(November 23, 2016; Day 3) – The IDEC SPORT maxi-trimaran carried out a strategic gybe shortly after midnight as it seeks out the Canary trade winds. Francis Joyon and his crew of five arte gradually moving away from the influence of the front associated with a low pressure area, which enabled them to get out of the Bay of Biscay at high speed and move onto the NNE’ly winds, which should veer easterly after the Canaries.
The red and white maxi trimaran had a very good day yesterday sailing 640 miles at an average speed of 26.7 knots in strong winds and rough seas. The wind is set to drop off during the day and it is in a range that remains favourable blowing at around fifteen knots that IDEC Sport will make their way south to get to the ideal position in the Cape Verde Islands to the south.
As Francis Joyon stressed yesterday, he admired the bold move taken a few days ago there by the leader of the Vendée Globe Alex Thomson, as this is always a tricky moment in round the world racing with the high peaks disturbing the wind on the offshore route taken by these sailors.
Status as of 23:00 FR
Distance to finish: 20700.5 nm
24 hour distance: 649 nm
Record status: +29.8 nm
IDEC SPORT RACING – Tracker – Facebook
Background:
The Jules Verne Trophy is a prize for the fastest circumnavigation of the world by any type of yacht with no restrictions on the size of the crew, starting and finishing between the Le Créac’h Lighthouse off the tip of Brittany and the Lizard Point in Cornwall.
Francis Joyon (FRA) will be skippering the 31.5m VPLP-designed trimaran IDEC SPORT to beat the current record set January 2012 by Loïck Peyron and his crew on the 40 VPLP-designed trimaran Banque Populaire V of 45 days, 13 hours, 42 minutes and 53 seconds. To beat the record Joyon’s team must return to cross this same line between Brittany and Cornwall by 10:56:38 UTC on January 5, 2017.
IDEC SPORT crew
Francis Joyon (FRA), skipper
Bernard Stamm (CH), helmsman-trimmer
Gwénolé Gahinet (FRA), helmsman-trimmer
Alex Pella (ESP), helmsman-trimmer
Clément Surtel (FRA), helmsman-trimmer
Boris Herrmann (GER), helmsman-trimmer
–
Marcel Van Triest (NLD), on-shore router
Jules Verne Trophy
Record to beat: 45 days, 13 hours, 42 minutes and 53 seconds set by Loïck Peyron and his crew of 13 in January 2012 on the trimaran Banque Populaire V (40 m)
Average speed to beat: 19.75 knots
Course: around the world via the three capes, Good Hope, Leeuwin, Horn.
Great circle distance: 21,600 miles
Start and finish line between Ushant (Créac’h Lighthouse and The Lizard (Cornwall).
IDEC SPORT trimaran
Trimaran with foils
Designers: VPLP
Previous names: Groupama 3, Banque Populaire VII
Initial launch: June 2006
Length: 31.50 m
Beam: 22.50 m
Displacement: 15 t
Draught: 5.70 m
Mast height: 33.50 m
Structure: carbon-nomex