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Published on January 15th, 2024 | by Editor

Brazilian pit-stop in maxi trimaran race

Published on January 15th, 2024 by Editor -->

(January 15, 2024; Day 9) – While the leading duo of Tom Laperche (SVR Lazartigue) and Charles Caudrelier (Maxi Edmond de Rothschild) are still less than 50 miles apart in the ARKEA ULTIM CHALLENGE-Brest, making around 34-35.5 knots sailing SSE of Salvador de Bahia, Brazil, the first pit-stop for the six-boat Ultim fleet has occurred.

In this solo, non-stop race around the world in the 32m Ultim Class, Armel Le Cléac’h (Maxi Banque Populaire XI) arrived today in the port of Recife in Recife just before 0740hrs UTC. A team from Banque Populaire was waiting for her so that they could begin repairs as soon as the boat was docked.

When his big gennaker came loose at the tack and tore off the pulpit during gales several nights earlier, his team was unanimous the skipper should not go into the ‘big south’ with no pulpit on the main hull.

He is expected to time his departure from the Brazilian port at the required 24 hours minimum stipulated by the rules for a skipper who accepts help for a pitstop.

“Continuing the race without the pulpit which keeps me safe during maneuvers would be impossible,” Le Cléac’h said. Maxi Banque Populaire XI also has an issue with the hydraulics on the starboard foil which would not go right down and the team was standing by to repair.

“We will be back to sea tomorrow morning,” reiterated the skipper. “So many things can still happen, the race is far from over.”

According to the SIs which stipulate the minimum of 24 hours, the Maxi Banque Populaire XI will not be able to leave before 07:38 a.m. UTC tomorrow morning.

For Laperche and Caudrelier, they are working their way around the Saint Helena High in the South Atlantic, and have yet to depart from the Brazilian coast line. However, they are both looking to have a good timing to hook into a depression, probably in two days, with the low promising downwind conditions with the winds averaging 25 to 35 knots which will take them to the tip of South Africa by December 19

More than 400 miles behind Thomas Coville (Sodebo Ultim 3) is now third. Having been racing side by side with Armel Le Cléac’h for a long time, Coville is now on his own as he transits the western side of the Saint Helena anticyclone. But what is concerning for the eight times round the world circumnavigator Coville is that he won’t make it on to the same depression as the first two.

Observes Race Director Guillaume Rottee, “The door will close, the anticyclone will expand again, which will not be easy.”

Anthony Marchand is the fifth skipper to pass the Equator. The skipper of Actual Ultim 3 crossed it at 1057hrs UTC after 7 days, 22 hours and 27 minutes at sea, or 1 day, 16 hours and 14 minutes after Tom Laperche. He had a more complicated battle with the doldrums where he had slightly less wind than expected.

“It was a little slower and harder than for the leaders who didn’t stop,” explains Rottee. “But from now on Marchand is heading towards the Brazilian coast. He probably won’t get past Recife before Armel comes back out but it’s always better for morale to have a boat close to you.”

In sixth, Éric Péron is more than 1,800 miles from the race lead after having to be patient to maneuver between the Cape Verde cetacean exclusion zone and a light wind area which had slowed his progress. But that is behind him and the skipper of ULTIM ADAGIO gybed onto starboard to head west and head down to the Doldrums.

Details: https://arkeaultimchallengebrest.com/en

The Ultim Class trimarans have a maximum length of 32 meters and a maximum width of 23 meters.

The solo speed record around the world was set in 2017 by François Gabart (FRA) on the 30m Macif trimaran in a time of 42d 14h 40m 15s for an average speed of 21.08 knots. This yacht has been rebranded and will be raced by Marchand.

Entrants: • Charles Caudrelier (FRA), Maxi Edmond de Rothschild (2017 Verdier 32/23) • Thomas Coville (FRA), Sodebo Ultim 3 (2019 VPLP/others 32/23) • Tom Laperche (FRA), Trimaran SVR-Lazartigue (2021 VPLP 32/23) • Armel Le Cléac’h (FRA), Maxi Banque Populaire XI (2021 VPLP 32/23) • Anthony Marchand (FRA), Actual Ultim 3 (2015 VPLP 30/22) • Éric Péron (FRA), Trimaran Adagio (2014 VPLP 31/21)* * Only entrant without foiling appendages

Five rules from the Sailing Instructions: • The start line is kept open for 168 hours and the finish line is closed after an elapsed time of 100 days after the start time, that is to say 16th April 2024.

• The skippers can communicate and exchange with their teams on shore, so they have the freedom to get weather information and be routed by their team on shore and get technical help and advice to help with technical problems.

• The solo skippers can stop but there are two distinct operations. A technical stop is unassisted and requires the sailor to drop anchor, take a mooring, or tie up alongside an anchored or moored boat with no external help. There is no time penalty for a technical stop. But for a technical stopover (escale technique) where one or more crew or technical team come on board to help, there is a mandatory 24 hours minimum. This does not apply to the start port of Brest where all means are authorized to reach or leave the port within a radius of 50 miles.

