Here we go again for Yann Guichard and his 11 crew members! On station in Brest since the evening of 14th January, Spindrift 2 left Brest this Monday 15th January 2018 at 3 pm, to set off on the Jules Verne Trophy (a non-stop, crewed round the world voyage via the 3 capes). The weather window wasn't ideal, but was sufficient for this round the world voyage in a multihull, with a fine low over the tip of Brittany and a start which looked set to be strong, hinting at a time of crossing the Equator of between 5 days 5 hours and 5 days 10 hours. This means a lead of several hours over the reference time set by Francis Joyon and his crew of 5 d 18 h 59'. But above all the hope for the crew to hook onto a low off Brazil, which would enable them to cross the South Atlantic quickly.
Yann Guichard hoped to improve the time of passage of the first of the capes (Cap de Bonne Espérance/Cap des Aiguilles). Idec Sport had achieved a journey time of 12 days 21 hours 22 minutes to overtake the tip of South Africa.
" We're in code green: the latest weather files confirm our departure from the pontoon at around noon this Monday, with a Jules Verne Trophy line crossing quickly in the wake: the 25-30 knot W to NW'ly wind will indeed strengthen as we make our way across the Bay of Biscay with five metre high waves on our hips. It's going to be tough, but only during the first twelve hours. After that the wind will ease off Cape Finisterre with moderate tradewinds, a passage close to the Canaries after several gybes. Manoeuvres in perspective!" indicated Yann Guichard before embarking the last fresh supplies on board Spindrift 2.
Dismasting before crossing the start line
After two months on stand-by and a first attempt on 8th January (Yann Guichard had preferred to turn back because of the weather), the black and gold trimaran was finally embarking on the quest for the record, held since January 2017 by Francis Joyon and his crew on his trimaran Idec Sport in 40 days 23 hours 30 minutes. However, as he headed towards Ushant for the passage of the line, the multihull dismasted in the Goulet de Brest, between the tip of Saint Matthieu and Camaret.
Due to the lack of a propeller, which is dismantled before the circumnavigation of the world, it has to be towed to Brest. " The crew's safe and sound. It all happened very quickly. The mast fell to leeward of the boat. The conditions were not Dantean. At the moment it's too early to know what happened. We had to let go of the rigging to secure the boat and allow towing. Operations are underway to recover it," says the boat's skipper.
Crew Jules Verne Trophy 2017
- Yann Guichard (skipper)
- Erwan Israel (navigator)
- Jacques Guichard (shift manager/setter-helmsman)
- Christophe Espagnon (watch commander/ number one helmsman)
- Xavier Revil (shift manager/setter-operator)
- François Morvan (coxswain)
- Antoine Carraz (helmsman-setter)
- Thierry Chabagny (helmsman/number one)
- Ewen Le Clech (coxswain)
- Sam Goodchild (coxswain/number one)
- Thomas Le Breton (helmsman)
- Erwan Le Roux (helmsman)
- Shore-based router: Jean Yves Bernot
