The Atlantic Ocean confirms itself as a formidable opponent for navigators. While the Vendée Globe continues without a hitch, the Jules Verne Trophy sees the maxi-trimarans Lazartigue and Sodebo forced to retire. One lost at sea in the ARC
The oceans are confirmed as dangerous. For now, the solo riders involved in the Vendèe Globe – leader Charlie Dalin has almost 300 miles ahead, three weeks from the start – have not had any major problems. It went differently for the 142 crews of the ARC, the Atlantic Rally Cruisers, a sort of rally-regatta from the Canary Islands to St. Lucia, one of the largest islands in the Caribbean. The very strong trade winds, with ‘gusty’ 30 knots and rough seas put the leading boats in difficulty. The dynamics of the accident that led to the disappearance at sea of Dag Eresund, a 33-year-old Swedish sailor, on board the Austrian VOR 65 Ocean Breeze, despite wearing the required life jacket, are not yet clear. The fact is that he has never been found again. The Atlantic was fatal, without any damage to people, even to the two maxi-trimarans engaged in the challenge of challenges: the Jules Verne Trophy. Having left two hours away from Ouessant, on the coast of Brittany, both Lazartigue and Sodebo had to surrender on 3 December, again just a few hours between the announcement of the first withdrawal and the second.
PEYRON CREW
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Obviously inspired by the novel where Phileas Fogg manages to return to his London club before the 80 days linked to the bet, the Jules Verne Trophy which rewards the fastest in completing the round-the-world trip, with a crew and without stopping. The competition is free – without a starting date – and open to all types of boats. You just have to leave and get to Ouessant, a small island in front of Finistère. Created in 1990, it has seen the time taken on the official distance set at 21,600 miles by the World Sail Speed World Council almost halved. In 1993, the maxi-catamaran Commodore Explorer managed to return in 79 days, 6 hours and 15 minutes: Bruno Peyron and his five companions were looked at like Martians. Because no one could imagine that Francis Joyon’s Idec Sport trimaran (holder of the trophy) could do it, in 2017, in 40 days, 23 hours and 20 minutes at an average of 26.9 knots, held by just six sailors on board a boat almost 32 meters long, 22.50 meters wide and with 678 square meters of sail. It is a very difficult undertaking: suffice it to say that in 30 years of history there have been around twenty serious attempts but only nine have reached completion. The roll of honor is practically an oceanic hall of fame: twice the ‘Viscount’ Olivier De Kersauson (for the French, the very symbol of the oceanic navigator), three times the Peyron family (on three occasions Bruno, on one the already mentioned brother Loick) and again the holder Joyon and Peter Blake, not yet Sir, but who with the record of the catamaran Enza New Zealand, in 1994 began to write the history of the myth. The following year, he led the sailing All Blacks to win the America’s Cup.
SODEBO
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SVR-Lazartigue and Sodebo have entered the group of those who have tried but have raised the white flag (for now), maxi trimarans that impress with their size and the speeds achievable thanks to the foil system. The first is 32 meters long and 23 meters wide, which is equivalent to ‘occupying’ a surface of water equal to that of three tennis courts side by side. The 36 meter mast – which would reach the second floor of the Eiffel Tower as the French media have highlighted – supports 250 square meters of mainsail and 400 with the maximum sail at the bow. The crew is led by the expert Francois Gabart, a sailor who (coincidentally) holds the record for the solo round the world trip: in 2017, with Macif (another 30 meter long maxi-trimaran), it took him 42 days, 16 hours, 40 minutes and 35 seconds pulverizing the previous limit. Sodebo is practically the ‘twin’ with some changes to the deck layout, desired by skipper Thomas Coville: another champion of ocean sailing with nine circumnavigations under his belt, five of which solo.
SVR LAZARTIGUE
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Fate, as mentioned, struck both SVR-Lazartigue and Sodebo. In the first case, the crew reported having felt an impact – it was not clear with things – while sailing in 30 knots of wind, about 500 miles from the Azores. Damage to the starboard foil prompted withdrawal, returning to the team’s port of Concarneau, Brittany. A real shame, considering that after three days at sea, SVR-Lazartigue was about two hours behind (nothing at this distance) on the 2017 IDEC Sport record. On the third day, the maxi-trimaran also achieved a sustained speed of 49.9 knots. A dozen hours later, a white flag also for Sodebo who lost the central rudder, due to a mechanical problem or more likely due to an impact. Here too, heading towards France, exactly in Lorient. What unites the two teams is not only the technical knockout but the determination not to give up: almost certainly, at the end of January, the boats will return to sea to try to break Idec’s record, going below the 40-day barrier. Other than Phileas Fogg’s 80.
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