Saturday, December 13 – Eight motivated, united, determined women
The female crew of The Famous Project CIC is currently negotiating its first major southern depression. The international crew led by Alexia Barrier and Dee Caffari is racing ahead of a vigorous low-pressure system from South America in the north of the Tristan da Cunha archipelago, heading straight for the southern tip of the African continent.
Alexia Barrier, Dee Caffari, Annemieke Bes, Rebecca Gmür Hornell, Deborah Blair, Molly LaPointe, Támara Echegoyen, and Stacey Jackson are putting a lot of energy into not getting caught up in and subjected to violent gusts of over 30 knots blowing during the storm.
Repair successful before consolidation
Brutally halted in their impressive run at over 30 knots, the damage to the mainsail hook suffered and dealt with yesterday (Friday, December 12) has not only delayed them but also prevented them from sailing other than under mainsail with two reefs and staysail at the bow.
As Alexia Barrier explains: “The mainsail is what gives us speed. And the mainsail hook is a bit like the boat’s gearbox. It’s what holds the mainsail on the mast and manages the enormous power of this huge, powerful sail without crushing the mast. We spent 10 hours trying to understand. Taking it apart. Searching. Eliminating hypotheses one by one. We found a temporary solution. It’s not perfect. But it allows us to continue safely. Last night, we sailed on the highway… in second gear. The result: an average speed loss of 30 to 40% over the distance remaining to the Cape of Good Hope.”
Despite their fatigue, the eight women remain undeterred in their determination to continue the adventure and complete their round-the-world trip aboard the maxi multihull. “That’s also what the Jules Verne Trophy adventure is all about. Human mechanics. We’re still here. United. Determined.“ says Alexia Barrier, before continuing, ”The team is remarkable. Bex, first of all. Incredible willpower. Raw talent. She climbed inside the mast, more than fifteen meters high, in rough seas, to check the part on which the hook is attached.
Molly, always ready to tinker. Debs and Annemieke, searching, digging, finding the right equipment. Stacey, with her ideas, her experience, her insight. Meanwhile, Tamara is at the helm. Dee listens, coordinates, keeps an eye on the big picture. And I contribute to the discussion, while staying in constant contact with the shore team to receive, cross-check, and relay information. “
For now, the crew’s priority is to avoid the worst of the bad weather and reach less windy areas off the coast of South Africa, where the ship’s technicians, led by Molly LaPointe, will be able to consolidate the repairs carried out yesterday and restore full use of the various reefs on the mainsail.
Excerpt from The Famous Project CIC article and Alexia Barrier’s logbook
Follow the adventure on IDEC SPORT social media and via the comprehensive map =>> https://trimaran-idec.geovoile.com/julesverne/2025/viewer/
