Tuesday 10 November 2026 – Becalmed, but keeping her moving!
Progress remains slow on the road to Guadeloupe. The Ultim IDEC SPORT-CIC is dealing with almost no wind, conditions expected to last at least until the evening. For Alexia Barrier, the priority is to keep the maxi-trimaran moving. Between flogging sails, hard-to-find sleep and keeping watch on shipping, vigilance never lets up.
Staying in control in light airs:
With just 1.2 knots of wind on average, every trim counts. The boat must not stall or spin round for lack of enough speed to hold her course. Speeds remain modest, but the trimaran keeps progressing: “We’re managing to move forward.” In this persistent calm, that is already a satisfaction.
Sleep still hard to come by:
The lack of wind brings no respite: the sails flog and the boat demands constant attention. The skipper even describes these periods as “the worst of all in terms of sleep management” and can’t wait for this phase to end.
Watching out for cargo ships too:
On top of handling the boat comes keeping an eye on shipping. Thanks to Sopra Steria’s Crimson software, Alexia can monitor cargo ships that might cross her path from further away, a valuable advantage when the trimaran is moving very slowly.
Despite the slow pace and lack of rest, the message remains reassuring: “All is well on board.” The crossing goes on, waiting for a more favourable wind.
Excerpt from The Famous Project logbook
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