• For the first time in ocean racing, zones where there are known to be a high concentration of whales and sea mammals are determined. Establishing these zones should both protect the marine wildlife and reduce the chance of a collision. These zones are around the Azores, the Canaries, south of South Africa, the Kerguelens, and parts of the Antarctic.

• There are ice exclusion zones to protect the skippers and their boats.

Tags: ARKEA ULTIM CHALLENGE – Brest , Ultim Class

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Maxi-trimaran

Release date : 26th August 2008

Architect : VPLP

Weight: 21 tonnes

Number of crew aboard: 11

Maximum speed: 90 km/h

4th fastest round the world reference time in 47d, 10h

Length : 37 meters

Width : 23 meters

Air draught : 40 meters

Water draft : 5,5 meters

Mainsail : 351 m2

Size J0 : 461 m2

Size J1 : 284 m2

Size J2 : 179 m2

Size J3 : 80 m2

Central daggerboard : 1

Rudders: 3, including 2 lateral T-rudders

Her history

An extraordinary trimaran

Launched in 2008, the largest racing trimaran ever built joined the Sails of Change (previously Spindrift) fleet in 2013, having secured the round the world record in the hands of Loïck Peyron and his crew of 13 sailors. Renamed and repackaged, this giant of ocean racing went on to smash the Discovery Route record in 2013 between Cadiz, Spain and San Salvador, Bahamas, and gain renown in several legendary races including the Rolex Fastnet Race, the Route du Rhum and the Transat Québec-Saint-Malo.

Designed for crewed sailing, the maxi-trimaran was converted to a solo configuration in 2014 for skipper Yann Guichard to race the Route du Rhum, which he finished in second place. This was one of the most ambitious sporting challenges of the 21 st century: one man at the helm of the world’s largest offshore racing trimaran originally designed to be sailed by 14 sailors – an extraordinary demonstration of technical and human skill. His achievement has become part of the legend of what is known as the queen of transatlantic races.

Objective Jules Verne Trophy

In crewed configuration, the major goal centres on the legendary Jules Verne Trophy. The crew completed the course in 2016 notching up the second fastest time in history (third fastest time today*) and making crew member Dona Bertarelli the fastest woman to sail around the world. In 2019, on a third attempt at breaking the Jules Verne Trophy record, the team on the maxi-trimaran set a new Ushant-Equator Record in a time of 4 days 19 hours and 57 minutes. In 2020 and 2021, Multiplast made several improvements to the maxi-trimaran with the aim of maximising her future performance and she stands in readiness to return to the record hunting fray in her most optimised form ever.

*Fourth best time ever, including the solo record attempt posted by F. Gabart.

Yann Guichard

• Sails of change (Maxi)

Dona Bertarelli

Onboard reporter.

Benjamin Schwartz

Jacques Guichard

Xavier Revil

Duncan Späth

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Thierry Chabagny

Grégory Gendron

Julien Villion

Jackson Bouttell

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Best performance

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Fastest maxi-trimaran in the world will host all-female team vying for the Jules Verne Trophy

The Famous Project has announced their plans to circumnavigate the globe with an all-female team in collaboration with Swiss watch company Richard Mille. The ultimate objective is to beat the current world speed record for the Jules Verne Trophy, with the 10-person crew sailing on "the fastest maxi-trimaran in the world".

The 31.5-metre IDEC Sport is the same vessel that Francis Joyon skippered when he achieved the current record at 40 days, 23 hours, 30 minutes and 30 seconds.

"This was my dream boat for this ambitious project which, outside of the sporting aspect, intends to give women the same tools as men to win such demanding races," said French sailor and founder Alexia Barrier. "The Famous Project is therefore a societal project that perfectly sums up our mantras: dare, dream, share."

Alexia Barrier is a skipper with more than 20 years of experience and 200,000 nautical miles travelled. This includes 18 transatlantic voyages, five of which were undertaken alone and a finish in the 2020-21 Vendée Globe.

Brand and partnerships director Amanda Mille added: "Richard Mille is taking a new step in its extraordinary commitments to adventure, combining excellence, technology and performance – the three cornerstones of the brand. The Famous Project is letting us write a new page in our history of commitments to women. Alexia Barrier’s clear desire to outdo herself regardless of the game truly won us over."

The first Jules Verne Trophy was awarded to the first yacht which sailed around the world in less than 80 days, with the award's name a reference to the Jules Verne novel Around the World in Eighty Days . 

Competing boats must be propelled solely by the wind and the crew, though the trophy is open to any type of boat and any number of crew.

There have been 19 recorded attempts with nine teams having successfully broken the preceding record.

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Around the World in 40 Days

• By Sailing World Staff
• Updated: January 26, 2017

The Maxi Trimaran IDEC SPORT sailed by Francis Joyon, Clément Surtel, Alex Pella, Bernard Stamm, Gwénolé Gahinet and Sébastien Audigane won the Jules Verne Trophy, the outright round the world sailing record, this morning. They crossed the finish at 0749hrs UTC on Thursday 26th January 2017. Francis Joyon and his crew sailed the 22,461 theoretical miles in 40 days, 23 hours, 30 minutes and 30 seconds, at an average speed of 22.84 knots. Out on the water, they actually sailed 26,412 miles at an average speed of 26.85 knots. They shattered the previous record set by Loïck Peyron and the crew of the maxi trimaran Banque Populaire V by 4 days, 14 hours, 12 minutes and 23 seconds. During this round the world voyage, they smashed no fewer than six intermediate records at Cape Leeuwin, off Tasmania, on the International Date Line, at Cape Horn, at the Equator and off Ushant.

