IDEC SPORT: Picking up the Pace

(January 23, 2017; Day 38; 22:00 FR) – Francis Joyon (FRA) and his five crew on the 31.5m VPLP-designed trimaran IDEC SPORT are in their home stretch in their bid to win the Jules Verne Trophy for fastest outright time around the world.

The maxi-trimaran IDEC SPORT stepped up the pace yesterday on the final stretch of her attempt to win the Jules Verne Trophy. It is looking windy and physical over the next 2000 miles or so to the finish off Ushant. Approaching the latitude of the Canaries, Francis Joyon and his men are making the most of the trade winds, which are swinging around astern of the boat allowing them to speed away downwind. Only the sea state and the swell are forcing them to calm things down.

Regularly at 28 knots, IDEC SPORT is gradually moving eastwards, whereas until now they have been heading north. Her VMG towards the tip of Brittany is high and in the coming days, she should be clocking up around 700 miles a day. IDEC SPORT is hopping onto the southern edge of a low forming NW of the Azores to speed towards the finish on Thursday.

As they approach Brittany, the final stretch of the record setting attempt, their latest 24 hour run of 660.08 nm has increased their lead to 1336.75 nm (78.23 nm) ahead of 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.

Status as of 22:00 FR
Distance to Finish: 1720.14 nm
24 Hour Distance: 660.08 nm
24 Hour Speed Average: 27.5 knots
Ahead/Behind: +1336.75 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