will be to manage a low pressure cell located south of the Azores… The risk is that following that depression, the Trades may take some time to rebuild, and we may have to cope with light airs. It's the reason why our departure time is quite strategic and has been carefully calculated. On the side of the boat, everything has been ready since Saturday evening, and I wish to congratulate the whole team, because the guys have done a great job preparing the boat is so little time. It's now time to concentrate, since as early as tomorrow, we'll be at sea, racing… against ourselves !"

Bruno PEYRON and the crew will give a last pre-start Press Conference today at 14:00 sharp, on location at the Lorient (former submarine base) base, before leaving the dock just afterwards. Several press boats will be available for journalists wishing to follow Orange II's departure. The crew of the maxi-catamaran will spend its first night at sea before crossing the line of the Jules Verne Trophy, between the Créac'h lighthouse (Ushant Island) and cape Lizard (south-western tip of GB), Wednesday morning.