Maxi Trimaran Banque Populaire V - Press Releases

After 7 weeks of yard work for a complete check up, the Maxi Banque Populaire V is now all set for the start of the term! The skipper, Pascal Bidegorry, is pleased to announce his crew list and welcomes three highly experienced sailors on board, enriching its existing strong core team for their attempt on the Jules Verne Trophy. As of today, everybody is in Lorient to start training and validate the different changes made on the trimaran before entering the stand-by period of the Jules Verne Trophy on the 1st of November.

Since mid-November 2009, Pascal Bidegorry and his team have been looking at every weather opportunities to make an attempt on the Jules Verne Trophy. Despite this stand-by period, the Team Banque Populaire has not managed to find the proper conditions has thus decided to reschedule their crewed handed round the world attempt to next fall.

It has been a bit more than a year since the Maxi Banque Populaire V has been launched and this incredible multihull is now ready to conquer the Jules Verne Trophy. After having triumphed over the Atlantic and on the 24 hour distance, Pascal Bidégorry and his crew are now prepared to set off and steal Bruno Peyron’s record established in 2005 aboard the maxi catamaran Orange 2.  From now on, the skipper of Maxi Banque Populaire V and his Team scrutinize any weather opportunity to undertake this circumnavigation around the globe in less than 50 days, 16 hours and 20 minutes.

They dreamt of it! They made it ! By passing Lizard Point a 16h 13m and 30s (French time) (14:13:30 TU)! Less than a year after the launch of the Maxi Banque Populaire V, Pascal Bidégorry and his crewmen just made history by signing an incredible new benchmark time on the Transatlantic record.
Alarming all the indicators, the world's biggest sailing trimaran has just covered 2 921 miles between New-York and Point-Lizard, in 3 days 15 hours 25 minutes and 48 seconds, at the average speed of 32,94 knots. By improving the previous record of 12 hours 32 minutes and 6 seconds held by Franck Cammas in 2007, the twelve sailors of the maxi-trimaran commissioned by Banque Populaire hit their first record and reach the height of their expectancies. Today's victory on time and elements come as an award for the exemplary work carried out by the crew but also by the whole Team, totally committed in this challenge for months. Victory is wonderful and Pascal Bidegorry's tremendous emotion symbolizes it in its major strength: the group's perfect cohesion and the unfailing support of their partner, engaged in offshore sailing for more than twenty years. Well done misters sailors and thank you !