Tuesday, December 16 – “Good Hope,” it’s done!
The eight sailors of The Famous Project CIC finished their journey across the vast Atlantic Ocean today, Tuesday, at 5 p.m. (French time). After 17 days, 2 hours, and 20 minutes of eventful sailing from Ushant, Alexia Barrier and her funny ladies crossed the Cape of Good Hope, the first (before Cape Leeuwin and Cape Horn) of the three major landmarks of this round-the-world race.
They are now preparing to enter the formidable and feared Indian Ocean, with its 70,560,000 km² of liquid horizons (13.83% of the total surface area of the globe), stretching from Cape Agulhas (a short distance east of the Cape of Good Hope) to the south coast of Tasmania between South West Cape and South East Cape. An entrance punctuated by numerous “tolls” that the crew will have to pay, starting with the negotiation of the Agulhas Current.
The Agulhas current
A current that is no joke. When strong winds blow against it, the sea becomes rough, choppy, and breakable. In a multihull, this is probably the most demanding condition. Reaching, strong winds, cross swells. It hits hard and is unforgiving.
So, with the routing team on shore, Alexia Barrier and her seven sailors compare and analyze. The idea is to avoid fighting this current for too long. They decide to head further north in search of calmer seas. Advantage: better wind and swell conditions. Disadvantage: unstable and changeable winds. The goal? To enter the Indian Ocean safely, with a boat in good condition and a confident crew.
Excerpt from Alexia Barrier’s logbook
Follow the adventure on IDEC SPORT’s social media and via the comprehensive map =>> https://trimaran-idec.geovoile.com/julesverne/2025/viewer/
