The official line, located between the Créac’h lighthouse on the island of Ouessant and the Lizard Point lighthouse, was crossed at precisely 2:40:00 p.m. by the eight skippers of The Famous Project CIC on the maxi-trimaran.
“We are delighted to support Alexia Barrier and her crew in this attempt at the Jules Verne Trophy. The IDEC SPORT maxi-trimaran has a unique history, and seeing it set sail today with an all-female team, ready to take on one of the most demanding records, is a source of immense pride for all the employees of the IDEC GROUP. The Jules Verne Trophy embodies the strong values we share: respect for the environment, inclusion, passion, pushing oneself beyond one’s limits, and commitment. Daring to take risks, setting challenges and pushing boundaries: this is what drives the spirit of IDEC SPORT and the entire IDEC GROUP,” says Patrice Lafargue, President of the IDEC Group and IDEC SPORT.
The next 24 hours are expected to be turbulent
The Bay of Biscay, shaken by the passage of a front, welcomes the sailors with its usual tumultuous conditions, waves of 4 to 5 meters, and a northwesterly wind that is fortunately well oriented to favor downwind sailing. There is only one watchword: caution! Don’t break anything, and get as comfortable as possible while waiting for the wind to drop and the sea to calm down in the middle of next week, somewhere off the coast of Portugal.
ALEXIA BARRIER, captain “We are strong together”
“I feel very lucky and grateful for all the work that has been done over the last few months and years, all together. It’s truly a collective celebration to be standing on this starting line. Obviously, I’m a little nervous because what we’re doing is huge. But what reassures me a lot is having these incredible girls by my side. I’m not alone and I know my team is up to the task. We’ll be sailing downwind until we reach the equator. These are conditions we know well. Further on, the doldrums are still shifting. As Brian Thompson, who has helped us a lot throughout this training course on trimarans with the girls, would say, “You’re going to experience the toughest 24 hours of your Jules Verne Trophy.” So we need to stay focused and conservative to avoid hurting ourselves and breaking anything on the first day.“
How can you follow The Famous Project CIC record attempt?
- The IDEC SPORT website
- IDEC SPORT social media: LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook
- The official The Famous Project CIC app for iOS and Android, available to download
- The Famous Project CIC map
- Daily LIVE updates from on board via the IDEC SPORT YouTube channel in collaboration with The Famous Project CIC
