All-female round the world record attempt sets sail in tough conditions

The Well-known Venture CIC, the all-women problem for the Jules Verne Trophy, the continuous all over the world document, departed on Saturday 29 November.

The staff, which is skippered by French former Vendée Globe skipper Alexia Barrier and was arrange along with British record-breaking yachtswoman Dee Caffari, is aiming to grow to be the primary all-female crew to finish a Jules Verne try.

However above all they’re chasing one of many all-time nice crusing information, the continuous, no-holds-barred all over the world document time, which at the moment stands at 40 days and 23 hours, set by Idec Sport in 2017.

As Dee Caffari posted on her Fb web page: “Sh*t is about to get actual!”

Barrier and Caffari are racing with Annemieke Bes, Rebecca Gmuer, Deb Blair, Molly Lapointe, Xiquita Etchegoyen, and Stacey Jackson aboard Idec Sport, the identical maxi-trimaran which set the present Jules Verne document in 2017, skippered by Francis Joyon.

Beginning a Jules Verne problem

The Jules Verne Trophy has an official begin/end line between the Créac’h lighthouse on the island of Ouessant, France, and Lizard Level lighthouse on the southernmost tip of England.

Crews should sail all over the world, passing Cape of Good Hope, Cape Leeuwin, and Cape Horn to port, earlier than crossing the identical line in the wrong way to complete – a ‘nice circle’ distance of 21,760 nautical miles (40,300km).

However the Jules Verne has no set begin time, so groups might depart at any time when their climate routers consider an appropriate window of alternative for a quick Atlantic descent is opening up.The Well-known Venture first moved to what’s often known as ‘Code Inexperienced’, or able to depart. Having left Brest, they crossed the road at 01.40 UTC (14 h 40 FR) on Saturday, November 29.

The Jules Verne Trophy course

Hardest 24 hours at begin

The Well-known Venture crew set off in powerful situations with a blustery north-westerly, and can instantly face 4-5m waves within the Bay of Biscay.

“I really feel very fortunate and grateful for all of the work that has been finished over the previous few months and years, all collectively. It’s actually a collective celebration to be on the beginning line,” mentioned Barrier.

“Clearly, I’m a bit nervous as a result of what we’re doing is large. However what reassures me rather a lot is having these unbelievable women by my facet. I’m not alone and I do know my staff is as much as the duty.

“We’ll be crusing downwind till we attain the equator. These are situations we all know nicely. Additional on, the doldrums are nonetheless shifting.

“As Brian Thompson, who has helped us rather a lot all through this coaching course on trimarans with the ladies, would say, ‘You’re going to expertise the hardest 24 hours of your Jules Verne Trophy.’ So we have to keep targeted and conservative so we don’t harm ourselves or break something on the primary day.”

Boat and crew of The Well-known Venture CIC, 100% ladies crew, earlier than begin for Trophée Jules Verne on November 29, in Brest, France. Photograph by Jean-Marie Liot / The Well-known Venture CIC

“I’m surprisingly calm, however I feel I’m calm to assist everybody else, as a result of you may really feel a sure nervousness,” mentioned Dee Caffari on the morning of the beginning.

“The primary aim has at all times been to get to the beginning line, and I feel right now we took an enormous step ahead. It’s an essential milestone, and I feel it deserves a bit celebration.

“It’s been an extended street, with ups and downs, however Alexia by no means misplaced confidence or religion in herself, and I supported her all through. So I’m very joyful to be right here. At present it’s about reminding the ladies that we’re simply going to sail, which is what they do completely, however merely that they gained’t be sleeping in a mattress for just a few days. That’s precisely what we practiced in coaching, so we’re simply going to set off, take pleasure in ourselves, and do what we all know how you can do.

“We needed an ideal begin, however perfection doesn’t exist in crusing, as a result of we’re on the mercy of Mom Nature. That mentioned, it’s an excellent begin.”

Skipper Alexia Barrier (FRA) earlier than begin of The Well-known Venture CIC try on the Trophée Jules Verne. Photograph by Jean-Marie Liot / The Well-known Venture CIC

Jules Verne climate window

Ashore the staff is supported by meteorologist Christian Dumard. The circulation of two excessive stress methods over the North Atlantic has created a possibility for a beginning window, although the staff can have a right away race in opposition to time because the motion of an anticyclone threatens to shut the route off Cape Finisterre.