Francis Joyon, Sébastien Audigane, Bernard Stamm, Gwénolé Gahinet, Alex Pella et Clément Surtel have become the fastest round the world sailors in history. Aboard the 31.5m long maxi-trimaran IDEC SPORT , they had a remarkable achievement with some incredible daily performances along the way, such as on the fourteenth day, when they clocked up 894 miles averaging 37.3 knots. For eight days, they sailed more than 800 miles and seven over 700 miles. Aboard the muiltihull designed in 2005 for a crew of twelve, Francis, Clément, Alex, Seb, Gwéno and Bernard have made it all look so simple, working perfectly together.

“We set sail on 16th December, uncertain about the outcome, » explained the youngest member of the crew, Gwénolé Gahinet. After aborting their first attempt a few days before because of a hold-up in the Doldrums, Francis Joyon and his men set off again on 16th December, wondering about how the weather systems would evolve in the South Atlantic. Very early on, they showed what they could do and by the fifth day of racing had gained a lead of more than 210 miles over the record. But in the Doldrums, which never seemed to want to help the red and grey maxi trimaran, they suffered in an area of thunderstorms, huge wind shifts and calms. Averaging just 6.4 knots on 21st December, IDEC SPORT was to have their worst day there, sailing just 186 miles in 24 hours. They got further and further behind the pace of their virtual rival, Banque Populaire V and when they entered the roaring forties on the eleventh day, were 755 miles behind.

A huge achievement in the Southern Ocean

IDEC SPORT managed to find her way around the edge of the calms in the St. Helena high, cutting across the South Atlantic to hop onto a Southern low. They moved towards this system from the north-east and Joyon and his men would stay ahead of that system, taking advantage of strong NW’ly winds for eleven days, when the speed would rarely drop below thirty knots. With peak speeds of more than 44 knots, Joyon’s gang sailed straight across the inhospitable Southern Ocean passing the Cape of Good Hope, then Leeuwin with just 4 days and 9 hours between the two capes. By 4th January, they had extended their lead over the title-holder to a day and a half, as they passed to the south of Tasmania. One Australian fan pointed out that they had taken just two days to pass under Australia, “which you can’t even do in a car!” Just over a week later, Alex, Seb, Gwéno, Francis, Bernard and Clément clocked up another record at Cape Horn leaving Banque Populaire V 4 days and 6 hours behind IDEC SPORT .

Dealing intelligently with the South Atlantic

While Loïck Peyron and his men had a quick climb back up the South Atlantic, IDEC SPORT had to deal with a series of classic weather patterns. Once past the Falklands, a deep low appeared off Argentina, offering Joyon and his crew a nasty swell hitting them head on and SW’ly winds. They had to find a compromise between pushing hard to make headway north and preserving the boat. There were three possible routes off the south of Brazil with a series of transition zones. They could look for wind out to the east or sail upwind close to Brazil. Joyon with the support of his router, Marcel van Triest, chose a middle route to head north, which meant they had decent weather to pass Cape Frio and pick up the SE’ly trade winds. They then had to face the Doldrums again for the fourth time in two months. Living up to its bad reputation, this slowed the maxi-trimaran IDEC SPORT in a calm patch, where although there was no thundery activity, the wind was very light. Once again, the analysis from Francis and Marcel suggested going around the outside a long way west and north of Fortaleza to enter the Northern Hemisphere. They pulled it off. “we never got entirely stopped,” exclaimed Joyon when he found the trade winds.

A final triumphant sprint

Off the Cape Verde Islands, the wind gradually came around with the trade winds offering IDEC SPORT a good angle and wind strength to approach the south of the Azores. Once again, Joyon and Co hopped onto the train and set off at speed for Brittany. They were back up to high speeds in excess of thirty knots to draw a parabola from NE Brazil to Brittany.

Intermediate times:

Equator: 5 days, 18 hrs, 59 minutes, or 4 hrs and 3 minutes behind Banque Populaire V Good Hope: 12 days, 19 hrs, 28 minutes, or 21 hrs and 40 minutes behind Banque Populaire V Cape Agulhas: 12 days, 21 hrs, 22 minutes, or 21 hrs, 34 minutes behind Banque Populaire V Cape Leeuwin: 17 days, 6 hrs, 59 minutes, or 16 hrs and 58 minutes ahead of Banque Populaire V Tasmania: 18 days, 18 hrs and 31 minutes, or 1 day, 12 hrs and 43 minutes ahead of Banque Populaire V Cape Horn: 26 days, 15 hrs and 45 minutes, or 4 days and 6 hrs ahead of Banque Populaire V Equator: 35 days 4 hrs and 9 minutes, or 2 days, 22 hrs and 36 minutes ahead of Banque Populaire V Equator – Ushant: 5 days, 19 hrs, 21 minutes

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Six solo skippers ready to race 100ft foiling multihulls around the world

• January 4, 2024

Is this the most audacious race ever? Six skippers are getting ready to race 100ft foiling maxi trimarans solo around the world – James Boyd looks forward to the Arkea Ultim Challenge Brest

There are very few ‘firsts’ left in the world of sailing, but one such remaining barrier could be smashed when the Arkea Ultim Challenge Brest sets off from north-west France on 7 January 2024.

