On day five of the race, Alexia Barrier has already covered more than half of the Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe. Fifth in the provisional Ultim rankings, she is keeping her trademark smile and energy aboard the Ultim IDEC SPORT-CIC, proud of what she has already achieved.
“Every minute I live is simply extraordinary”
“The gym is open 24/7 on board”: Alexia’s phrase sums up her start to the race. After crossing a first front without trouble, the first woman to race an Ultim is proudly carving her way across the Atlantic. “I’m really happy with what I’ve given so far in this Route du Rhum. Every minute I live is simply extraordinary. Sometimes I’m scared, hungry, cold, I’m hurting, I cry, but despite everything, I’m so lucky to be here.” Her router Christian Dumard agrees: “What fascinates me is the strength and resources Alexia can find even when she is very tired.”
Burning an average of 4,000 calories a day, food and rest are essential. “It’s eat, sleep, manoeuvre, eat, sleep, manoeuvre.” A pace that sometimes pushes her mind to its limits: “In the first 24 hours, I didn’t sleep. So I had a few auditory hallucinations. I felt as if the whole The Famous Project Jules Verne Trophy crew was on board with me.”
A direct route, without trade winds
“This is the first time in a Route du Rhum that there are no trade winds at all,” explains Christian Dumard. While the other Ultims headed west, Alexia and her routing team chose the direct route. “In the coming hours, Alexia will make the most of the wind shifts around the high-pressure system. She will also have to decide how to get around a tropical low that has settled north of the archipelago.” For Clément Surtel, technical director of The Famous Project, physical condition remains key: “The aim of the game is to find the right balance between choices that cost a lot of energy and the real gain they bring.”
A maxi-trimaran at 100%
Although she is one of the oldest boats in the fleet, the Ultim IDEC SPORT-CIC is handling the Atlantic’s tough conditions perfectly. “No breakages, nothing damaged. The energy system is running perfectly. For now, the boat’s potential is still at 100%,” confirms Clément Surtel. Which allows Alexia to look ahead: “It’s really reassuring to know I can make full use of my boat’s capabilities, battle the elements to trim my sails, without having to fix anything. It’s great training for what comes next, and I already know what we’ll need to work on ahead of the Arkea Ultim Challenge Brest.”
In a few days comes the final and probably toughest stage: the lap around Guadeloupe, scene of the race’s greatest stories. Like in 2018, when Francis Joyon snatched victory from François Gabart by just seven minutes, at the helm of a certain red boat, now in the hands of Alexia Barrier.
Follow Alexia live on the race tracker.
