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A Cowes-Dinard race completed in just over four hours
On September 8, 2026, Louis Burton and his crew clocked a time of 4 hours, 4 minutes, and 25 seconds between Cowes and Dinard aboard the Ultim Armand Thiery . The time is 26 minutes and 20 seconds faster than the record set in 2021 by Giovanni Soldini and his crew on Maserati70 . However, it is still subject to ratification by the World Sailing Speed Record Council.
According to data provided by Louis Burton's team, Armand Thiery departed from Cowes at 4:30:44 p.m. French time, before crossing the finish line off Dinard at 8:35:09 p.m. The average speed calculated over the reference distance was 33.86 knots. The team also reported 34.6 knots over the actual distance traveled and a top speed of 46.4 knots.
The most impressive figure is, of course, the top speed. But from a sporting perspective, the average speed is much more revealing. Maintaining a speed of nearly 34 knots for four hours in the English Channel?where you have to contend with the Solent, the Channel Islands, current effects, and occasionally choppy seas?requires more than just a single fast tack.
A brief weather window and sailing on a reach
The weather conditions the team encountered partly explain the fast pace. According to Louis Burton, most of the crossing took place with 20 to 25 knots of northwest wind, sailing on a reach and broad reach. These conditions are favorable for large foiling multihulls: the apparent wind increases with the boat?s speed, allowing the team to maintain strong pressure in the sails while making the most of the lifting foils. But speed doesn?t solve every problem. At speeds over 30 knots, sea conditions become a critical factor, affecting both the boat?s course and the loads borne by the platform.
The window was also narrow. The team, which had been waiting since September 7, estimated it had five to six hours before conditions began to deteriorate. The trimaran had previously reached the Solent from the French coast and then sped toward the starting line. The start of the course quickly requires the boat to leave the Solent, an area where traffic, the nearby coastline, and currents limit tactical freedom. Next comes the English Channel proper, where the boat can better showcase its potential.
The Blanchard and Jersey straits complicate a route that looks simple on the map
Looking at a weather map, the Cowes-Dinard route might almost resemble a long crosswind leg. The geographical reality is less forgiving. Louis Burton notes in particular that he encountered an opposing current at Raz Blanchard, with rough seas caused by the interaction between wind and current. This area, located between Cap de la Hague and Alderney, is known for its powerful currents. At high speeds, therefore, the challenge is not simply to find the geometrically shortest route. One must balance the current, sea state, angle to the wind, and the ability to maintain high speed without placing excessive strain on the boat.
The route around Jersey also changed during the attempt. The crew initially planned to sail west of the island before deciding on the eastern side instead. According to Burton, they had to sail far enough around Jersey to minimize the downwind effect, then set a course back toward Dinard. This type of decision serves as a reminder that a speed record is not a track race. The route planning provides a theoretical solution, but the navigator and helmsman must constantly adjust it based on the actual sea conditions they encounter. And on an Ultim sailing at over 40 knots, a few miles spent in an area with poor wind can quickly cost several minutes.
Twenty-six minutes gained, but two very different boats
A comparison with Maserati70 must be handled with care. Giovanni Soldini?s Multi70 had set a time of 4 h 30 min 45 s in April 2021, which was still listed by the WSSRC at the time of Louis Burton?s attempt. Maserati70 measures approximately 21.30 m, compared to 30 m for Armand Thiery . The difference in scale is considerable. In particular, Burton's boat has a much longer hull and a much larger platform. It belongs to a generation of maxi-trimarans designed to maintain very high average speeds across the ocean.
It is also important to note that Armand Thiery is not a new boat. The trimaran is the old one Macif by François Gabart, designed by VPLP and launched in 2015. It then became Actual Ultim 3 before being taken over by Louis Burton's project in 2026. The boat had also been fitted with new appendages during a major refit in 2018 to improve its flight capabilities. The performance in September 2026 does not, therefore, mark the arrival of a new-generation Ultim. Rather, it demonstrates the potential still available in a proven platform, now taken over by a new team.
For Louis Burton, the real issue is still getting the hang of it
That is probably where the main attraction of this crossing lies. Armand Thiery did not return to the water in its new livery until July 7, 2026, following a refit in Lorient. Louis Burton therefore has a boat that is well-known and thoroughly tested in offshore racing, but new to him and to part of his crew. However, learning to sail an Ultim involves more than just understanding its speed polars. It?s necessary to determine the settings, sea conditions, fin configurations, sail reductions, and steering methods required to maintain a stable platform under considerable stress. It?s also essential to develop automatic responses onboard.
The Cowes-Dinard crossing offers precisely the right setting for this work. In just a few hours, it combines stretches of pure speed, helmsmanship, coastal transitions, current effects, and route choices. Louis Burton also points out that, under the conditions encountered, the helm was manned at all times. This observation takes on particular importance in the context of a solo race: what is possible with multiple helmsmen available must then be adapted to a situation where the skipper must also sleep, navigate, maneuver, and manage the boat.
From the crewed record to the solo race in the Route du Rhum
That?s the whole difference between the performance on September 8 and the goal for November 1. For the Cowes-Dinard race, Louis Burton had seven crew members: Servane Escoffier-Burton, Clément Commagnac, Arthur Hubert, Evan Panard, Ahmad Ahmadi, Gwénolé Gahinet, and Antoine Blouet. Jérémy Eloy was also on board to film. On the Route du Rhum, Burton will be sailing alone.
The start of the thirteenth edition is officially scheduled for November 1, 2026, at 1:02 p.m. from Saint-Malo, for a transatlantic race to Pointe-à-Pitre. The change in configuration will therefore be radical. A four-hour record does not demonstrate the ability to maintain high speeds for several days across the Atlantic. However, it does allow the team to evaluate the boat?s performance in sustained winds, compare the settings to recorded data, and identify situations where the boat becomes more difficult to handle.
With less than two months to go before the start, every sail counts all the more, especially since Burton is moving into a whole new world after his long experience in IMOCA. A 30-meter Ultim demands different speeds, different loads, and different strategies.
The next race will be much longer: the Route du Rhum.
