Thomas Coville passes the Cape of Good Hope more than a day ahead of the record

The crew of the maxi-trimaran Sodebo Ultim 3 reached the southern tip of Africa one day, four hours and 17 minutes ahead of the round-the-world sailing record set by Francis Joyon in 2017.

Télévisions – Sports Editorial

Published on 01/01/2025 15:48

Reading time: 1min

Skipper Benjamin Schwartz on the Ultime Sodebo 3, training before the crew's first attempt at the Jules Verne Trophy, November 22, 2024. (SEBASTIEN SALOM-GOMIS / AFP)

“A year 2025 which starts with a great time! After 11 days 15 hours and 11 minutes at sea, Sodebo Ultim 3 crossed the longitude of the Cape of Good Hope at 12:46 p.m.”announced the Sodebo Ultim 3 maxi-trimaran team in a press release on Wednesday January 1st. Thomas Coville and his crew, engaged in a round-the-world sailing trip, are exactly one day, four hours and 17 minutes ahead of the record holder, Francis Joyon.

At 1:00 p.m., they were 565 nautical miles ahead of Francis Joyon's track, or 1,047 kilometers. Good news for the navigators Frédéric Denis, Léonard Legrand, Pierre Leboucher, Guillaume Pirouelle, Benjamin Schwartz and Nicolas Troussel who are accompanying Thomas Coville on his tenth circumnavigation of the world.

They had already set off for the first time on November 29, but finally abandoned off the coast of Cape Verde after rudder damage. They left Ouessant (Finistère) on December 20 for a second attempt around the world.

The record established by Francis Joyon on Idec Sport in 2017 (40 days, 23 hours, 30 minutes and 30 seconds) is tough: it has been untouchable for almost eight years, unheard of for this trophy created in 1993. The crew de Sodebo must return to before Thursday January 30 at 9:05:25 p.m. to beat the record.

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