Wednesday 4 November 2026 – Charting a course south!
The Ultim IDEC SPORT-CIC continues on her way south, passing close to the Azores. After a night under the J0 in light airs, Alexia Barrier has been changing sails one after another: in the morning, the J0 was furled to make way for the smaller J1, so she could follow a more southerly route, sailing closer to the wind. With fronts following one another, she chose, with the routing and performance teams, to chart her own course, even if it means making slower progress.
In Alexia Barrier’s words:
With a crew, Alexia mainly focused on helming, navigation and strategy. Sailing solo, she also has to handle all the work at the front of the boat. After a night under the J0: “I’m proud of myself.” On choosing the southern route: “I’m still happy with this decision.”
Moved by the damage and capsizes among her rivals, she sent them a message of solidarity: “Good luck to all the Route du Rhum competitors, stay safe.”
Technical update from Clément Surtel, technical director:
“Technically, the boat is at 100%.” Whenever conditions allow, Alexia inspects the inside of the trimaran and the deck, checks how the sails are stowed and looks for any signs of wear. On shore, the team monitors performance, energy on board, rest and food. Fatigue is there and the cold nights make resting harder, but morale is holding up.
Excerpt from The Famous Project’s logbook
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