Since the Sunday Times Golden Globe in 1968/69 – the ‘impossible feat’ – there have been all manner of non-stop laps of the planet, from fully crewed Jules Verne Trophy and solo records, to races such as the single-handed Vendée Globe , and The Race in 2000 for fully crewed maxi-multihulls. This January sees a new pinnacle-of-pinnacles event: the first solo, non-stop, round the world race in Ultim trimarans. Six brave French skippers on their 100ft multihulls are entered.

The advancement in human endeavour and technology in this cutting edge area of sailing has been extraordinary. Thirty years ago we were in Brest for the first tentative Jules Verne Trophy attempts. Back then no one knew if sailing around the world in under 80 days was even possible: three boats set off and only one made it – Bruno Peyron’s maxi-catamaran Commodore Explorer in 79 days 6 hours.

Since then the record has been reduced by titans such as Peter Blake/Robin Knox-Johnston, Olivier de Kersauson, Loïck Peyron, Franck Cammas and, ultimately, Francis Joyon . In a quarter of a century, the record has halved with Joyon’s 105ft IDEC Sport setting the present benchmark of 40d 23h 30m 30s (at 26.85 knots average) five years ago.

You might assume that a solo around the world would be much slower, but Joyon destroyed this notion. In 2004, when the Jules Verne Trophy record was 63 days, he completed a lap in just under 73 days alone on his 90ft trimaran IDEC (also the first successful solo non-stop circumnavigation by a trimaran). The following year the UK ground to a halt for an afternoon, television dominated by live coverage of Ellen MacArthur’s arrival into Falmouth after she’d taken more than a day off Joyon’s time.

Gabart on his previous Macif Ultime. Photo: Rolex/Carlo Borlenghi

Thomas Coville took the time below 50 days in 2016 with 49d 3h, broken the following year by François Gabart ’s 100ft Macif , establishing the present solo non-stop record: 42d 16h 40m 3s (just 4% slower than Joyon’s fully crewed).

While these times are impressive, they are records set in optimum, carefully selected conditions (for the first two weeks at least), whereas the Arkea Ultim Challenge Brest is a race. The solo sailors will have onshore routers, but their departure day is set, and pace likely dictated by their opponents. It’s a very different test of man and machine.

“It is something new,” says Gitana’s Charles Caudrelier . “The first time racing around the world with these big flying boats. It is a bit like the first Vendée Globe – not quite the same because we know where we are going! But it is a bit of an adventure, and I’m happy about that.”

Armel le Cléac’h in solo mode on Maxi Banque Populaire XI. Photo: Benoît Stichelbaut

The contenders

Surprisingly, skippers at all stages of their careers are competing. Amiable sea-dog Thomas Coville will be 55 when the race sets off. There is almost no major event Coville hasn’t done, from the America’s Cup to winning the Volvo Ocean Race.

Having sailed ORMA 60s, Coville moved into the record breaking business on maxi trimarans and is now on his third, Sodebo having backed him continuously. Of the six skippers Coville is the most experienced racing Ultims single-handed and is laudable for his sheer tenacity – he finally set a solo round the world record on his fifth attempt, after 11 years of trying.

At the other end of the scale, it was a surprise to learn that SVR-Lazartigue will not be raced by François Gabart, the single-handed round the world record holder and the blue trimaran’s initial skipper. Instead, taking over for solo races will be 26-year-old Tom Laperche. An engineer and highly talented sailor, Laperche is a graduate of the classic French offshore racing pathway; and has been involved with SVR-Lazartigue since its launch, racing as Gabart’s co-skipper in the last two Transat Jacques Vabre .

Anthony Marchand, 38, has also newly taken on a campaign, replacing Yves le Blevec on Actual Ultim 3 (ex-Macif) in early 2023. Meanwhile an 11th hour entry is Eric Péron on Adagio , the previous Sodebo Ultim. The boat is something of a ‘Frankenstein’ creation – recycling the 2001 maxi-tri Geronimo with appendages from 2010 America’s Cup winner USA17 – but a fast one.

Thomas Coville, on Sodebo Ultime 3. Photo: Vincent Curutchet/Team Sodebo

“I’ve been preparing for this kind of thing for years now,” said Péron. I haven’t done much preparation on the boat, but for everything else, the boxes are ticked. So, in the short time I’ve got left before the start, I hope to become at one with the machine. What motivates me most of all is the fact that it’s an extreme race, and that’s why I want to take up the challenge. Obviously, I’m not leaving totally confident. But I’m not going to give up.”

In the absence of Gabart, the two favourites are likely to be Armel le Cléac’h on Maxi Banque Populaire XI and Charles Caudrelier on Maxi Edmond de Rothschild (Gitana 17) . Theirs are two of the best funded and oldest teams.

