Spindrift 2: Heading for 2016

(December 31, 2015; Day 40) – As the world prepares to celebrate the arrival of the new year, the 14 sailors on the 40m maxi-trimaran Spindrift 2 are getting ready for an extraordinary December 31. On the menu: crossing the Equator in the evening and entering the Northern hemisphere. Until then, Spindrift 2 is struggling to completely tame the Intertropical Convergence Zone they entered in the afternoon, although even now their speed is still between 15 and 18 knots.

The beginning of 2016 remains uncertain as to what fate awaits the crew at the Azores High, which will determine their route to the finish. All we can do is to send good wishes to the 14 sailors for what is coming next in their quest for the Jules Verne Trophy.

From onboard, Dona Bertarelli writes, “So, here we are, not only at the gates to 2016 but also to those of the Equator, the Northern hemisphere, to our Atlantic, which we know well means that we will be home soon.

“As the world prepares to celebrate the new year and make resolutions, for us it is not quite time yet to draw conclusions from a voyage around the world that we have still not yet finished.

“Jules Verne, that talented writer, has kept the suspense up until the end and his readers on tenterhooks; Phileas Fogg won his bet when he returned to land. Will it be the same for us?

“Meanwhile, we are trying to chart our route, to write our history, of this first record attempt by a young racing team created just four years ago, of the partners who believed in and supported us, of a multidisciplinary team on land and at sea, of the young and older, of Olympic sailors and old sea dogs, of a woman among 13 men, a black and gold maxi trimaran – a legend with many victories, a prestigious Trophy and two boats in the running to challenge a time and beat by almost half the 80 days of Phileas Fogg. There are only a few days left to finish writing the closing pages of this great story.

“I am not afraid of tomorrow, for I have seen yesterday and I love today!” William Allen White

“I like the idea of concluding 2015 without knowing what 2016 will bring. Whatever happens, thank you all – to family, friends and strangers alike – for your encouragement and your unconditional support. The adventure has been worth it.”

Happy New Year!

As of 2100 UTC
Distance to finish: 3198.3 nm
Distance for 24 hours: 525.6 nm
Distance ahead of record: -556.26 nm

Source: Spindrift 2

Team website – Tracker – Facebook

Background: Spindrift 2 has entered 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.

Yann Guichard (FRA), skippering the 40 VPLP-designed trimaran, crossed the start line on November 22 at 04:01:58 GMT, and his 14-man team must return by 17:43:51 UTC on January 6, 2016 to beat the current record set January 2012 by Loïck Peyron and his crew on Banque Populaire 5 of 45 days, 13 hours, 42 minutes and 53 seconds.

Spindrift 2 was originally launched in 2008 as Banque Populaire 5.

MORE: Also starting on November 22 (at 02:02:22 GMT) for an attempt at the Jules Verne Trophy was Francis Joyon (FRA), skippering the 31.5m VPLP-designed trimaran IDEC SPORT. The 6-person team must return by 15:44:15 GMT on January 6, 2016 to beat the record. Here’s a tracker showing both teams: http://volodiaja.net/Tracking/

SPINDRIFT 2 CREW:
Yann Guichard, skipper
Dona Bertarelli, helmsman-trimmer
Sébastien Audigane, helmsman-trimmer
Antoine Carraz, helmsman-trimmer
Thierry Duprey du Vorsent, helmsman-trimmer
Christophe Espagnon, helmsman-bowman
Jacques Guichard, helmsman-trimmer
Erwan Israël, navigator
Loïc Le Mignon, helmsman-trimmer
Sébastien Marsset, bowman
François Morvan, helmsman-trimmer
Xavier Revil, helmsman-trimmer
Yann Riou, media reporter
Thomas Rouxel, helmsman-bowman
Jean-Yves Bernot, onshore router