Sunday 8 November 2026 – Pressing on despite the mainsail damage!
A new challenge has arisen aboard the Ultim IDEC SPORT-CIC. The mainsail has torn at the second reef, forcing Alexia Barrier to attempt a repair during the night. This Sunday, the maxi-trimaran is nevertheless still making headway. The skipper is preparing a gybe to head for Guadeloupe, while working out how to repair the sail.
A delicate night-time repair:
At the end of the boom, in the dark and in waves she describes as “huge”, Alexia spent around thirty minutes trying to apply patches to the damaged part of the mainsail. This first attempt did not deliver the hoped-for result. The repair is still to be solved on board, between the boat’s movements and the difficult access to the torn area.
Heading on to Guadeloupe:
“It doesn’t stop me from moving forward,” says the IDEC SPORT-CIC skipper. Despite the tear, the maxi-trimaran keeps progressing and a gybe is planned shortly to set her course for Guadeloupe. No definitive solution has been announced yet: Alexia is still thinking about how to intervene as the crossing goes on.
The difficult night has not dented her determination, summed up in a few words: “We never give up.”
Excerpt from The Famous Project logbook
Follow the adventure on IDEC SPORT social media and live on the race tracker.