Banque Populaire first sponsored Joyon’s ORMA 60 in 1989 and has campaigned seven trimarans since, including building two Ultims. The team’s first Ultim had a disastrous 2018, before a final crash left it utterly destroyed during the Route du Rhum . Undeterred, the French bank set about building a replacement. Now, alongside SVR-Lazartigue, their two-year-old Maxi Banque Populaire XI is one of the newest Ultims.

SVR-Lazartigue and Banque Populaire XI are essentially VPLP designs (Ultim teams have their own in-house designers, engineers, aero- and hydrodynamists, foil and hydraulics experts), while Maxi Edmond de Rothschild is from Guillaume Verdier – Emirates Team New Zealand’s long term naval architect who has applied much of his Cup experience to the offshore trimaran .

Adagio, the previous Sodebo Ultim. Photo: Yvan Zedda

Impressive statistics

An Ultim’s length can be anything from 24-32m (78ft 8in-105ft) with a maximum beam of 23m (75ft), though in practice all six are trimarans built to, or near to the rule’s maximum. Overall mast height is less than 120% of length of the longest hull, so 38.4m (126ft). Additional rules cover minimum air draught below the beams and float volume. Water ballast, autopilots and automatic anti-capsize systems are permitted, but stored energy (produced by the crew) or the creation of inertial energy and computer or electromechanical assistance for adjusting any of the appendages is forbidden.

As with all things yachting, their quantum performance leap has come since going airborne. Today all six use a similar, complex foil configuration: on each hull is a rudder with an elevator where lift can be adjusted via a flap on its trailing edge. Midships in each float is a giant J-foil, which can be raised, lowered and its rake adjusted. Unique to the Ultims (apart from Adagio) is the daggerboard, which is fitted not only with a trim tab on its trailing edge to prevent leeway, but an elevator.

Maxi Edmond de Rothschild (Gitana 17). Photo: Yann Riou/Gitana

The foils and elevators are adjusted hydraulically in combination to alter, for example, fore and aft trim and ride height, depending upon the point of sail and sea state. Generally the aim is for the platform to have zero heel/pitch. Thanks to the rudder elevators the ride is very stable in pitch (unlike IMOCA 60s ), the foils effectively ‘locking’ the boat to the water.

Just as America’s Cup catamarans that raked their windward rudder elevator to produce downforce (like crew on the rail), so Ultims can produce downforce with their daggerboard elevator. According to Gabart this is vital: racing an Ultim solo is about maximising efficiency so, when a gust hits, the rake on the daggerboard elevator is increased, sucking the trimaran’s main hull down. “If you release the hydraulic main sheet, it takes five minutes to pump it in again,” explains Gabart. “With this, when you are sailing at 40 knots you can add two tonnes [of down force] in one second using minimal energy.”

With their latest substantially larger foils, Ultims can fly in less wind. Originally it required 15-20 knots of wind or 26-27 knots boat speed for Macif to fly, this is now down to 12-14 knots of wind and 21-23 boat speed for SVR-Lazartigue – remarkable considering an Ultim’s 15-17 tonne displacement.

It’s similar on Banque Populaire XI, says Armel le Cléac’h. “We fly in 12-13 knots of wind or 22-23 knots of boat speed. In 15-17 knots of wind we fly upwind at 27-30 knots – that is the big step. Compared to older Ultims like IDEC in the last Route du Rhum, it’s an 8-9 knot improvement.”

Actual Ultim 3, formerly Gabart’s Macif. Photo: Thierry Martinez

Such speeds permit Ultims to become ‘masters of the weather’ – to some extent at least – often travelling so fast that their skippers can choose the weather system they can sail in. Optimum conditions for an Ultim are 15-25 knots (more than this and the sea state becomes too choppy for foiling), so they aim at the sweet spot of weather systems (flat water ahead of a warm front), which they then ride, like a surfer on a wave.

Le Cléac’h says their top speed has been 47 knots, “But that is not an objective. We want to have a good average speed: 40-42 knots for one or two hours is very good. 35-37 knots for 24 hours is very good too.”

Riding a rocketship

So how can skippers handle such a monster-sized boat that is foiling single-handed? Autopilot technology has improved to extraordinary levels of accuracy. According to Gabart, once set up, speed sailing in a straight line is not much different between solo and crewed. “Upwind or downwind VMG you are a little bit better if you are steering and others are trimming. At 65-70° TWA it is no different.”

Naturally manoeuvres are slower alone. Gabart says that going from reefed to full main might take two minutes fully crewed, but at least 10 solo. Some technology helps, like Harken’s latest generation Air 900 winches and pedestal grinders with bespoke gearing for single-person operation.

The newest of the Ultims, SVR-Lazartigue is perhaps the most advanced design. Photo: Guillaume Gatefait

While foils and many sail controls are hydraulic (SVR-Lazartigue has 23 rams), the pedestals are able to drive twin hydraulic pumps – though it requires serious manpower: “80% of the grinding is for the hydraulics,” says Gabart. SVR-Lazartigue will race with just five sails, including main and J0-J3, two permanently rigged on furlers.

