Sodebo 3 - an Ultim trimaran that has been thoroughly tested, having been launched in 2019 and regularly optimized since - seems to be keeping pace. The seven crew members rounded Cape Horn with around ten hours in hand over the record set by Francis Joyon and his crew in 2017, at 40 days and 23 hours.
Since then, eight attempts have ended in failure due to damage - three of them involving Sodebo 3 (one in 2020 and two in 2024)! For Thomas Coville, this marks the twelfth time he has crossed this legendary and symbolic point… but the same cannot be said for his six crewmates, who have been “Cape Horners” since last Sunday.
“In a race,” Thomas puts into perspective, “the hardest part is often at the end. Of course, we’ll be less cold and there will be fewer icebergs. But we can face low-pressure systems, difficult conditions… It’s up to us to manage to bring to a successful finish what we’re building.”
For the record, the first officially recognized Jules Verne Trophy time dates back to 1993; at the time, Bruno Peyron and his men took more than 79 days to complete the non-stop round-the-world via the three great capes aboard Commodore Explorer.
