Monday 2 November 2026 – An intense first night!
Since the start in Saint-Malo on Sunday at 1:02 pm, the pace has been relentless aboard the Ultim IDEC SPORT-CIC. Peaks above 35 knots, gusts of 30 knots under full mainsail and J1, and very little sleep: Alexia Barrier is going through a demanding start to the race, which she describes with her head torch on, a smile on her face and a strong will to stay in the game. Slightly behind the fleet when she recorded her message, she was already preparing a gybe to head back south.
In Alexia Barrier’s words:
“Aboard IDEC SPORT-CIC, we haven’t let go since the start. The gym is open 24 hours a day, right from the first day, with great speeds, peaks above 35 knots. Of course, I’m a little behind the fleet, but I haven’t said my last word.
20 minutes of sleep last night, I think, which isn’t bad at all, in my little nest. Anyway, it’s very cool, even if there were some rough moments, with full mainsail and the J1 in 30-knot gusts. But I held on, and so did my boat.
I can’t wait to get on with this gybe in two hours, to sail a bit on port tack and head back south. Big hugs, have a great day!”
Excerpt from The Famous Project’s logbook
Follow the adventure on IDEC SPORT social media and live on the race tracker.
