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The record has fallen, but behind the numbers lies a demanding navigation, made up of weather choices, repeated maneuvers and fine management of the flying trimaran. The video that accompanies this article looks back at the key moments of this round-the-world race, and gives an idea of what such an ocean-scale attempt entails.
A committed start and a lead built from the Atlantic onwards
On December 15, 2024, after just four days on stand-by, the crew validated a weather window and set off. On a Jules Verne Trophy, the first choice is often decisive. In this case, it determines what happens next.
The descent of the Atlantic is rapid. At the equator, Sodebo Ultim 3 was 4 days, 4 hours, 2 minutes and 25 seconds ahead of the reference time. This gap becomes strategic capital. On a hydrofoil Ultim, maintaining high speeds requires constant vigilance over platform and sail plan loads. The aim is not just to go fast, but to last 40 days.
Indian Ocean and South Seas, technical and repetitive navigation
The video clearly shows the difference with the 2017 record. Whereas IDEC Sport crossed the Indian Ocean without a gybe, Sodebo Ultim 3 has made more than twenty. The weather systems are forcing us to lengthen our route and multiply our maneuvers.
In the Southern Ocean, the presence of icebergs and successive lows impose a sustained rhythm. Each gybe on a trimaran over 30 meters long involves the whole crew. Coordination, anticipation, fine-tuning of appendages and headsails.
Damage to the J0's tack reminds us that performance also depends on equipment management. At these speeds, the slightest structural weakness can be costly. Nevertheless, the boat remains in its racing configuration, non-stop, right to the end.
Cape Horn and the ascent, nothing is won
The rounding of Cape Horn, done during the day in steady winds, marks a symbolic turning point. But the video insists on one point: the climb back up the Atlantic is no formality.
The routing becomes pessimistic, and the lead partially melts away. After more than 30 days at sea, the boat was beginning to show the signs of a long ocean voyage. Nevertheless, two weather transitions are negotiated faster than expected, enabling us to stabilize the differential with the record.
As we approach the finish, the Ingrid low-pressure system is the last lock. Heavy seas, violent waves, major stresses on the structure. The choice is clear: preserve the trimaran while keeping an eye on the record.
A line crossed at high speed, a collective record
Between Ushant and Lizard Cape, the trimaran completed her circumnavigation at nearly 40 knots. On January 25, 2025, the clock stopped at 40 days, 10 hours, 45 minutes and 50 seconds. The Jules Verne Trophy changes hands for the first time in nine years.
Thomas Coville, Benjamin Schwartz, Frédéric Denis, Pierre Leboucher, Léonard Legrand, Guillaume Pirouelle and Nicolas Troussel complete a non-stop round-the-world voyage aboard a flying Ultim. A first in this category.
The video summarizes the spectacular sequences, but it also highlights the essentials: consistency, repetition of gestures, confidence between quarters and the ability to withstand the South Seas without breaking the machine.
For the sailors involved in ocean racing, this record is a reminder of the obvious. On a crewed round-the-world race, pure speed counts, but consistency, equipment management and cohesion on board make all the difference. And on a 40-day circumnavigation of the globe, this is often where it all comes down to it.
