Friday, December 12 – Meeting with Christian Dumard, the router
As The Famous Project CIC approaches the highly symbolic end of the first Atlantic phase of its Jules Verne Trophy voyage in excellent conditions, it is an opportunity to meet the man who, from land, is helping the girls to decipher and figure out the best route to sail around the globe aboard the Maxi-Trimaran IDEC SPORT.
Already two weeks at sea
“Approaching this round-the-world race cautiously is simply common sense at sea,” emphasizes Christian Dumard. “All these sailors are demonstrating great professionalism and measured caution on this exceptional type of boat, given the venerable age of this trimaran launched in 2006 and their ambition to finish this race. I greatly admire their ability to set the right course and their incredible serenity.
The start was slow,“ admits Dumard, ”but justified by the “boat-breaking” sea conditions, with 4- to 5-meter waves in which they did not want to take any risks. They were right to do so, and they were then able to benefit from a calm trade wind, perfect for continuing their introduction to the race. Admittedly, the doldrums widened as they passed through, causing them to slow down for a whole day. The southeasterly trade winds were very moderate, allowing the crew to continue learning about the boat and life in a small community, and to prepare for the first major challenge of their round-the-world trip: entering the turbulent waters of the southern ocean. A most favorable sequence of events is presenting itself to them as they head for the southern tip of Africa, during the night of Sunday, December 14 to Monday, December 15, approximately 16 days after leaving Ouessant. “
En route to the Cape of Good Hope
The immediate weather pattern shows signs of divergence, suggesting that the wind will fluctuate in strength. A line of clouds visible on satellite images lies directly in the boat’s path. The gusts beneath these clouds are stronger than the established wind, calling for the utmost vigilance.
The approach to the Cape of Good Hope immediately presents a very clear choice of route, between a “normal” route to the south and a “conservative” route to the north. The crew and routers agree to stay north for the next 24 to 48 hours to avoid the “very strong” winds and gusts of over 60 knots further south.
The southern option is certainly faster but is considered too extreme for a first encounter with a southern depression. The conservative route to the north is therefore preferred in order to reduce wave height and the load on the boat, allowing the crew to gradually acclimatize to these new conditions.
The Agulhas Current
The Agulhas Current must be closely monitored. It flows along the south-east coast of South Africa, towards the south-west, and is measured at over 4 knots in some places. It is therefore advisable to avoid situations where the wind would be contrary to the current, which would cause dangerous seas.
This newly assembled crew has never sailed together for so long aboard IDEC SPORT. Only three of these women have experience in the southern oceans, and none aboard a maxi multihull. And very few of them have ever sailed in a multihull race around the world.
Given the immensity of the challenge, the 100% female crew’s approach, characterized by humility and reasoned caution, is proving to be the only way to achieve their ambition of “completing the loop.”
Article from the press release by The Famous Project CIC
Follow the adventure on IDEC SPORT social media and via the comprehensive map =>> https://trimaran-idec.geovoile.com/julesverne/2025/viewer/
Christian Dumard : Router, meteorologist, strategist, Christian Dumard is also a weather advisor on more than a dozen attempts at round-the-world records, in addition to advising the organizers of no less than three Vendée Globes, three Ocean Races, and two Golden Globes.
