In the shadow of the monolithic Nazi submarine silos of Lorient, the fastest yacht in the world waits on code red. Franck Cammas and nine crew have been like coiled springs this week expecting to leave today aboard their formidable Groupama III, on a Jules Verne record attempt. Going around the world in 80 days has been left far behind in the past two decades, but Groupama III is hoping to make the kind of giant leap that Francis Joyon made when he arrived back two hours north up the French coast on Sunday.

Bruno Peyron (the first man to break the 80-day mark, in 1993) and his 12-man crew on Orange II hold the Jules Verne Trophy with 50 days, 16 hours and 20 minutes around the world. Groupama III is not going to knock a fortnight off that, as Joyon did from Dame Ellen MacArthur’s solo circumnavigation record, but something under 45 days is possible.

“At the beginning we said if we beat the record it is a success – that means we can expect reasonably 48 days, 49,” Fred Le Péutréc, Groupama III’s second helm, said. “But after I saw Francis sailing with a boat . . . Well, this one is about ten more knots [average speed] and ten guys on board. If we have good conditions in the Atlantic there and on the way back, we can expect to be 45 [days] and maybe less.

“In the Southern Ocean the next thing is to be able to change system, to jump ahead [to low pressure systems where there is more wind], which we did during the Atlantic crossing.” Depressions move about 25-30 knots, or 600 miles, a day. Joyon travelled with the same depression all the way across the Southern Ocean.

Groupama III and her French crew will be looking to break the 800-mile barrier for 24 hours after smashing Orange II’s record with 795.2 miles in July last year while setting a record for crossing the North Atlantic. Groupama III has reached 43 knots, but it will be whether this latest generation 105ft trimaran can go consistently faster than the Orange II – which is longer and has a bigger mast, but is narrower – that will be the great test.