Alexia Barrier's 100% women's project, The Famous Project, involves 6 hulls, 3 in the Mediterranean on the MOD 70 and 3 in the Atlantic on the former IDEC Sport. She explains the various aspects of the project to us, the day after her victory in the Middle Sea Race. 2023
How was the MOD 70 season?
We had a week of training in May, during which we had Brian Thomson as our coach. We beat the Record des Griffes du Lion, which confirmed our mastery of the trimaran. Then we did a lot of public relations sailing and discoveries for the general public. For the Middle Sea Race, we lined up at the start with Dee Caffari, Marie Riou, Elodie Jane Mettraux, Sara Heistreiter, Jonny Malbon, Jeff Mearing, Tom Dawson and Robin Christol.
We were able to push the boat, which is quite fickle by nature. For us, it was important to validate these somewhat critical phases, and to manage the machine as well as possible in these situations. The competition was pretty weak this year, so coming in at 1 er on the line was an obligation.
This is your second victory in the Middle Sea Race, which this year brought together 109 yachts. How did this edition go?
It was a great race, very technical, with windless moments, and slams at 30-35 knots, typical of the Mediterranean. It can get pretty rock'n'roll in a hurry. The Messina passage is both technical and challenging. The windless transitions aren't the most relaxing, as we're waiting for the new weather system to arrive, while regulating more frequently. We've made good progress on boat handling and positioning in relation to the weather systems.
What's next for the MOD 70?
I'm going to pick him up after the start of the Transat Jaques Vabre, to bring him back to La Seyne-sur-Mer.
It's the only Mod that hasn't undergone any modifications, and that hasn't been sailed much. We're going to change the mast rake from 4 to 6 degrees, which will make it safer and less likely to crash. We'd also like to install a live stream system to improve communication on board.
For energy, we're going to install a fuel cell and solar panels, and in the medium term switch to electric motors. This project is all the more important as it will serve as a test platform for future modifications to the giant trimaran Idec Sport.
So you'll be working on two sites at the same time, one in La Seyne sur Mer at Monaco Marine and the other in Vannes at Multiplast. What's the job list on Idec Sport?
We're going to freshen up the boat a bit, which needs a bit of a clean. We're consolidating a few points that have aged a little. Above all, we'll be adding a cap to protect the crew.
Doing this job at Multiplast is really top-notch. We're right next door to VPLP, who designed the boat launched in 2006, and North Sails, who make our sails. We're not going to revolutionize the platform, but we won't rule out adding T-shaped rudders to see what happens. We're working on this with the Idec Group's start-up companies. The launch is scheduled for April, after the Spi Ouest France.
With two trimarans in the same team, what is the sailing schedule for 2024?
With the Idec Sport trimaran, the aim is to keep training. Then, we're going to tackle a series of 9 Atlantic records, including the round Ireland and round the British Isles. Our aim is both to set reference times with women's crews, and to beat the scratch record.
The MOD 70 will take part in the RORC Transat, followed by the Caribbean 600, before returning to Europe with the Quebec-Saint Malo.
The program is very dense. Describe the staff needed to run two ocean-racing trimarans.
I'm surrounded by a top-notch team, with Dee Caffari as my right-hand man. There are 7 permanent staff and around 15 sailors. We're continuing to recruit female sailors for our various voyages. We've already received a lot of requests to come aboard. We're trying to get women crew members from a variety of backgrounds, who can bring a wealth of additional human resources.
The ultimate goal is to set sail aboard the maxi-trimaran Idec Sport to win the Jules Verne Trophy, ideally at the end of 2024.
Women's and environmental causes are values you've held dear since you started ocean racing. How do you promote them?
We've launched "The Famous Academy", which aims to help women present beautiful projects, and facilitate their promotion. We'll be launching our first project in Lanzarote, in the Canary Islands. We'll also be presenting a virtual reality film for the world's children who don't have access to the sea. This film, produced in partnership with Unesco, will be shown first in France and then in other countries.
