In pursuit of the Jules Verne Trophy

Vannes, France (September 16, 2019) – The 40m trimaran Spindrift 2 was put back in the water today at the Multiplast boatyard after the past few months of being further optimized in anticipation of its next attempt to claim the Jules Verne Trophy, symbolic of the fastest time around the world by any type of yacht with no restrictions on the size of the crew.

Among the upgrades were the fitting of new load bearing rudder plates, following the structural failure of the starboard rudder plate during the Jules Verne Trophy record attempt last winter (February 1, 2019).

Once its 32m tall mast is fitted, the trimaran will sail to its home port of La Trinité-sur-Mer. There, the technical team will finish configuring the maxi trimaran for record mode, before the Jules Verne Trophy squad leg by skipper Yann Guichard begins a series of ‘inshore’ and ‘offshore’ training sessions during September.

A two-month stand-by period to start the Jules Verne Trophy attempt begins on October 1. The challenge is to beat the record time of 40 days 23 hours 30 minutes and 30 seconds set by Francis Joyon on Idec in 2017.

The rules for the Jules Verne Trophy are simple – it is for the fastest time around the world by any type of yacht with no restrictions on the size of the crew, starting and finishing from the exact line between the Le Créac’h Lighthouse off the tip of Brittany and the Lizard Point in Cornwall. It was first won in 1993, with all nine winners as either catamarans or trimarans.

Record Facts
• Start and finish: a line between Créac’h lighthouse (Isle of Ushant) and Lizard Point (England)
• Course: non-stop around-the-world tour racing without outside assistance via the three Capes (Good Hope, Leeuwin and Horn)
• Minimum distance: 21,600 nautical miles (40,000 kilometres)
• Ratification: World Sailing Speed Record Council, www.sailspeedrecords.com
• Time to beat: 40 days, 23 hours, 30 minutes and 30 seconds
• Average speed: 21.96 knots
• Date of current record: January 2017
• Holder: IDEC Sport, Francis Joyon and a 5-man crew

Here are the nine that have held the trophy:
2017 – Francis Joyon / IDEC-SPORT (31.5m) – 40:23:30:30
2012 – Loïck Peyron / Banque Populaire V (40m) – 45:13:42:53
2010 – Franck Cammas / Groupama 3 (31.5m) – 48:07:44:52
2005 – Bruno Peyron / Orange II (36.8m) – 50:16:20:04
2004 – Olivier De Kersauson / Geronimo (33.8m) – 63:13:59:46
2002 – Bruno Peyron / Orange (32.8m) – 64:08:37:24
1997 – Olivier De Kersauson / Sport-Elec (27.3m) – 71:14:22:08
1994 – Peter Blake, Robin Knox-Johnston / Enza New Zealand (28m) – 74:22:17:22
1993 – Bruno Peyron / Commodore Explorer (28m) – 79:06:15:56

Source: Spindrift Racing