Sailing at such high speeds has several effects. With apparent wind factored in, on deck there is constantly storm force, or at best gale force, winds. Human beings cannot operate for long in this and so cockpit protection has drastically increased with some Ultims now fully enclosed.

On the latest Sodebo and SVR-Lazartigue these have moved forward. On the former, the ‘bridge’ is forward of the mast, USS Enterprise-style, while on the latter it is just aft of the mast, with jet fighter-style steering cockpits each side, complete with sliding canopies. The end result is that an Ultim’s crew rarely ventures outside, viewing the world via CCTV.

While foiling reduces hydrodynamic drag, all the teams have been focussed on reducing aero-drag. Crossbeams now have trailing edge fairings made from robust vinyl, while on SVR-Lazartigue, moving their ‘cockpit’ forward has enabled them to have an AC-style ‘deck sweeper’ boom where the deck creates an endplate for the foot of the mainsail (improving efficiency).

Tom Laperche steering, jet fighter-style, on SVR-Lazartigue. Photo: Guillaume Gatefait

To finish first…

For the teams, the principal hurdle of the Arkea Ultim Challenge Brest will be finishing. The major worry on such a long race is reliability. To prevent structural failures Ultims have load cells, the output from which is monitored in real time. Otherwise teams have simply been racing and sea trialling as often as possible in all conditions.

This year’s Transat Jacques Vabre’s heavier conditions were ideal, enabling the double-handed teams to really push the boats harder. While all the Ultims finished, some were in better shape than others, Maxi Edmond de Rothschild suffering rudder and foil issues while Sodebo Ultim’s starboard rudder sheared off after a collision with an underwater object.

“The main problem will be to have all of the boats finishing the race in good shape,” says Caudrelier, who says it will take a new approach from his previous crewed around the world races. “Always you push to the maximum, but this time you can’t do that and we will have to find a good balance between performance and safety for the boat. That is quite an interesting exercise and also managing a boat like this alone for 45 days.”

Éric Péron explains: “On these boats, a small incident can immediately put us out of the race, because nothing can be replaced on our own. The boat is so big that there’s not much we can do to fix it with what we’ve got on board.”

Antoine Gautier, head of the design office at Mer Concept (behind SVR-Lazartigue) adds that their enormously complex boat will be simplified: “We are going to have less systems on board to make it simpler and more reliable. There are some things which won’t make much difference on a round the world race.”

Armel le Cléac’h at Banque Populaire’s mission control/protected pod. Photo: Vincent Curutchet/ Hublot Sailing team

Capsize was once a major concern, but for Ultims today is – apparently – almost a non-issue. The multihulls are simply huge, and their rigs are now stepped almost two thirds of the way back from the bow, to prevent pitchpoling. As Gautier explains: “The boats are definitely safer than any multihulls before. There are no more pitchpoling issues and in terms of heel stability, you almost can’t heel because the leeward foil is pushing up so much. That is why they are able to sail so fast, even short-handed – because the boats are very safe and you don’t feel in danger.”

Nonetheless they do still have inclinometers which can automatically dump hydraulics (eg mainsheet) or mechanically release headsail sheets if heel is excessive.

Of greater concern are elements beyond the skipper’s control: collision. AIS and radar target alarms substantially reduce the chance of an Ultim hitting another vessel, but the threat of a ‘UFO’ (unidentified floating object) remains. As Gautier says: “Collision is the biggest fear for all of us. If you hit something at 30-plus knots it is the end of your race. The boat which is going to win will be the one which has all its appendages at the finish. It is Russian roulette and you can’t do anything about it. This is not a fun part of the sport, but it is the same for any race like this.”

To help prevent such collisions Ultims are all fitted with SEA.AI (previously known as OSCAR) a camera mounted at the masthead that can ‘see’ ahead both in daylight and at night, using infra-red. Images are compared in real time with a giant database to establish whether something ahead represents a collision threat.

Ultims raced each other double-handed in the November 2023 Transat Jacques Vabre – won by Armel le Cléac’h/Sébastien Josse in Banque Populaire XI. Photo: Jean-Marie Liot/Alea

There are other factors too that will come into play: a good deal of luck, undoubtedly, but also the skill, experience and motivation of the skippers. Caudrelier has perhaps the most experience in his boat and over the last three years has won most races, but he has never raced solo around the world. “This is my Vendée Globe” he acknowledges.

By contrast Le Cléac’h has completed three Vendées, on the podium every time. However his recent victory in the Transat Jacques Vabre was his first in an Ultim. For Coville, this might be his last lap? While for Laperche this will be his first big Ultim event and proving himself is a key objective.

What is certain is that this will be the ultimate contest between some of the world’s most talented offshore sailors. How many will make it round? And for those that do, it could be the fastest ever round the world race, so all the action will unfold quickly. Follow at arkeaultimchallengebrest.com

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Around the world in 40 days: French skipper smashes sailing record

French skipper Francis Joyon, right, celebrates with his crew after breaking the Jules Verne Trophy record aboard Maxi Trimaran IDEC Sport, on Jan. 26, 2017. (Francois Van Malleghem/DPPI IDEC Sport via AP)

PARIS -- French skipper Francis Joyon smashed the record for the fastest sail around the world by more than four days when he won the Jules Verne Trophy on Thursday.

