IDEC SPORT: Hot Speeds, Cold Weather

(December 30, 2016; Day 15, 22:37 FR) – It was another good day for Francis Joyon (FRA) and his five crew on the 31.5m VPLP-designed trimaran IDEC SPORT in their bid win the Jules Verne Trophy for fastest outright time around the world.

Their latest 24 hour run of 871 nm has the deficit decreasing to 209 nm (+128 nm) behind the current time set in January 2012 by Loïck Peyron and his crew on the 40 VPLP-designed trimaran Banque Populaire V of 45 days, 13 hours, 42 minutes and 53 seconds.

Aboard IDEC SPORT, which entered the Indian Ocean yesterday, Joyon and his crewmen are taking it in turns every half hour at the helm to make the most of the favourable conditions. As they enter the Fifties, warm clothing and gloves are required as the trimaran dives into the Southern Ocean. The radar is on permanent watch and is a vital help in these southern latitudes.

“It is very cold with the temperature down to 2 or 3°,” stated Sébastien Audigane, in a video sent back this morning. Famous for his skill at the helm, Big Seb admits he is enjoying seeing the dials indicate such high speeds in the leaden skies of the Indian Ocean. “We’ve just shaken out a reef as we weren’t going fast enough, just 35 knots, so now we’re under full mainsail and making forty knots.”

Status as of 22:37 FR
Distance to Finish: 14373.7 nm
24 Hour Distance: 871 nm
24 Hour Speed Average: 36.3 knots
Ahead/Behind: -209.1 nm

IDEC SPORT RACING – Tracker – Facebook

Note: The 24 hour speed record of 908.2 nm (37.84 knot average) was set in 2009 by Banque Populaire 5, a 131-foot trimaran skippered by Pascal Bidegorry (FRA).

Background:
The Jules Verne Trophy is a prize for the fastest circumnavigation of the world by any type of yacht with no restrictions on the size of the crew, starting and finishing between the Le Créac’h Lighthouse off the tip of Brittany and the Lizard Point in Cornwall.

After starting on November 16, Francis Joyon (FRA) and his five crew on the 31.5m VPLP-designed trimaran IDEC SPORT need to finish by 22:00:53 UTC on Monday January 30 to beat the current record set January 2012 by Loïck Peyron and his crew on the 40 VPLP-designed trimaran Banque Populaire V of 45 days, 13 hours, 42 minutes and 53 seconds.

Francis Joyon (fourth from left) and his crew comprising Clément Surtel, Alex Pella, Bernard Stamm, Gwénolé Gahinet and Sébastien Audigane.

Jules Verne Trophy
Record to beat: 45 days, 13 hours, 42 minutes and 53 seconds set by Loïck Peyron and his crew of 13 in January 2012 on the trimaran Banque Populaire V (40 m)
Average speed to beat: 19.75 knots
Course: around the world via the three capes, Good Hope, Leeuwin, Horn.
Great circle distance: 21,600 miles
Start and finish line between Ushant (Créac’h Lighthouse and The Lizard (Cornwall).

IDEC SPORT trimaran
Trimaran with foils
Designers: VPLP
Previous names: Groupama 3, Banque Populaire VII
Initial launch: June 2006
Length: 31.50 m
Beam: 22.50 m
Displacement: 15 t
Draught: 5.70 m
Mast height: 33.50 m
Structure: carbon-nomex

Source: IDEC SPORT