Banque Populaire V

Banque Populaire V

Wednesday 6 July 2011

Banque Populaire to attempt round Britain record

Loïck Peyron and the crew of the 40m maxi trimaran Banque Populaire V set out last Friday for a week of training and are now preparing to set off an attempt on the Round Britain record, taking advantage of a weather window that should allow them to establish the new reference time.
Banque Populaire V is due to set off tonight at 1700 GMT to better the outright course record established last year of 4 days, 15 hours, 9 minutes and 27 seconds set by singlehanded Sidney Gavignet on Majan Oman Air in August 2010. Gavignet bettered by 1 hour Playstation's previous record set by the late Steve Fossett in October 2002.
Peyron and his 12 crew members will cross the line off the Lizard and head off on an anti-clockwise lap, up the Channel and North Sea around the Shetland Islands before coming down the west coast Ireland before returning to the Lizard. A vioyage represents a distance of 1,787 nautical miles.