Joyon and teammates Clement Surtel, Alex Pella, Bernard Stamm, Gwenole Gahinet, and Sebastien Audigane crossed the finish line off the French island of Ouessant just before 9 a.m. local time, in their 31.5-metre maxi trimaran Idec Sport .

They took 40 days, 23 hours, 30 minutes, 30 seconds.

The previous record was 45 days, 13 hours, 42 minutes, 53 seconds in 2012 by Frenchman Loick Peyron.

Joyon averaged 26.85 knots, the equivalent of almost 50 kph, over 26,412 miles, also improving six intermediate records during the journey. In comparison, Peyron sailed 29,002 miles at an average speed of 26.51 knots.

Relief was his first thought at the finish. He said in a radio message they spent the final night in rough seas.

"It's the result of long years of work," Joyon said. "The sea was very tough, the boat was being banged around, we could not rest at all. The night was very hectic."

Idec Sport was launched in 2006 and enjoyed a successful career before Joyon took over as skipper, winning the last two editions of the Route du Rhum and holding the Jules Verne record from 2010-12.

The 60-year-old Joyon also held the record for the fastest single-handed circumnavigation from 2008-16 before Thomas Coville improved his mark last December.

The Jules Verne Trophy is open to any type of boats without restriction, and takes skippers around the Cape of Good Hope, Cape Leeuwin, and Cape Horn.

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Related Links

• Jules Verne Trophy website
• Idec Sport sailing team website

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Launch of the new Maxi Trimaran Banque Populaire XI: the Ultim class epitome of audacity!

Wednesday, 28 april 2021

16 metric tons, 32 meters in length, and 23 meters wide: the Banque Populaire XI is the fruit of 24 months of construction work performed by 150 mostly French and locally based companies.

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The construction of this new 16 metric ton, 32m long, 23m wide, and 37m high ‘Ultim’ class racing trimaran to be skippered by Armel Le Cléac’h  required the expertise of 150 companies to ensure its completion in 24 months despite the health crisis!

 A synthesis of high technology and fine craftsmanship, this giant of the seas was recently launched on April 27 in Lorient (Brittany). An epitome of audacity, with its S-shaped foils about twice the size of those fitted to previous generations (an application of advanced research in aerodynamics as used in Formula 1 racing cars), Banque Populaire XI  is the result of a technological, technical, human and logistical feat  that makes it the latest jewel in the crown of the nautical industry and of competitive sailing in general.  

Team Banque Populaire drew on the expertise of no fewer than 150 mostly French and locally based companies for the vessel’s design and construction . As a major player in ocean racing both as sponsor and ship-owner, Banque Populaire used this opportunity to support craftsmen, engineers and architects, true to its DNA as a bank working closely with all types of entrepreneur. This initiative also enables the bank to demonstrate its active involvement in promoting the status of all those contributing to the ‘blue economy,’ a sector embracing all economic activities related to the marine environment.

Another challenge now awaits the team with the first trial runs for Armel Le Cléac’h and his co-skipper Kevin Escoffier in preparation for the start of the Transat Jacques Vabre Normandy Le Havre race in November later this year.   THE BANQUE POPULAIRE XI MAXI TRIMARAN IN FIGURES

• 32 meters in length, 23 meters wide, weighing 16 metric tons
• 24 months in the making4,500 hours of preparatory work (design, architecture, plan, simulation carried out by the VPLP firm of naval architects) 
• 300 production blueprints
• 150 companies involved
• 150,000 hours of work (including more than 100,000 hours for the CDK Technologies shipbuilding facility alone) 

@PHOTO / Vincent Curutchet

The Famous Project

À la conquête du trophée jules verne, 100% féminin .

A sporting challenge, a human challenge, a planetary challenge, this is the maritime epic of the century. In 2025, Alexia Barrier and her 7 crewmates will set off on the legendary Jules Verne Trophy aboard the Maxi-trimaran Idec Sport. A non-stop, unassisted circumnavigation of the globe under sail. Their objective? To set a benchmark time for a women’s crew, and why not, claim the record. The culmination of a much bigger and more ambitious project: The Famous Project.

“Tackling Jules Verne is a bit like walking on the moon” (Alexia Barrier)

Photos credit © Marie Cortial

Operation “Womanity”, a crew of excellence

For this adventure, Alexia Barrier has surrounded herself with the best international female sailors, 7 sailing rockstars!

• Dee Caffari , Alexia’s co-skipper and solo round the world record holder
• Helena Darvelid , expert in water speed records
• Sara Hastreiter , navigator of 7 summits
• Elodie Jane Mettraux , multihull specialist
• Joan Mulloy , from Figaro to Ocean Fifty
• Marie Riou , winner of the Volvo Ocean Race
• Marie Tabarly , skipper of Pen Duick VI

Each of them excels in his or her field and is an indispensable asset. The first training sessions have already demonstrated the perfect cohesion between these top-level athletes, guided by Jonny Malbon (team manager) and Brian Thomson. It’s a harmony that’s as much professional as it is friendly , which bodes well for the future. New recruits will soon be joining this all-female crew.

