Monday, December 29 – Point Nemo for January 1?
Last night, December 28, the international crew crossed the antimeridian, the imaginary semicircle that passes through the two poles opposite the Greenwich Meridian. The eight sailors thus experienced the same night of December 28 twice.
On board the IDEC SPORT maxi-trimaran, impressive progress of more than 650 miles per 24 hours has been recorded.
This morning, Monday, December 29, they are finishing their 30th day of adventurous racing. They can congratulate themselves on a remarkable crossing of the Indian Ocean, ahead of a front that never overtook them. Better still, by skillfully and continuously gliding under the vast anticyclone frozen over Tasmania this weekend, they gained more than two days on their schedule!
In the words of Alexia Barrier
“We have clearly made progress in our sailing and our understanding of the boat. Our maneuvers are more fluid, and we are becoming more confident at the helm at high speeds. The rest of the race won’t be easy, but it should be smoother, with more accurate adjustments and better anticipation. Already, I think that in the Indian Ocean, our average speeds have increased, as has our consistency and our ability to maintain speeds over time. That’s exactly what we’re looking for on a round-the-world trip. So it feels a bit like a second start. Same route, same boat, but with a more precise, more confident crew.
The Indian Ocean was satisfying. It was intense, it was fast, it was demanding. Frankly, we dared to maintain high speeds over time, without putting ourselves in danger, which is important. The boat spoke, and we learned to listen to it. This is invaluable for the future. We approach the Pacific with great humility, but also with genuine curiosity. It is an ocean of contrasts. We know it can be very gentle or very brutal, so we’re entering it with focus.”
The eight women have now set their sights on passing Point Nemo, the point in the Pacific Ocean furthest from any landmass on Earth, on January 1, followed by a historic crossing of the famous Cape Horn on January 5.
Excerpt from an article by The Famous Project CIC
Follow the adventure on IDEC SPORT social media and via the comprehensive map =>> https://trimaran-idec.geovoile.com/julesverne/2025/viewer/
