This is round the world record season, as departures now from the northern hemisphere ensure transit through the southern latitudes during its summer season, which in relative terms, is the kindler-gentler time of year. However, in real terms, the weather remains evil, just a bit less so.
Among the classic aspirations is to achieve the Jules Verne Trophy, the round the world record that starts and finishes in Ushant, a French island at the south-western end of the English Channel, with the course leaving the three capes (Good Hope, Leeuwin, Horn) to port. The current record is held by Francis Joyon and his crew which in 2017 set the time of 40 days, 23 hours, 30 minutes and 30 seconds on the 31.5m trimaran IDEC Sport.
Yann Guichard and his 11-man crew hope to better that time with the 40m Spindrift 2, aiming to start this new attempt on the night of December 3 and 4. Lining up in front of the Créac’h lighthouse (Ushant) to begin the 21,600 mile route, optimism comes from recent technical improvements to the black and gold trimaran, including setting rudder fins to better sustain Spindrift 2 at high speed.
Guichard and his crew have tried to beat the record on two previous occasions: in 2015 (47d 10h 59′) and in 2018 (where the team was forced to abandon their attempt following rudder failure close to the Kergulen Islands). However, once again, the North Atlantic now has a favorable weather window that could allow a passage to the equator in about five days.
“We will start from La Trinité tomorrow morning to cross the starting line of the Jules Verne Trophy at Ushant between 18:00 on Tuesday and 6:00 on Wednesday (Dec. 3-4),” explained Guichard. “Once we see how the weather is evolving, we will be able to refine this window.