The Maxi-trimaran Idec Sport, a legendary boat

To succeed in their gamble, the sailors will be embarking on the fastest maxi-trimaran in the world: Idec Sport, holder of the Jules Verne Trophy record since 2017 in 40 days 23 h 30 min and 30 sec. But before taming the boat, the crew will first be learning the right reflexes on the MOD70 Limosa, ex-Spindrift Mana, over the coming months. 

The Famous Project, more than just a sports project

In addition to the Jules Verne Trophy, The Famous Project aims to inspire, to change things and to raise awareness. This ambition is based on 4 essential pillars:

• People, to highlight the women of our planet.
• The environment, to protect our oceans.
• Education, to raise awareness and inspire younger generations.
• Surpassing oneself, the essential need for cooperation and the demands inherent in ocean racing.

Loyal and committed partners 

To achieve this, The Famous Project can count on committed partners: CIC , founding partner, and Idec Sport, official partner. UNESCO and 4myplanet are also supporting Alexia Barrier in her project. Privileged allies on both social and environmental levels. SLAM , the Italian company, is outfitting the team and is benefiting from technical collaboration to test and improve the nautical clothing. 

Alexia Barrier, Famous Project skipper

“We want to make every woman on the planet “Famous”! To highlight those who dare and inspire others to come out of their shells, to make their dreams come true.” “I tried to prepare for a new Vendée Globe but I wasn’t in phase with this project. It’s the Jules Verne Trophy and the maxi trimaran that make me dream.”

Patrice Lafargue, Chairman of IDEC GROUP and IDEC SPORT

“This new adventure marks the start of a unique collaboration which sets an ambitious goal: to set off for the Jules Verne Trophy with an all-female crew who will be doing their utmost to improve on the mark set by the IDEC SPORT maxi in 2017 with Francis JOYON at the helm. She is also the symbol of shared values for the environment, inclusion, passion, surpassing oneself and commitment.”

“The FAMOUS project directly addresses UNESCO’s major priorities well beyond ocean research, contributing to our efforts towards gender equality and support for sporting activities as vehicles for social inclusion”.

Key figures

This crew’s record is the most solid of all those who have already attempted this record:

• 12 Round the World Tours
• 54 Transatlantic
• 3 Transpacific
• 28 World Records
• 16 Championship titles

The Jules Verne Trophy is :

• 25 years of history
• 9 wins from 19 attempts
• 21,760 nautical miles
• 1 record held by Francis Joyon on Idec Sport in 40 days 23 hours, 30 minutes and 30 seconds since 2017

The RORC Caribbean 600 is the next step for The Famous Project

Idec sport around europe, the maxi-trimaran idec sport and francis joyon as ambassadors for the arch, francis joyon postpones his attempt against the discovery route record, francis joyon has left la trinité sur mer. destination, spain, francis joyon and the maxi-trimaran idec sport back on the discovery route.

• The Trimaran

Join the SVR-Lazartigue trimaran adventure alongside skipper François Gabart and French cosmetics group Kresk.

The svr-lazartigue trimaran   belongs to the new generation of flying boats, where aerodynamics are just as important as hydrodynamics., the development of new technologies in all areas of design make the svr- lazartigue trimaran a unique and revolutionary boat..

François Gabart

François Gabart est l’un des marins les plus talentueux de sa génération et détient un palmarès impressionnant (Vendée Globe, Route du Rhum, The Transat, Transat Jacques Vabre et recordman du Tour du Monde en Solitaire en 42 jours). Il mènera en 2024-25 l'équipage du Trimaran SVR-Lazartigue autour du monde dans une tentative de battre le record du Trophée Jules Verne.

Tom Laperche

Tom Laperche, 27 ans,  aux commandes du bateau à l’occasion de l’Arkea Ultim Challenge, course en solitaire autour du monde et sans escale, en janvier 2024.  Il sera aux côtés de François pour s'attaquer au Graal de la course au large : le Trophée Jules Verne, accompagé par Amélie Grassi, Pascal Bidégorry, Antoine Gautier et Émilien Lavigne.

Nos skippers incarnent des valeurs qui sont propres aux marques SVR, Lazartigue et Fillmed : le progrès et la performance avec une volonté affirmée de tenir compte des enjeux sociétaux et environnementaux.

The result of 40 months' of teamwork, the svr-lazartigue trimaran combines sleek lines and a futuristic design. equipped with cutting-edge flight systems and piloting softwares, this giant of the seas is capable of high-speed flight around the planet..

Présidé par Didier Tabary, féru de voile et amoureux de la mer, le Groupe Kresk a souhaité que cette aventure maritime soit accompagnée d’engagements concrets en faveur de la protection des océans au travers la création de Kresk 4 Oceans.

You asked for it: and we heard you.

Bracelet Kresk 4 Oceans

Beanie SVR-Lazartigue Trimaran

Cap Trimaran SVR-Lazartigue

Découvrez les coulisses de l'arkea ultim challenge grâce au documentaire ''cap solitaire ''.

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