IDEC SPORT: Looking for the Expressway

(December 2, 2015; Day 11) – Petrels, albatrosses, a longer and longer swell, and clear skies since the front went over… all these elements noted by Francis Joyon and part of his crew on the 31.5m maxi-trimaran IDEC SPORT are signs that they are about to enter the vast wilderness of the Southern Ocean.

The High parked under South Africa is preventing them now from taking the traditional route towards the Cape of Good Hope at around 45 degrees south. IDEC SPORT will be joining the Indian Ocean diving right down to the Fifties. The six man crew caught their final glimpse of land this morning as they passed the volcanic islands of Tristan da Cunha. A foretaste of the marvels that lie ahead….

It was a busy night on the IDEC SPORT maxi-trimaran. With wind and swell opposed to each other, the route to the Southern Ocean was rather chaotic. The task facing the helmsmen was all the more complicated and worrying. Gwénolé Gahinet, one of the rising stars of French sailing, has been discovering all the different facets of this fast race around the world aboard one of the fastest sailing boats in the world.

“Watches lasting 90 minutes at the helm quickly tire you with these speeds and cross seas,” Gahinet declared. “It’s mind-blowing, but fortunately IDEC SPORT is a very safe boat, which lets you get away with many mistakes. You have to be careful to avoid getting carried away on a fast-moving wave. We are pushing at 100%, always on the edge of getting into the red zone, which would endanger the mechanical elements on board the boat.”

The fact that there are so many different backgrounds in the crew is important, as people like Bernard Stamm and Alex Pella are able with Francis to pass on their wealth of experience on the world’s oceans.

With less than 1500 miles to go to the Cape of Good Hope, IDEC SPORT is still keeping up good speeds, on a very efficient route. Francis Joyon, without any false optimism, believes that the way they have dealt with the South Atlantic, which has been unwilling to cooperate, has worked out well. “I thought we would lose more time passing through the transition zone off Brazil,” he explained. “If we round the Cape of Good Hope around fifteen hours behind the record, that will be a satisfactory outcome.”

Light, fitted with a “small” mast built for solo sailing in the last Route du Rhum, IDEC SPORT has so far shown herself to be perfectly suited to the conditions along the way. “We are able to get the most out of the boat,” stressed Gwéno, “and we have been learning more about the boat each day and about all the different settings.”

Averaging more than 33 knots of VMG, (velocity made good), IDEC SPORT is speeding towards the wilderness of the Southern Ocean, an experience clearly enjoyed by Gwéno, Bernard, Boris, Clément, Alex and Francis, all keenly looking forward to the adventures that lie ahead.

As of 2000 UTC
Distance to finish: 16731.04 nm
Distance for 24 hours: 755.93 nm
Distance ahead of record: -292.42 nm

Source: IDEC SPORT

The crew of IDEC SPORT:
Francis Joyon (FRA)
Bernard Stamm (SUI)
Gwénolé Gahinet (FRA)
Alex Pella (ESP)
Clément Surtel (FRA)
Boris Herrmann (GER)

Team website – Tracker – Facebook

Background: IDEC SPORT is seeking to claim the Jules Verne Trophy, 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.

Francis Joyon (FRA), skippering the 31.5m VPLP-designed trimaran, crossed the start line on November 22 at 02:02:22 GMT, and his 6-man team must return by 15:44:15 UTC on January 6, 2016 to beat the current record set January 2012 by Loïck Peyron and his crew on Banque Populaire V of 45 days, 13 hours, 42 minutes and 53 seconds.

MORE: Also starting on November 22 (at 4:01:58 GMT) for an attempt at the Jules Verne Trophy was the 40m VPLP-designed Spindrift 2, led by Yann Guichard. The 14-person team must return before 17:43:51 GMT on January 6, 2016 to beat the record. Here’s a tracker showing both teams: http://volodiaja.net/Tracking/