“The entrance will move over the beginning space on Saturday morning,” explains Dumard. “The concept is to go away simply behind it, within the early afternoon, in a north-westerly wind of lower than 30 knots, which can regularly weaken.

“This window could be very quick and doesn’t essentially supply an absolute probability of attaining a ‘blistering’ time on the equator. Nevertheless it does supply favorable wind and sea situations for downwind crusing and a comparatively comfy begin for the crew.”

“We’ll depart Brest on Saturday earlier than midday and cross the road about two hours later. There might be tough seas, with swells of over 4 meters, that are completely manageable aboard Idec Sport,” provides Barrier.

“The hazard is that the high-pressure system centered off the coast of Portugal will develop and block us as we move Cape Finisterre. We’d then have to show again and resume our standby in Brest.”

A giant crowd turned out to see the crew of The Well-known Venture off from Brest. Photograph Jean-Marie Liot/The Well-known Venture CIC

All-female staff

The Well-known Venture was launched in 2022, with the staff initially coaching in a MOD70 earlier than taking supply of Idec Sport. They’ve been working with around the world yachtsman Brian Thomspon, with fellow British ocean sailor Jonny Malbon the Workforce Director.

In a latest weblog put up, Dee Caffari reported that the staff’s last coaching classes in late October forward of the document have been each invaluable, and difficult.

“These coaching classes are the place idea meets actuality – intense, demanding, and completely invaluable.

“We have been lucky to coach with Brian Thompson, whose experience and calm authority at sea are second to none. Brian’s teaching has helped us fine-tune our efficiency and strengthen our staff dynamics – these essential marginal positive aspects that may make all of the distinction after we tackle the planet’s hardest problem.

“This month, Mom Nature determined to push us tougher. The situations have been considerably greater and stronger than what we skilled throughout the summer season -exactly what we wanted. It’s one factor to sail quick in excellent situations; it’s fairly one other to take care of that efficiency when the waves are towering and the wind is howling.

“These difficult classes gave us a way more sensible preview of what life will actually be like as we chase the document all over the world.”

Skipper Alexia Barrier and his crew coaching onboard the Maxi-Trimaran The Well-known Venture CIC, off Groix island. Photograph: Jean-Marie LIOT / The Well-known Venture CIC

Jules Verne makes an attempt

There have been quite a few makes an attempt on the Jules Trophy document since Joyon set the present document in 2017. That point of 40 days, 23 hours, half-hour requires a mean pace of twenty-two.84 knots.

The foiling Ultim trimarans – able to sustaining constant speeds within the excessive 30s – have set off a number of occasions. In 2024 Thomas Coville’s Sodebo and Francois Gabart’s SVR-Lazartigue began inside hours of one another, however each needed to pause their try after injury or gear failure. Sodebo restarted final winter, however later needed to retire after shedding their central rudder.

In 2020, Charles Caudrelier’s staff on Gitana 17 and Sodebo additionally set off in the identical climate window in late November, however each had retired by mid-December after colliding with underwater objects.

Sodebo is among the many Ultims that has made quite a few makes an attempt on the Jules Verne Trophy. Photograph: Pierre Bouras/DPPI

The final all-female try on the Jules Verne, Tracy Edwards’ Royal & Solar Alliance in 1998, ended when the 92ft catamaran dismasted within the South Pacific 2,000 miles off the coast of Chile.

Idec Sport, the trimaran the Well-known Venture CIC crew are crusing, is a non-foiling design that was initially launched in 2006 as Groupama 3, and gained the Jules Verne Trophy in 2010, skippered by Franck Cammas. Whereas its peak pace is lower than that of an Ultim, it’s a strong and well-proven boat which has efficiently accomplished a number of continuous all over the world passages – the primary problem of any Jules Verne try.

The way to observe The Well-known Venture Jules Verne bid

You may observe The Well-known Venture’s try at thefamousproject.io

The staff additionally has an app, energetic social media, and plan to share reside each day updates on their YouTube channel.